Advocacy and Engagement
Introduction
The University of Illinois Chicago’s Department of Medicine aims to advance the advocacy and engagement of faculty and trainees through education, advocacy, scholarly activities, mentorship, and networking.
Videos and Resources
Video Series
DOMIC plans and hosts lectures that reflect our care providers and the communities we serve. The Culturally Sensitive Care Series presentations continue to elevate DOMIC’s presence and provide opportunities for ongoing education, dialogue, and action around topics such as health disparities, racism, women’s health, LGBTQIA+ communities, and more, reaching an increasingly broader audience. DOMIC continues its work to engage and educate, gather feedback, and implement meaningful solutions.
Resources
Resources
- African American Academic Network
- African American Cultural Center
- Asian American Resource and Cultural Center
- Disability Resource Center
- Gender and Sexuality Center
- Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services Center (LARES)
- Latino Cultural Center
- Native American Support Program
- TRIO – Academic Support Program
- Women’s Leadership and Resource Center
- CHANCE
Our Initiatives
Urban Health Mentorship Program
This program was started in collaboration with the Urban Health Program of the College of Medicine. First and second year medical students are paired with faculty and resident mentor. Students join the faculty and resident mentor at least once a month in clinic, hospital rounds, and/or procedure. In doing so, they are exposed to the daily practice of internal and its subspecialties. Mentors are encouraged to provide career advice and guide the student through the process of residency application. To date, more than 20 students have completed the mentoring program and several students are engaged in long-term scholarly projects with their respective mentors. We are hopeful that both the quantity and quality of underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities that we attract to the training programs at UIC will continue to increase, effectively establishing a solid pipeline of highly qualified academicians of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds.
Church-based Health Outreach Program (CHOP)
CHOP is a student run initiative led by members of the UIC’s Latino Student Medical Association (LMSA), the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), the College of Medicine Chicago Medical Student Council (CMSC), and other UIC medical students. Under the supervision of Drs. Olga Garcia-Bedoya, Brian Layden, and Claudia Lora, the medical students have worked diligently in organizing health fairs and encouraging community members to become active participants in their own health care. CHOP strives to improve health care access to undeserved communities, while also providing the opportunity for medical students to gain clinical exposure. We hope to engage students in the care of vulnerable populations and encourage patient-centered, culturally and values-based healthcare.
For more information, contact: Olga Garcia-Bedoya, MD – ogarciab@uic.edu or Claudia Lora, MD, MS – clora1@uic.edu
Impact
Recruitment Activities
DOMIC actively participates at national meetings of the Latino Medical Student Association: (LMSA) and the Student National Medical Association (SNMA): These organizations are the largest national meetings for students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. The Department of Medicine faculty serve on a continuous basis as speakers in these meetings as a way to donate resources to these organizations committed to improving the health of underserved communities.
Underrepresented in Medicine (URM) residency/applicant mixers: We host mixers during recruitment season to answer questions about our program’s commitment to advocacy and engagement.
Office of Health Literacy-Cross Cultural Training
Starting in January of 2016, the UIC College of Medicine’s Office of Health Literacy, has been offering the course “Introduction to Health Disparities, Health Literacy, and Cultural Competence”. Approximately more than 200 individuals registered for the January, March and October sessions. These individuals come from 11 colleges across the university and included students, faculty, residents, fellows, and health professionals. Topics covered during the course include defining Health Disparities, Health Equity, the Social Determinants Of Health, conceptual models for the aforementioned, health disparities in managed care, the definition of and prevalence of health literacy, core ideas from health literacy research, screening, assessment, and tips for the medical encounter; definition and conceptual models for cultural competence, and strategies for becoming culturally competent and communicating with diverse populations.
Resources
Make a Contribution
Persistent shortfalls in diversity at every level exist in medicine. To make lasting changes, we need your help. Your financial contribution will help us increase leadership and medical science opportunities to diverse trainees, faculty, and scientists. Our goal is to improve inequities in access to care, education, and scientific discovery. With your help, we will continue to address the gaps in every stage of academia and career development. We will champion efforts across the department of medicine for the benefit of underrepresented minorities in academia.
