OVERVIEW

During this unique three-week, urban immersion program, Christian health professions students learn to address health needs in the largely low-income, urban community of Hispanic North Philadelphia and integrate their faith and the medical practice. Students gain valuable experience while providing the useful service of health screening, health education and improving access to care in the community. Through the program schedule and the critical input of faculty who teach, informally mentor and work alongside students, participants can develop their relationship with God and examine their role as Christians in medicine. The program partners with Esperanza Health Center, a Christian, federally qualified low-income health center with three locations in North Philadelphia.

Graduate students from all levels are welcome to apply. Undergraduates in a specific health care or pre-health care track may apply (juniors or seniors preferred), but should first contact the SMI director at [email protected]. Although the pandemic may affect aspects of our program (healthcare personnel in all settings are still masking), we were able to do our usual work and house our participants together locally in the community in 2022.

If accepted to the Summer Medical Institute you will should be up to date on your current vaccinations, including Hepatitis B and COVID-19 and should also have a criminal background check for Pennsylvania if you live or go to school there OR for your current state of residence. It’s good to start early to collect this information during the application process so that you may have it ready to submit if accepted. 

COST

The student support for participating in SMI is $1600 including housing and most meals. Most students choose to raise support to cover this cost. If you choose to raise funds to cover this cost, we can provide sample letters, forms and guidelines to help you, and will provide direction and information throughout the process.

DETAILS

SMI Philadelphia offers:

• Urban medical outreach: In 2023 students will work together in teams in the urban environment, providing assistance for Esperanza Health Center as well as community medical outreach. They will provide health screens for blood pressure, diabetes risk, diabetic foot neuropathy and obesity and provide educational information about hypertension, diabetes, HIV and nutrition while sharing the love of Christ through conversation and prayer with those they meet (see SMI Student FAQs).

• Education: Students each have an opportunity to shadow health care providers at Esperanza and observe an effective model of Christian primary care. Third and fourth year medical students and other upper-level health care students may participate in SMI as an academic rotation, pending school approval and availability. In 2023, we expect that students will receive hands-on patient experience each working day during SMI.

• Mentoring: Many Christian clinicians from all fields volunteer to work alongside the student teams on a rotating basis during the outreaches, as well as share meals and even join us occasionally during downtime activities. They will also teach students on topics relevant to medical practitioners during orientation, breakout teaching sessions (“Institute Days”), and the final “Return Training.”

• Discipleship: Small group Bible study, daily debriefing, twice-weekly teaching on biblical foundations, daily devotions and worship are integrated throughout the program. Through these, students are able to develop their relationship with God, learn to process and respond to the issues they encounter, and help develop a vision for their own career in health care.

• Community: As one participant said, “There are many layers of community in SMI!” and this is one of the invaluable parts of  the program. Participants live, work and fellowship together during SMI and often develop close and meaningful relationships with one another and with our faculty. Students also learn to know the local community, and work in partnership with area churches, who provide follow up to those who request it. SMI participants come to know people in the community by meeting them in their neighborhoods, in the clinic, in the churches and on the streets.

• SMI 2023 and the Pandemic: The pandemic may require us to adapt our program according to current guidelines for the safety of the community and the student participants. However, we were able to successfully do our normal work in 2022 with activity that involved safe patient interaction at Esperanza Health Center and in the neighborhoods. This allowed students to gain valuable patient experience, gain knowledge of the community and practice integrating their faith daily in the healthcare context. Our schedule of excellent speakers, as well as other faculty mentors were able to come teach and meet with students during the program. We expect to have typical patient contact and community work next summer, with details available later as the spring progresses. We also plan to have all students shadow our clinicians at Esperanza.

To read the student blog click here. 

Supporting SMI

All giving for SMI goes through the home office of Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF) in Memphis, TN. The Philadelphia Summer Medical Institute has 501(c)(3) status as a ministry of CCHF. A year-end tax statement from CCHF will be sent after the New Year for all SMI general and student support donations. Every gift marked for SMI will be used for SMI only and will not go to the general use of CCHF.

 Online giving is the preferred method of sending in donations.

SMI General Donations

Friends of SMI and MCO from all over the world donate to the program each year to help support the work we will be doing. These funds are separate from the Student Participant funds and help to cover the costs of running the program. 

SMI Participant Support

Each student participant is responsible to raise their own funds for the cost of the trip. The payment information on this page includes what is needed to give SMI student participant donations. Students can share this info with family and friends who might want to help support their trip.

Contact SMI Philadelphia