UC medical students provide community health care through free clinic

The UC Student-Run Free Clinic provides care to uninsured adults, filling critical health care gaps across Greater Cincinnati. Through a service-learning model, students gain hands-on experience while providing essential care to the community.

The clinic operates year-round and provides a range of services similar to urgent care, including lab access, pregnancy testing, over-the-counter medications and health screenings such as blood pressure and blood glucose testing. Since launching in 2019, the clinic has expanded its offerings with the goal of evolving into a full-fledged primary care provider.

“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,” said Emma Schaefer, a third-year medical student from Dayton, Ohio, and — along with fellow third-year Megha Mohanakrishnan of San Jose, California — co-chair of the clinic. “We ask ourselves: ‘How can we provide holistic care at this moment?’”

Each Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, two care teams — each consisting of one lower-year and one upper-year medical student — address patients’ acute health concerns. Preclinical and clinical-year students alike conduct health screenings, while pharmacy students manage patients’ medication histories and dispense over-the-counter medications with instructions in patients’ preferred languages. Undergraduate volunteers staff the check-in desk and assist with administrative tasks. All care is provided under the supervision of licensed physicians and pharmacists, and in partnership with the Lincoln Heights Health Center, a federally qualified health center (FQHC).

“The students are eager, diligent, creative and passionate about the clinic,” said Megan Rich, MD, professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine in UC’s College of Medicine and co-medical director of the clinic. “It’s about giving back to the Greater Cincinnati community.”

The Healing Center’s role in housing the clinic has furthered its reach.

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

Rich explained what the clinic’s location has meant for both patients and students.

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

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

Kiesler said the students’ work at the clinic is inspirational. “I get to witness their drive to address the health disparities present in our community,” he said.

Rich emphasized the importance of the students’ work overall, along with the work of their preceptors. “We are doing something that makes a difference, one patient at a time,” said Rich. “And isn’t that what being a doctor is all about?”

Bearcat Eye Service is a subsidiary of the UC Student-Run Free Clinic. It operates on the first Saturday of each month in the clinic’s location at The Healing Center. Medical student volunteers provide free ophthalmology services on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Patients can expect a comprehensive eye exam with a resident physician. Vision screenings can identify potential eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy and refer some to UC’s Hoxworth Eye Clinic. When necessary, patients are educated on how to order eyeglasses online.

The clinic is currently seeking additional board-certified physicians and pharmacists to volunteer as preceptors, especially those in family and internal medicine. Second- and third-year residents are also welcome.

Each Saturday ideally includes one physician and one pharmacist to oversee care. In the absence of clinical preceptors, students host health advocacy days, offering educational materials and wellness resources.

To support continued growth and sustainability, the clinic is seeking donations through the College of Medicine Student-Run Free Clinic Cincinnati Fund at the UC Foundation. UC Physicians will provide $3,500 of matching funds to gifts.

Featured image at top: Fourth year medical student Saagar Choksi uses an otoscope to look in the ear of another medical student at The Healing Center. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.