Community Health is a student-run free clinic that has served many for the past ten years. UIC medical students began their active role at the clinic in 2001 and have since contributed much time and hard work to the organization. Tuesday nights are "UIC nights," which is when the UIC medical students, from M1s-M4s, volunteer their time from 5-9PM. They provide many services alongside other volunteers from surrounding medical schools, as well as volunteer attending physicians and other hospital staff.

So what is this free health clinic like? This is what I observed from a Tuesday night at the clinic:

Upon a 5:30PM arrival, the waiting room is fairly full, and the people at the desk are very busy but attentive to the patients who are signing in. There is a television and a kid's play area in the waiting room. Behind the scenes, medical students are taking time out of their busy schedules to gain experience in the real world of healthcare. Many of them agree that volunteering at the clinic is enormously worthwhile for their future in the medical field and also, not to mention, highly rewarding to be able to provide such a service to the community. While these students get no academic credit for volunteering, the experience gained working with patients is something that an M1 or M2 student can definitely appreciate, since most do not experience that relationship until their third of fourth year of medical school.

Volunteers range from medical students to attending physicians; nurses to hospital clerks; and anyone else who can translate Spanish or train to take vitals, draw blood, or help at the front desk. Medical student status is not required for many volunteer positions in the clinic. So what kind of healthcare does the clinic provide? Besides primary healthcare, the health clinic provides special nights for gynecological, pediatric, and occasionally dental care. The clinic also has its own pharmacy. On volunteer night, about eight to twelve medical students are on duty and see about eight to fifteen patients for the duration of their shift.

The criteria for being a patient at the free health clinic is that one must be uninsured or not qualify for healthcare, or one must have an income level significantly below the Federal Poverty Level. There is a screening process a patient must undergo prior to getting regular appointments at the clinic; however, once everything goes through, many of the patients do become regulars. The clinic provides a personal and accommodating atmosphere for their patients. Walk-ins are also served.

So one must wonder: without any government funding, how does such a place stay running? This particular clinic gets funding from various grants from medical organizations, such as Abbott Laboratories; donations from MDs, PhDs, and charities; and it receives donations of medications and samples from different offices, practices, and pharmaceutical representatives. Last year, the clinic was granted $12,000 combined from various organizations. The money given is generally used for electricity, equipment, and other operational costs. Finding funding is the greatest challenge in maintaining a health clinic like this one.

Regarding malpractice, UIC medical students and UIC doctors are fully covered by the university. Equipped with 15 patient rooms, a wide array of health education instructional sessions, and specialized events such as Cardiology or Dermatology Night, Community Health provides everything but the bare minimum.

A lot of hard work and organization is needed in order to run a clinic. The medical students organize and appoint about four members from each class of medical students (M1-M4) with a job to network and keep the clinic running in connection with UIC. These students hold many responsibilities other than attending medical school, and they take their jobs seriously. The clinic is always seeking volunteers who do not necessarily need to be medical students, who can translate Spanish, assist in patient care (given proper training), or to help with office work.