Underserved Pathway

The US Department of Health and Human Services defines an underserved group as “populations that do not have adequate access to medical care. This includes rural, elderly, low-literacy, blue-collar, and poor populations. Minorities per se are not included, but often belong to one or more of the included categories. Similarly, people with special needs and homeless people also may belong to one or more of the included categories.” The U.S. Health Services Administration (HRSA) designates “medically underserved areas/populations as areas or populations having too few primary care providers, high infant mortality, high poverty, or a high elderly population.”

There is a critical need for physicians interested in rural and underserved care. UNC Health’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. The UNC Med-Peds Underserved pathway seeks to train physicians to fulfill this mission. The pathway enhances the educational experience for med-peds residents interested in rural and underserved care in the state through mentorship, clinical experience, research, and didactics.

Residents will receive a Distinction in Underserved Care at the completion of residency. 

“I first became interested in applying to medical school while working at a free clinic in San Francisco. Seeing the impact that expanding access to medical care can have upon our communities drove me to want to continue that work. As a part of the MPUP pathway, I’ve had the opportunity to do rotations at multiple FQHCs (including away from the Chapel Hill area in more rural NC), explore how to improve care for patients involved with the justice system—particularly at end of life, and develop my own rotation in rural and underserved palliative care. Being a part of this program has helped me better advocate for my patients and engage more deeply with areas of medicine I hope to be part of my future career.”

-Sam Mickel, current Med-Peds Underserved Pathway Resident

Mentorship

Mentors assist residents in preparing for and debriefing from experiences related to underserved medical care. This could include didactics, clinical experience, or scholarship.

Curriculum

Residents will partake in all rotations with their Med-Peds peers during their first year of training. This will allow them to obtain a foundation of knowledge in internal medicine and pediatrics, as well as to bond with their peers and develop a sense of community.

Residents can apply for the Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Underserved Pathway in the Fall/Winter of their intern year. Upon acceptance, a resident’s elective rotations and special months will be tailored to allow greater exposure to underserved patient populations across North Carolina throughout years two, three, and four of residency. At least two special months and up to four may be used to gain exposure to medical care for underserved patient populations. A minimum of 8 weeks of elective time per year (4 on internal medicine and four on pediatrics) will be used for electives that provide greater training focused on underserved patient populations.

Since underserved care in our diverse state covers a broad spectrum, it is prudent to have the flexibility to tailor these experiences to the learner’s interests. Residents will receive a Distinction in Underserved Care at the completion of residency.

“I am interested in rural and wilderness medicine and have spent elective time in the underserved pathway studying wilderness medicine, working at a rural clinic in Mount Airy North Carolina, and being trained in procedures, ultrasound, and to provide circumcisions to help prepare for a future career as a rural hospitalist. One of my favorite parts about the underserved pathway is the mentorship and community of learners in the pathway, as well as the flexibility the pathway allows to pursue training and learning opportunities that align with future career goals.”

-Cierra Dauenhauer 

Scholarship

Participants will be expected to complete at least one scholarly project and a morning report related to their experience in the Pathway.

Didactics

Accepted applicants must attend at least six events focused on underserved patient care annually.

Contact 

For more information, reach out to the program director at Megan.Hoppens@unchealth.unc.edu