In view of the challenges faced by remote and island areas in terms of limited healthcare accessibility due to inconvenient transportation, sparse and scattered population, and difficulty in recruiting medical personnel, resulting in a relative scarcity of healthcare resources (quality) compared to general areas, our medical school has established the "Ma Ya-ko Medical Service Team." This initiative integrates resources from various medical centers, regional hospitals, rural health centers, and community leaders, among other community medical resources. The team periodically visits remote areas and islands to conduct community health promotion, disseminate knowledge on healthy aging, and organize long-term care activities for local residents. Additionally, they conduct mobile medical clinics and health check-ups to foster interdisciplinary professionals with reflective and humanistic capabilities in health care.

        In alignment with policies to strengthen the workforce of key medical specialties in remote and underserved areas and balance human resources distribution, the program also incorporates a holistic healthcare approach into professional courses through the lens of humanistic values.

    The medical service team serves multiple purposes, aiming to deepen students' professional training in rural service, provide opportunities for service learning, and achieve the following objectives:

1. Promote community health development in remote/rural areas.
2. Advocate for the development of rural medical student training programs.
3. Increase retention and recruitment of medical students in rural areas.
4. Understand the local healthcare resources in rural areas.
5. Conduct epidemiological investigations of diseases in rural areas.
6. Empower and sustain community operations.

    The action plan for the year 2023 includes:

1. Home Visits and Health Education: Disseminate local residents' health literacy, knowledge about special protection, and empowerment activities for delaying aging through home visits.

2. Medical Outreach and Health Check-ups: (Services such as home visits, medication safety knowledge, health education, and self-health protection) Establish mutual understanding and trust before conducting medical outreach and health check-up events.

3. Field Investigation: Analyze the correlation between lifestyle and external environment in the target area, study their impact on human health, identify factors that can be improved to prevent disease risks, and provide health promotion strategies for the residents and the government.

4. Teacher-Student Learning Exchange on Rural Life and Culture: Gain in-depth understanding of the current situation in rural/indigenous areas and adopt context-specific healthcare education measures, with the goal of fostering a commitment to serving remote and island areas.

Locations and the number of individuals screened currently implemented: