This past winter a measles outbreak in Texas caught national attention. It didn’t reach Kansas City, but at JayDoc Free Clinic, medical student leaders weren’t waiting to react. They were already preparing.
JayDoc Free Clinic, run by medical students at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, exists to treat underserved patients in the region. As spread of diseases such as tuberculosis and measles grew, its medical student executive directors took on an ambitious challenge—write and implement clinical protocols for two highly contagious diseases.
“Creating the measles protocol was a safeguard—anticipating that eventually measles could reach Kansas City,” said AMA member Mia Reddy, a rising second-year medical student who is one of clinic’s executive directors. “If a patient were to come to JayDoc in need of care, we’d be prepared to handle it. And alongside the measles update, we thought it would be prudent to go ahead and update our tuberculosis protocol as well, so we could be equally prepared.”
Taking action
To maximize their readiness for a potential outbreak, JayDoc’s leadership team—all rising second-year medical students—drew from what was already in place. The clinic’s original tuberculosis protocol, written in 2023, served as a framework.
From there the group layered in updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the diseases. The AMA also has resources on measles for physicians. Once the revised protocols were drafted, they were reviewed and approved by faculty advisers and public health experts.
The result was clear steps for patient screening, use of personal protective equipment, testing and public health reporting—written and led entirely by medical students.
“We were able to work with faculty members and it was key to be able to trust the people above us while also knowing that we were the ones that were going to be implementing this” said AMA member Ella Wright, also a JayDoc executive director. “A lot of growth comes from these challenging times, and we were able to learn a lot from this and also make steps to protect ourselves, our volunteers and our community.”
The AMA Succeeding in Medical School series offers tips and other guidance on a wide range of critical topics, including preparing for the USMLE and COMLEX exams, growing your leadership skills, navigating clinical rotations, publishing scientific research, and maintaining optimal health and wellness.
Dive deeper:
- What doctors wish patients knew about measles
- A medical student leader’s advice: Listen first, act second
- What you need to know to get started as a medical student leader
- 3 keys to boosting your medical student leadership skill set
Leading the charge
The creation of the protocols for measles and TB was necessary, but it also represented a reality that was sobering to many medical student JayDoc volunteers: they could be confronting these diseases in the near future.
Measles and TB are diseases the students typically learn about in the classroom. Preparing to confront them in real life was a bit scary, according to AMA member Emily Kozlowski, another JayDoc executive director.
“But at the end of the day, you treat it like everything else,” she said. “You follow the protocol, get the test, and if it comes back positive, we’re the ones who call the health department.”
The biggest source of reassurance has been letting volunteers know they don’t have to navigate tough decisions alone.
“We have a plan in place. It’s been approved,” Kozlowski said. “It’ll be OK.”
The University of Kansas School of Medicine is a member of the AMA UME Curricular Enrichment Program, which provides on-demand education through a micro-learning approach to help medical students distinguish themselves for residency and succeed in medicine. Educators can assign specific elements such as health care business fundamentals and developing leadership skills and receive reports on student progress, track via a dashboard, send reminder emails and customize reports. Schedule an introductory call now.
Dive deeper:
- What I wish I knew in medical school about student leadership
- What it takes to find success as a medical student leader
- Leadership 101: What medical students need to know
- How 2 Rush medical students built a lifesaving training program
Subscribe and succeed in medical school
Get tips and insider advice from the AMA on succeeding in medical school—delivered to your inbox.
Lessons in leadership
JayDoc’s approach isn’t just about outbreak readiness. It’s about ensuring access to care for patients who are not optimally served within the U.S. health system.
“The population that we are able to serve is one that we don’t typically see in the hospital until their health worsens to the point of needing to seek emergency care,” said AMA member Murtaza Shoaib, also an executive director for JayDoc.
With many JayDoc patients living below the poverty line and speaking Spanish as their primary language, students often take on dual roles—as interpreters, advocates and public health educators. The work, while demanding, has helped many of the clinic’s leaders shape future goals in medicine.
“JayDoc has helped me envision what my career could look like,” Reddy said. “I believe it is part of a physician's responsibility to provide their community with quality care, especially in the face of ever-growing barriers to health care. It would be wonderful to one day work for an FQHC [federally qualified health center], continue to use my Spanish, and provide care for underserved patients.”
For each of JayDoc’s executive directors, the experience working in the clinic has shown them the power of medical student leadership.
“You might feel like you don’t know what you’re doing,” Wright said. “But that’s how you learn, and that’s how you make a difference.”
JayDoc’s work is a reminder that public health readiness shouldn’t begin when a crisis hits. It begins with foresight, collaboration and a willingness to act before the headlines arrive.
“If our goal is to serve a community, then that means serving every segment of the community,” Shoaib said. “Meeting patients where they are isn’t optional—it’s our responsibility.”
For medical students looking to hone their leadership skills, the AMA offers the chance to distinguish yourself through more than 1,000 leadership opportunities and skill building through online training modules, project-based learning and more.
