In many communities, individuals are forced to choose between necessities like groceries and medication, a challenge that can feel impossible when medical establishments aren’t equipped to help their patients navigate resources. A program at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa is working to change that.  

In 2008, GKFF supported the University of Oklahoma’s development of a community medicine program, now known as the OU School of Community Medicine.

Community medicine programs give students an in-depth look at the realities facing underserved, low-income patients. Through things like food desert tours or poverty simulators, students gain first-hand experience, broadening their scope of impact to include all patients, not just the ones who can afford care. 

At OUSCM’s Bedlam Clinic, a student-run free clinic supervised by trained physicians, patients receive clinical care as well as navigational resources to help them afford services. This kind of support can be life changing for patients who have been unable to prioritize healthcare over life’s other challenges, and provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to serve as well-rounded specialty or primary care physicians, while actively working to improve the health of entire communities.

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Recently, leading healthcare publication Medscape highlighted OUSCM as a leader in community medicine alongside The Ohio State University College of Medicine and the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Center for Community Health and Prevention. What makes OUSCM special? Its commitment to community engagement outside of the classroom. 

At OUSCM, the first of its kind in the country, education begins at the OUSCM Institute, a summer program in which students engage with local healthcare providers, service organizations and patients, gaining insight into the structure and dynamics of Tulsa’s healthcare landscape. Students also participate in a low economic resource simulation, forming family units with limited economic resources, putting students in their patients’ shoes. 

After the summer program, students enter four years of the doctor of medicine program and a 30-month physician program on the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Campus. 

Read about how the OU School of Community Medicine is Empowering Healthy Communities in Medscape. 

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