Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 7-7-2023
Abstract
In 2016, students from the inaugural class of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine (UTRGV SoM) conceived the idea of a student-run clinic (SRC) to provide free health care for the residents of Pueblo de Palmas colonia in Hidalgo County. Its opening day in March 2018 made this initiative an unusually quick opening, as it typically takes up to five years to open an SRC. Situated between four medically underserved counties, UTRGV SoM has the unique opportunity to extend quality primary care to those who otherwise would go without. More specifically, the physical location of the clinic was determined by a partnership with Proyecto Desarrollo Humano, a nonprofit organization within the Pueblo de Palmas colonia. The free clinic, located in the town’s community center, opens its doors to the public every month on a chosen Saturday. We hope to inspire other medical schools to initiate community improvement projects and serve as a model for other student-run clinics in colonias, as this clinic is the first to operate inside a Texas colonia while continuing to be managed by the affiliated medical school’s students.
Recommended Citation
Cauba, John Nicholas; Tapia, Beatriz; and Callan, Andrew, "Establishing the First Student-Run Clinic to Provide Free Health Care to a South Texas Colonia" (2023). MEDI 8127 Scholarly Activities Pre-Clerkship. 45.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/som8127/45
Academic Level
faculty
Mentor/PI Department
Population Health and Biostatistics