Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical College of Wisconsin Medical College of Wisconsin
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Academic and Student Services

Community Partner Project Proposal

Dear Community Partners,

The Medical College of Wisconsin is seeking community-based service learning opportunities for our medical students in the Urban and Community Health Pathway.

The Urban and Community Health Pathway aims to prepare medical students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to effectively care for patients in urban, underserved settings, promote community health and reduce health disparities. 

The UCH Pathway links education with community needs to address:

  • Balance among biologic and non-biologic health determinants
  • Health conditions that disproportionately affect urban, under-served populations
  • Disparities in health, healthcare access and quality in urban settings
  • Educational strategies to promote healthy behaviors in individuals and communities
  • Partnership with public health/ community agencies to meet health/ healthcare needs
  • Civic-engagement and leadership skills, including ability to advocate for patients, communities and/or systems changes to improve health

Over their first three years of medical school, MCW students devote 10 hours per month to the UCH Pathway activities, including 4 hours of core material, delivered through preparatory readings, didactic presentations, case discussions and site visits; and at least 6 hours per month of individualized, community engaged service-learning activities.

All students in the UCH Pathway are encouraged to engage in community-based experiences and together with community partners, complete a project designed to meet a community need while addressing the pathway competencies. Some examples of successful projects completed by our first cohort of students include working with local health departments on community assessments, health education in schools, churches, public housing and health fairs, health advocacy, literature reviews and clinical protocol development, among others.

We invite your organization to submit a project idea that will benefit you and the community you serve, and help a student (or small group of students) meet their pathway goals. Students will select projects that fit their interests and skills and work with you and their faculty advisor to develop a service-learning proposal. We hope this will result in a fruitful, longitudinal partnership where community agencies will benefit from the work of bright, independent individuals and medical students will have the unique opportunity to learn from community experiences.

Thank you for your willingness to share a learning opportunity with our students. Please contact me at (414) 955-5724 or lmeurer@mcw.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Linda Meurer, MD, MPH 
Director, Urban and Community Health Pathway 
Medical College of Wisconsin

 

Urban and Community Health Pathway Community Project Proposal

To propose a service learning project idea for one or more medical students in the Urban & Community Health Pathway, please complete the Community Project Proposal.