The Community Health Project (CHP) was established by medical students at the then-Medical College of Ohio in 1993. The aim of the CHP is to offer medical students first-hand experience in addressing some of the health issues that plague the medically underserved, giving students with a broader understanding of the socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental factors that contribute to an individual’s health status. The CHP is an effort to raise the social consciousness of medical students in hope that it will have an impact on their future practice of medicine. The goals of the CHP directly parallel those of the College of Medicine; thus the CHP externship is an essential and beneficial experience for the students, the community served, and the agencies involved.
Students work with local social service agencies, performing health-related tasks that will expose them to clinical, respite care, and/or educational aspects of community health. In 2006, twenty-three selected students contributed more than 5000 hours of work. This helped almost 3500 clients served by fourteen local agencies such as:
- Adelante, Inc.
- Bittersweet Farms
- Camp Courageous
- COMPASS (Comprehensive Addiction Service Systems)
- Heartland Hospice
- Hospice of Northwest Ohio
- Odyssey Hospice
- Prescribed Pediatric Center: Educare
- Rosa Morgan Enrichment Center
- St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center Positive Choices Program
- Sylvania Community Center
- YWCA (Childcare Connections, Rape Crisis Center, ENCORE Plus)
Students are selected after a review of their applications, and are expected to submit reports regarding accomplishments and an overall program evaluation. A more detailed report, including descriptions of the above agencies and more detailed program goals, is available here.
