Medical Student Elective course: COVID-19 Contact Tracing with MDH

PI: David Power

Overview: With indirect supervision, third and fourth year medical students will assist in contact tracing shifts to assist in the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) efforts to track COVID-19 cases throughout the state. Students will receive onboarding and training by MDH and then work to identify, assess, and manage “contacts" who have been exposed to COVID-19 to prevent additional transmission. Medical students will work alongside public health students and MDH staff.  Students will provide anticipatory guidance and refer contacts to additional services in the state and their community. In addition to contact tracing shifts, students will be expected to participate in on-line small group facilitated discussion about contact tracing, public health, and pandemic management.  Students will prepare a brief presentation (less than 5 minutes) on a COVID-19 topic for peers and faculty during the 4 week course.

Budget: $10, 000

This project is supported by the UMN COVID-19 Medical Education Innovation Grants, which support full-time faculty (educators, investigators or clinical) or P&A educators at the University of Minnesota Medical School to develop education (basic science or clinical) and simulation projects related to COVID-19, more general pandemic-related knowledge and skills, or professional development activities that would be possible during this time of shelter at home.