279371
UIC's urban medicine program's longitudinal community rotation: Preparing physicians to practice in urban underserved communities
Monday, November 4, 2013
: 10:50 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.
Gary Loy, MD,
Obstetrics and Gynecology/Fetal Ultrasound, Advocate Healthcare, Chicago, IL
Jessica Barnes, MPH,
Hispanic Center of Excellence, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
In 2005 the UIC College of Medicine launched the Urban Medicine (UMed) program as an innovative approach to expose medical students to social determinants of health and develop their skills in community-based research approaches that address health disparities. UMed aims to prepare physician-leaders for underserved urban communities. We have defined four potential roles for UMed graduates: practitioner, advocate, researcher and policy maker. The curriculum is based on four iterative themes: (1) community diversity/intercultural communication, (2) disparities in healthcare access and outcomes, (3) community-based participatory research, and (4) advocacy and policy. To engage students in communities, we developed a Longitudinal Community Rotation (LCR) which spans all years in medical school and involves small student teams working with community agencies in Chicago's underserved neighborhoods to develop and evaluate health promotion/disease prevention activities. We have evaluated the initial impact of the LCR on students, community partners, and community residents. From 2009-2012, 122 students developed projects with 24 community agencies; they reported increased knowledge and skills in program planning and evaluation (p < 0.02) as well as self-efficacy to develop public health models that address community healthcare issues and barriers (p < 0.001). Community partners reported that UMed students increased opportunities for leadership in their community, provided information in a culturally appropriate manner, and improved the emotional and mental well being of participants. Three-fourths of partners interviewed were confident that UMed student projects would continue even after students leave the agency, although staff and time constraints were identified as potential barriers to sustainability.
Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related education
Learning Objectives:
Identify the components and competencies of a special curricular program in public health as part of the UIC medical school curriculum.
Articulate challenges and opportunities of longitudinal nonclinical community rotations for medical students.
Interpret qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods designed to assess UMed student learning outcomes, as well as the impact of student community placements on community agencies and their clients.
Keyword(s): Community Health Programs, Education
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a PhD in medical ethnobotany and a postdoctoral fellowship in public health. I have served as the Assistant Director of the Urban Medicine Program at the UIC College of Medicine for 3 years. I am also faculty in the UIC Department of Medical Education. I have been involved in the development and evaluation of the UMed curriculum, as well as Co-Investigator for our grants and Co-author of our publications.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
