URB 5011: Urban Underserved Medicine I
Racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare and lack of qualified manpower have created a serious need for physicians in America's urban areas. Members of racial and ethnic minority groups, who make up the majority of inner-city residents, are less likely than others to receive needed services than those from wealthier communities; this includes treatment for HIV infection, mental health problems, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. This track will teach students about healthcare inequities and disparities within different populations of patients in urban areas. It will also serve to inform and educate young physicians about the suffering of asylum seekers and refugees in the United States and the disparity between international humanitarian obligations and the government's current treatment of people in these situations. At its core, the program will also give students knowledge and foresight into providing for with patients who may have a different cultural, literacy, or socio-economic backgrounds and teach them how to become effective health care providers.