Washington, D.C., May 8, 2001—Twice each year, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), in collaboration with Pfizer, Inc. and the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, awards six U.S. medical schools with grants to develop medical student-initiated services and programs for local communities.

Six institutions have received awards in this latest round of funding: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nevada School of Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, and University of Nebraska Medical Center.

This institutional grant program focuses on projects initiated, developed, and run primarily by medical students. While faculty and institutional involvement are integral components for sustaining community service efforts, the ultimate goal of the program is to encourage students to identify untapped avenues of community service.

"Caring for Community" provides three types of grants—new, supplemental, and non-continuous. New projects are funded at $12,000 the first year, decreasing to $3,000 in the fourth and final year of the grant. Supplemental grants support new projects within existing programs and are funded at $8,000 the first year, decreasing to $2,000 in the fourth year. Non-continuous grants are provided for short-term projects and can be funded up to $15,000.

Grantees and Program Descriptions

• Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, "Check Your Skin." Medical students teach the public in the greater Richmond area how to reduce their risk of melanoma and how to perform a personal skin examination.

• New York University School of Medicine, NYU Free Clinic. Physical exams, medical screening, medications, vaccinations, tuberculosis testing, health education, and referral services are offered to uninsured and marginalized communities in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

• SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Women’s Health Education Forum and Health Fair. Asian refugees and immigrants in the Buffalo, N.Y. area are learning how to access the health care delivery system.

• University of Nevada School of Medicine, Student Outreach Clinic. A structured learning environment for medical students as they provide basic health services and education for the medically underserved in the Reno area.

• East Carolina University School of Medicine, Reach Out and Read. Pediatric health supervision and the patient-provider relationship are used to develop literacy skills in young children.

• University of Nebraska Medical Center, The SHARING Clinic. Testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS are provided in South Omaha to largely Central and South American immigrants who are uninsured or medically underserved.

The next round of grantees will be selected in September 2001. For more information, please contact Robert L. Beran, Ph.D. or 202-828-0250.

###

The Association of American Medical Colleges represents the 125 accredited U.S. medical schools; the 16 accredited Canadian medical schools; some 400 major teaching hospitals, including 74 Veterans Administration medical centers; 91 academic and professional societies representing over 100,000 faculty members; and the nation's 67,000 medical students and 102,000 residents.

Contact Us    © 1995-2008 AAMC    Terms and Conditions    Privacy Statement