An undergraduate service-learning project to teach immunology concepts while increasing healthcare equity by enhancing access to stem cell donors among underrepresented populations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Active learning has been shown to increase STEM student engagement and decrease the achievement gap among underrepresented students. As a parallel to the lack of equity in STEM education, BIPOC patients who require a life-saving hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) are much less likely—sometimes less than half as likely—than individuals of White-European descent to find a suitable donor when using the National Marrow Donation Program (NMDP). The Be the Match (BtM) Registry has made significant improvements in the likelihood of matching underrepresented patients, but the disparity persists. This activity uses a service-learning project to teach undergraduate students about stem cell donation and to add potential stem cell donors to the BtM Registry. A small data set of pre-/post-surveys from one cohort shows learning gains on the topic of HCT. The approach is flexible and scalable, and students overwhelmingly reported the project as a great use of class time and very rewarding.