Community Medicine Education and Training

The Community Action Research Track (CART) is based on the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR), population medicine with special emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention, and the social determinants of health. Students enrolled in CART participate in a coordinated program of instruction, electives, ambulatory care rotations and service-learning experiences with populations in underserved areas. This program offers a three-year experience in which data collection and student progress are monitored in a cumulative manner. To learn more about CART click here.

A subset of CART students participate in the competitive Community Health Fellowship Program (CHFP). This nine-week program provides a comprehensive community-based participatory research experience to six (6) first-year medical students annually. Students do not have to be enrolled in CART to be considered for the CHFP, but all students interested in CART are invited to apply for the fellowship if they are seeking a comprehensive community-based learning experience. To learn more about the CHFP click here.

The Community Medicine Elective is completed during either the third or fourth year of training. The elective has been offered through the Division of Community Medicine for the last six (6) years, and provides students with practice-oriented and/or service-oriented learning opportunities related to community medicine. Students do not have to be enrolled in CART to take the community medicine elective, but this four-week elective is a requirement for all CART students. To learn more about the Community Medicine Elective click here.

The Community Action Research Experience (CARE) is a program designed to train family medicine residents in community action research, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to engage their community and care for underserved populations. The residents learn to work with community partners who are committed to better understanding the impact of community and population on health determinants such as physical and social environment, genetic endowment, and individual responses to these determinants. To learn more about CARE click here.