title: Health disparities and underserved populations: a potential solution, medical school partnerships with free clinics to improve curriculum.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA; LYNN.VANDERWIELEN@UCDENVER.EDU.
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: VanderWielen
authors.affiliation: Center on Health Disparities, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.|School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Allison A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Vanderbilt
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Crossman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Sallie D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Enurah
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bradner
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002321:Career Choice; D003479:Curriculum; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: free clinics; health disparities; medical education; underserved populations; uninsured