Improving the Health of Northeastern Pennsylvania through Medical Education and Community Engagement

Medical schools have been charged with the responsibility for increased emphasis on social accountability. The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC) is playing a critical role in educating future physicians to help alleviate the region’s severe health professional shortage by training community physicians who will work in this region to improve its health status. TCMC partners with community organizations and health professionals to ensure that students learn the fundamentals of community engagement and service-based practice. The curriculum involves student research projects that foster commitment to community involvement and participatory research. TCMC also collaborates with several educational partners in the region. An example is the partnership with a regional university to develop a public health certificate program and a combined MD/MPH program. Interprofessional training is another feature of the curriculum and TCMC is partnering with dental professionals in the region to incorporate oral health into the medical school curriculum, with a focus on preventive oral health care. Through these and several other programs, TCMC aspires to train community- oriented physicians who will practice medicine in a holistic manner and ultimately contribute to improving health in Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond.