Inside the DOCS Community Health Leadership Conference at the Miller School of Medicine
Medical students at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine bring together future physician‑leaders to share community health projects, research and collaborative solutions.
The Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service (DOCS) Community Health Leadership Conference, hosted annually by medical student leaders at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, returned last week with renewed energy and a sharp focus on collaborative, student-driven public health innovation.
Sofie Marie Janette, a fourth-year medical student and the DOCS director of research and quality improvement, spoke about rebuilding the conference post-pandemic, what students brought to the table this year and why the event continues to matter for the future of community health.
Why was the Community Health Leadership Conference created and what makes it distinct?
The conference has been running since 2010. DOCS is a very large student-run organization with longstanding free clinics and health fairs. The students who created the conference wanted to share that model, inspire other medical student leaders and create a framework for national collaboration. It’s always been a space where students present real community health work and learn directly from each other.
How many students participated this year and what did they present?
We had 66 attendees, 31 posters and seven oral presentations. About 20 visiting students came from other schools and 15 of the posters were from external institutions. We also invited pre-med undergraduates from UM so they could network, sit in on the keynote and tour our IDEA Clinic. Their feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
What did you personally enjoy most about this year’s event?
Seeing how engaged everyone was. We’ve been planning this since the fall, and it was rewarding to watch students connect, discuss their projects and really learn from one another. Hearing how much the keynote resonated with people was great.
Who delivered the keynote address and what topics did he cover?
James Shultz, Ph.D., an associate professor of public health sciences who specializes in disaster medicine. He walked us through case studies, from hurricanes to large-scale emergencies, and the long-term impacts these events have on communities. He also tied in the COVID-19 pandemic and recent geopolitical crises. It was timely and gave students a public-health framework for how to communicate about disasters and their ripple effects.
What workshops did the conference include?
We had two. A trauma-informed care session led by trauma surgeon Julie Valenzuela, M.D., and Christina Georgeades, M.D., a trauma and acute care surgery fellow, who showed how trauma-informed principles can be baked into every clinical encounter, even acute ones.
A student-run emergency preparedness workshop, Stop the Bleed, trained participants in immediate response techniques for traumatic events.
What are your goals for expanding the conference in coming years?
Earlier and broader national outreach. We identified around 25 schools doing compelling community health work and I’d love to bring more of them here. Travel costs can be a barrier for students, so securing scholarships or outside funding would make participation more feasible. Ultimately, the goal is to bring more student leaders together and strengthen the national network.
Anything else you’d like readers to know?
Just how meaningful it is for students to have a space dedicated to community health work. These projects aren’t hypothetical. They’re serving real patients every week. The conference helps students refine their ideas, expand them and learn new approaches from peers across the country. It’s energizing every year.
This Year’s Award Winners
Oral Presentation Award: Elise Katsnelson, a third-year student, won for Care Tales, a digital health education and care navigation app intended to strengthen continuity of care in community health fairs.
Poster Presentation Winners:
• Emily Durfee, a second-year student, was recognized for “Navigating First Year: Medical Student Patient Navigators as Partners.”
• Katherine Hoffman, a third-year student, was recognized for “Implementing Teen Dating Violence Screening at Community Health Fairs in South Florida.”
Impact Award: Julia Finster, a second-year student, was recognized for her project focusing on improving access to pediatric developmental and behavioral care in student-run health fairs.
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Tags: Department of Medical Education, DOCS, medical education, medical students, Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service, student leadership, student research