Family Practice - Interdis Comm Part

Catalog description

This course is designed as an interdisciplinary team approach to developing strategies for community health assessment and intervention. Students will work with a team that includes at least three other health professional students and at least one community "lay health advisor" to assess the health needs of a local neighborhood and develop and implement an appropriate intervention. The course will explore community needs and resources, assess and barriers to care, and culturally appropriate interventions. No courses currently exist which involve an equal partnership with medicine, allied health, social work and nursing. This course is designed to give students the opportunity to learn to work as a team member with a variety of health care professionals, and to understand the valuable contribution of each group. Research has shown that students who are involved in the community during medical school continue to be actively involved in their chosen communities. This course is developed in concert with KU's Schools of Nursing, Allied Health and Social Welfare. This first year, two interdisciplinary teams will be assembled, working with 2 neighborhoods in the vicinity of KUMC. If this pilot is successful, more communities and teams will be assembled in future years. This is a year-long course that will span both fall and spring semesters.