Medical students at University of Cincinnati provide free healthcare services via UC Student-Run Free Clinic

University of Cincinnati medical students receive their own hands-on training opportunities while providing medical attention to uninsured adults in Springdale, Ohio. Since 2019, the UC Student-Run Free Clinic has been offering various health screenings, pregnancy tests, and lab services, and hopes to continue evolving into a full-service primary care provider. The staff of the UC Student-Run Free Clinic is made up of medical and pharmacy students from the University of Cincinnati, who are managed and assisted by licensed doctors and pharmacists.

According to an article on the University of Cincinnati’s website, Megan Rich, MD, who serves as a professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine in UC’s College of Medicine and is the co-medical director of the UC Student-Run Free Clinic, explained the clinic. She is quoted as saying, “The students are eager, diligent, creative and passionate about the clinic. It’s about giving back to the Greater Cincinnati community.” She added, “We are doing something that makes a difference, one patient at a time. And isn’t that what being a doctor is all about?”

The UC Student-Run Free Clinic is located within The Healing Center in Springdale. It provides services every Saturday from 9am to noon, with the first Saturday of each month also offering the Bearcat Eye Service’s free ophthalmology services, like vision screenings, referrals, and assistance ordering glasses online. Undergraduate students volunteer to assist with patient check ins and to perform administrative tasks, while medical students address patient health concerns, and pharmacy students dispense over-the-counter medications. All students are overseen by licensed physicians and pharmacists who volunteer their time.

The collaboration of The Healing Center, which houses the UC Student-Run Free Clinic, has contributed to the clinic’s success.

Rich noted, “Co-locating at The Healing Center means people can meet multiple needs in one place: food, resources and health care. The students also see firsthand what it looks like to build community partnerships and promote health outside traditional doctor’s office walls.”

Echoing these sentiments, Joseph Kiesler, MD, professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine in UC’s College of Medicine and the co-medical director of the clinic, said, “We could not ask for a better community partner. They have been truly collaborative and supportive of the students’ leadership and learning.”

Along with the services the clinic provides, the medical and pharmacy students involved also make sure to provide patient accessibility via translation services to ensure everyone receives the best care possible, as 60% of the clinic’s patients are immigrants. In addition to the medical and pharmacy student volunteers, students who speak Spanish and understand medical terminology volunteer their time, as well. 

Third-year medical student Megha Mohanakrishnan said, “We recognize language can be a barrier to health care. So, we are dedicated to communicating with our patients in their native languages to ensure quality care, even when it may take extra time.”

Fellow third-year medical student Emma Schaefer explained why students are eager to participate in the clinic. She said, “We learn about the social determinants of health in the classroom and then see them play out in real life. We see socially and financially complex patient cases. We ask ourselves: ‘How can we provide holistic care at this moment?’” She added, “It’s an incredibly popular and meaningful experience. Volunteer slots fill up in minutes. Amid all the studying, it reminds us why we chose medicine.”

The clinic is currently seeking donations to facilitate its sustainability and its growth.

For more information about the University of Cincinnati, visit the school’s website.