Data for: Understanding Poverty, Food Insecurity, and Social Determinants’ Impact on Health Conditions: A Reflective, Experiential Approach for Medical Students

<h3>Project Overview</h3>
<p>This project is designed to bridge the gap in medical education by
integrating the SNAP Challenge, an experiential learning exercise where
participants live on the average Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) budget—about $4–5 per day—to understand the realities of food
insecurity. Most medical students come from affluent backgrounds, limiting
their first-hand experience with poverty. Traditional curricula rely on
lectures, but experiential learning fosters deeper understanding and
motivation for change. The Transformative Care Continuum (TCC) program
at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUHCOM)
immerses first-year medical students in this structured experience,
incorporating journaling, clinical case logs, and quality improvement
initiatives to connect learning to real-world patient care. Unlike voluntary
initiatives, this program embeds the challenge into training, enhancing
empathy, clinical decision-making, and awareness of social determinants of
health to better prepare future family medicine physicians.</p>