Abstract
BACKGROUND: The health science education landscape has evolved to recognize the importance of community engagement in advancing educational outcomes. This study sought to explore how community engagement has been integrated into health science education and its benefits for students in the Western Cape. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two samples of academics were recruited: those from emergency medical care (EMC) departments specifically and academics with community engagement experience in health sciences. Sample 1 consisted of 16 EMC academics, while sample 2 comprised of 13 academics from health sciences. Data was gathered using two focus group discussions with sample 1 and in-depth interviews with sample 2. RESULTS: Four broad themes emerged: student preparedness for community engagement, pathways to engagement, assessment of projects, and benefits of the engaged experience. CONCLUSION: The study highlighted ways to prepare students for engagement and integrate these experiences into the classroom context, thereby enhancing the value of learning about social and health issues. It found that creating assessments around engaged experiences can entrench community engagement in EMC education, enriching students with opportunities to work collaboratively with disadvantaged communities.