Joseph Kiesler, MD, Department of Family Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 338 Crescent Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45215, 513.679.5420, kieslehj@fammed.uc.edu and Andrew W Bazemore, MD, Institute for Health Policy and Health Services Research, University of Cincinnati, 202 Goodman Avenue, French East Bldg, Ste 275, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0840.

To improve the ability of future family physicians to care for underserved populations and potentially assume leadership positions in public health, the University of Cincinnati Family Medicine Residency training program established an Underserved Residency track at a local community health center. In July 2002, one residency faculty member and two second year resident physicians moved their continuity practices to the health center, with two additional residents joining in July 2003. Residents spend 2 to 4 half days a week providing medical care at the center. Benefits to the community health center include increased patient access, exposure to up-to-date medical knowledge, community outreach, community research and a potential pool of physicians from which to recruit. Benefits to the residents include hands-on experience working with underserved populations, learning community assessment techniques, analyzing health disparities among their patient population and understanding how community health centers function. Barriers to this program include the educational impact of frequent patient no-shows, costs related to precepting the resident physicians, and stress placed on the community health centers staff and resources with an increased number of physicians. Through a HRSA residency training grant, a specific curriculum has been developed to train these physicians in the areas of culturally competent care of African-American and Hispanic populations; public health leadership and advocacy skill development; community needs assessment and barriers to health care access. The first set of residents will be graduating this June, one of which has chosen an underserved, rural community to establish a practice.

Learning Objectives: