Establishing a binational student-run free-clinic in Tijuana, Mexico: a model for US-Mexico border states.
In 2011, a bi-national student-run free clinic for the underserved, known as "Health Frontiers in Tijuana" (HFiT), was created in Tijuana, Mexico. Students and faculty from one Mexican and one US medical school staff the clinic and attend patients on Saturdays. Students from both medical schools enroll in a didactic course during the quarter/semester that they attend the free clinic. The course addresses clinical, ethical, cultural, population-specific issues and the structure, financing and delivery of medical care in Mexico. The clinic implements an electronic medical record and is developing telemedicine for consulting on complex cases. Despite challenges related to sustaining adequate funding, this program may be replicated in other border communities.
Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, Institute of the Americas, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, 10111 N. Torrey Pines Road, Mail Code 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA, vojeda@ucsd.edu.
Victoria D
VD
Ojeda
Amy
A
Eppstein
Remedios
R
Lozada
Adriana C
AC
Vargas-Ojeda
Steffanie A
SA
Strathdee
David
D
Goodman
Jose L
JL
Burgos
D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000458:organization & administration; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008800:Mexico; D011203:Poverty; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015206:Southwestern United States; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055815:Young Adult