Medical student presents research on opioid education program at AAMC conference

Naden Kreitz presents at the AAMC conference.

Fourth-year medical student Naden Kreitz recently presented his research on opioid education at the 2024 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Learn Serve Lead Conference, held Nov. 8-12 in Atlanta. Kreitz’s poster, titled “Opioid Education and Prevention from a Medical Student Perspective,” detailed an innovative near-peer teaching program designed to address the critical issue of opioid misuse among college students. 

The program, developed and facilitated by Kreitz and two fellow medical students, reached more than 450 undergraduate students across diverse campus organizations, including Greek life, during the 2023-2024 academic year. Kreitz’s work, completed under the mentorship of David S. Williams, Ph.D., assistant dean of institutional and academic success at the Whiddon College of Medicine, is part of his pursuit of the M.D. with Research Honors designation.

“Presenting my research at the AAMC Learn Serve Lead conference, alongside some of the most influential medical educators in the United States, was both humbling and rewarding,” Kreitz said. “My project stems from my deep passion for making a meaningful impact on community health while being a medical student. Having the AAMC showcase my work affirms its potential to transform lives and establish a new model for how medical students can positively influence the undergraduate community.”

The educational sessions covered key topics such as defining opioids, recognizing intoxication symptoms, administering Naloxone, and responding appropriately to overdoses. Feedback from participants highlighted the value of engaging with medical students as near-peer educators, noting the relatability, safe learning environment, and trust inspired by facilitators of similar age. Kreitz’s research showed statistically significant knowledge gains among participants, as well as improved confidence in identifying and addressing opioid-related emergencies. In addition to his work on the program’s implementation, Kreitz is conducting further research on the validated survey instruments used in the study.

“This program exemplifies the profound role our medical students can play in making an impact on the university’s undergraduate student population,” Williams said. “Naden’s work not only addresses a pressing societal health issue but also builds bridges between the medical school and the broader university community, fostering knowledge sharing and collaboration.”

The success of the pilot program has led to expanded implementation and ongoing evaluation with formal assessment tools to measure knowledge and attitude changes. The program serves as a model for leveraging medical students to address societal health challenges while enhancing professional identity formation.