Volunteering at a Student-Run Clinic and Matching into Primary Care Specialties

BackgroundStudent-run clinics (SRC) serve a unique role in healthcare by addressing the needs of underserved communities while providing medical students hands-on learning experiences. The Houston Outreach Medicine Education and Social Services (HOMES) Clinic is a SRC and a program of Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston that provides medical care to individuals experiencing unstable housing in Houston, Texas. Amid a growing shortage of primary care physicians in the United States, understanding factors that influence specialty choice is critical. This study aimed to explore whether volunteering at HOMES Clinic is associated with an increased likelihood of matching into primary care specialties. MethodsThis study used a retrospective cohort design of HOMES Clinic volunteers from 2014-2025. Students who volunteered at HOMES Clinic represented the exposure group (n=1,157), while non-volunteers served as the reference group (n=3,666). The primary outcome was the association between volunteering and matching into primary care specialties. Secondary outcomes included residency program rank, in-state residency placement, and induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism Honor Societies. ResultsHOMES Clinic volunteers matched into primary care specialties at a 7.5% higher rate than non-volunteers (p=1.3x10-5; OR=1.38; 95% CI = 1.20-1.59). Conversely, HOMES volunteers showed a 5.3% lower proportion of students who matched into surgical specialties (p=8.9x10-4; OR=0.76; 95% CI = 0.65-0.89). Volunteers also showed a modest association with matching into higher-ranked residency programs (p<0.05) and had 25% higher odds of Alpha Omega Alpha induction and 41% higher odds of Gold Humanism Honor Society induction. ConclusionsVolunteering at HOMES Clinic showed a positive association with matching into primary care specialties. This trend likely reflects both self-selection of students interested in primary care and the influence of SRC experience on shaping student residency specialty choices. Our results provide insights into how medical schools and SRCs foster the development of the next generation of primary care physicians.