| at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is a service organization dedicated to providing medical care to the patients of Community Health Clinic while providing NUFSOM students an informal environment to learn from one another and attending physicians. CHC is a free outpatient medical clinic located on the west side of Chicago that serves a primarly Hispanic and Polish population. The clinic has served the uninsured and underserved since 1993, providing medical care to over 6,000 patients a year. Operating six days a week, CHC serves patients every morning from Monday to Saturday, and also has four night time clinics run by various Chicagoland medical schools. The Northwestern Medicine clinic operates every Wednesday evening. Specialty Cardiology and Psychiatry clinics also are run by students throughout the year. CHC at NUFSOM is run by four second year students mentored by a faculty advisor. Weekly, fifteen students (five M1s, five M2s, and five M3/M4s) and three attending physicians see ten to thirteen patients. Each patient is first seen by and M1 and M2 who take a majority of the patient's history and perform a general physical, then an M3/M4 who offers their insights into completing the history and exam, and then, finally, by an attending who completes the history and physical and treats the patient. This format provides a basis for students to not only learn from their attendings and peers, but also to solidify their knowledge by teaching what they have learned. In addition, due to the large number of patients who speak languages other than English, students are able to either practice using a second language in a medical environment, or learn to properly use a translator when conducting a patient interview. “CHC is great for two reasons, because as a non-native Spanish speaker, CHC gives me a perfect opportunity to learn and improve my medical Spanish and conversational skills. Also it allows me to see firsthand what I learn in class and apply the basic science of the first year curriculum to my career as a medical professional.” -Jason Oppenheimer, M2
“Clinic helps me remember why I want to be a physician week in and week out. It’s great because not only are you helping people, but you are helping people who normally would never get the health care they need and deserve. Plus, there are wrinkles to practicing medicine which you really don’t experience with standardized patients. Many times at CHC, you have to overcome a language barrier which is a real part of clinical medicine that isn’t encountered in class at all. CHC really gives you a great idea about the realities of practicing medicine.” -Meredith Hirschfeld, M2
Most students come into medicine wanting to make a direct impact on patient lives, but find the first two years void of this patient contact. Through its interactive learning style and duty to serve, CHC gives students a taste of clinical medicine, and allows us to start learning the skills we will need to be successful in the years ahead. For more information please visit www.communityheath.org
Every Sunday, rain or snow, four Northwestern medical students travel north to Roger's Park to volunteer at the Indian American Medical Association Charitable Foundation Clinic - more commonly called . There, working with community physicians, residents, and students from other Chicago medical schools, students will help provide health care to uninsured and underserved patients. Working primarily with a South Asian population, students strive to provide necessary health care as well as preventive care and health education. Physicians from the Indian American Medical Association, as well as nurses, technicians, translators and other volunteers, staff the clinic. The clinic runs from 10 AM until 1PM and provides care to approximately 40 patients each Sunday.
Students at the Devon Clinic have a great deal of freedom and responsibility for their patients' care. They conduct physicals, take histories, and perform diagnostic tests, including blood sugar measurements and EKGs.
"Taking care of a patient is a daunting task at first, but there's always a physician to help out and other students to work with. Not only do you get to practice your newly-learned skills, but also make a difference for patients who do not have other access to health care." -Parth Modi, Coordinator
After the introductory meeting in the fall for new students, students of all years can sign up for volunteer positions by replying to the sign-up emails which are sent out on the student listserv.
provides free primary medical care to an underserved mainly immigrant population. Held weekly, the clinic promotes volunteer and community service among NUFSOM students by providing one-on-one opportunities to interact with patients with diverse needs. Each week, a team of volunteer physicians, nurses, medical students and translators address the needs of anywhere from 15 to 30 patients. The clinic opens Sunday mornings at 11am and is scheduled to run until 1pm. The Chinatown Clinic is the sole provider of healthcare for most of the patients, and has served over 1700 people since its inception.
" There are times it can get really hectic, but we do the best we can with what we have. Working with the Chinatown Clinic has truly been an eye opening experience. We see firsthand the work that goes into running a free clinic, and are reminded of why we have chosen this route in medicine - to provide health care to the people who need it most." -Christine Lin, President-Chinatown Clinic
Students are encouraged to attend Chinatown Clinic orientation meetings during the first weeks of the school year, but can sign up to volunteer throughout the year. In the spring, the Chinatown Clinic organizes its annual community-wide health screening fair open to the public, bringing together NUFSOM students, students from other schools, translators, and physicians representing many specialties. The health fair typically serves over 300 patients in one day. Throughout the year, the clinic also organizes other community service events and opportunities for NUFSOM students to further enrich their education.
"We arrived early in the morning at the community center to find 40-50 people who had been waiting in line for two hours before the health fair was even supposed to begin. It was an amazing feeling to know we provide a service that the Chinatown community really needs and appreciates." -Peter Lu, Coordinator
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