UT San Antonio
Long School of Medicine
Give

Compassion Ambassador Program

The T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) was established in 2019 to explore the neurobiology of compassion, inform medical education, and address physician burnout. While the Institute has been creating and implementing programs at UCSD for the last five years, it has now launched the first program for students at other medical schools: the Compassion Ambassador Program (CAmP). We are thrilled that the Sanford Institute has selected us, UT San Antonio Long School of Medicine (LSOM), as a partner for CAmP!

CAmP is intended for current first-year medical students who are interested in designing and implementing projects related to understanding and/or enhancing empathy and compassion. Eligible and interested students are required to select a staff/faculty mentor at LSOM and together, they will propose a project focused on empathy and compassion to submit in a program application with the mentor’s endorsement. Projects should consist of only one student and one mentor, and should center on building or enhancing empathy and compassion among critical populations related to our medical school (medical students, residents, physicians, nurses, etc.) Students should consider social justice, health equity, and inclusion as they design their projects. 

All applications will be evaluated through a competitive review process at LSOM and finalists will be forwarded to the Sanford Institute for final award determination. CAmP Scholars will be provided a financial award and are required to participate in a summer program in San Diego, California. The summer program is designed to enhance overall project efficacy, further develop empathy and compassion skills, and create a cohesive cadre of student leaders in empathy and compassion. 

Meet our CAmP Scholars!

  • 2025-2026 LSOM CAmP Scholars

    Hannah Crowe

    CAmP Scholar: Hannah Crowe (Class of 2028)

    Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Roberts

    Project Title: Creating compassionate interactions with psychiatric patients by   enhancing motivational interviewing skills in medical students

    Project Description: This project aims to enhance compassionate interviewing skills among medical students volunteering at Alpha Home Clinic in San Antonio, Texas. This clinic serves women experiencing substance use disorders. Through motivational interviewing (MI) training, students will develop empathy-driven communication techniques. This study will assess students' interest in training, measure skill improvements, and compare experiences between trained and untrained students. Training includes online sessions, roleplay exercises, and practical resources. Ultimately, we seek to better equip future physicians to serve marginalized populations by promoting more effective and compassionate healthcare delivery by fostering empathy, reducing bias, and promoting patient autonomy.

    femaleCAmP Scholar: Inara Jiwani (Class of 2028)Faculty Mentor: Dr. Megan Freeman

    Project Title: Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Medical Student Compassion and Confidence in Disability-Inclusive Care

    Project Description: Medical students often report feeling under-prepared to care for patients with disabilities, contributing to suboptimal care and poor health outcomes for this vulnerable population. This project aims to increase medical student confidence and compassion through a structured workshop series. Workshops will include a patient panel, disability-inclusive history-taking practice, and group discussions on improving clinical accessibility. Students will also complete a brief shadowing experience with providers who routinely care for patients with disabilities. Pre- and post-surveys will assess impact, with the long-term goal of integrating more disability-informed care education into the Long School of Medicine medical curriculum

  • 2024-2025 LSOM CAmP Scholars

    CAmP Scholar: Sanjna Das (Class of 2027)female
    Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nico-al Gotera

    Project Title: Examining the Effect of Engaging in Street Medicine on Empathy and Compassion Among Medical Students

    Project Description: This project will explore how engaging in street medicine in collaboration with Street Medicine San Antonio affects empathy and compassion within the medical student population. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the relationship between housing insecurity and physical/mental well-being through healthcare-focused street outreach. One of the goals for this study is to help medical students develop an understanding of the unique challenges faced by homeless individuals so that they can better address the needs of this population as future providers. Additionally, the findings of this study will hopefully provide support for the integration of street medicine-focused experience into the Long SOM curriculum.  

    CAmP Scholar: Kimberly Diwa (Class of 2027)female
    Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Roberts

    Project Title: Enhancing Compassionate Engagement with and Teaching Self-Compassion to Family Members of Individuals in Recovery from Mental Health Crises

    Project Description: Mental health crises have profound impacts on both the individuals who live through them and the individuals who care for them, with family members of those with serious mental illness (SMI) having higher rates of depression and poorer perceived physical health. Hence, this project aims to enhance the support offered to family members of individuals living with mental illness by (1) observing the extent to which following up with family members after support group meetings via phone effectively conveys compassion and (2) developing a brief presentation and workbook to introduce family members to Self-Compassion techniques.