Free clinics

Health disparities and underserved populations: a potential solution, medical school partnerships with free clinics to improve curriculum

Lynn M. VanderWielen^1*, Allison A. Vanderbilt^2,3, Steven H. Crossman⁴, Sallie D. Mayer⁵, Alexander S. Enurah⁶, Samuel S. Gordon⁷ and Melissa K. Bradner⁴

¹Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA; ²Center on Health Disparities, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; ³School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; ⁴Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; ⁵Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; ⁶Division of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA; ⁷School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA

Abstract

Health-care educators share the social responsibility to teach medical students about social determinants of health and health-care disparities and subsequently to encourage medical students to pursue residencies in primary care and medical practice in underserved communities. Free clinics provide care to underserved communities, yet collaborative partnerships with such organizations remain largely untapped by medical schools. Free clinics and medical schools in 10 US states demonstrate that such partnerships are geographically feasible and have the potential to mutually benefit both organizational types. As supported by prior research, students exposed to underserved populations may be more likely to pursue primary care fields and practice in underserved communities, improving health-care infrastructure.

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