Opening remarks will be at 1 p.m., followed by tours of the facility.
The IU Student Outreach Clinic opened Aug. 1, 2009, in the Neighborhood Fellowship Church, 3102 E. 10th St. Patients without insurance are seen weekly, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
The medical school students provide free urgent care to the needy in collaboration with students from Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, the IU School of Medicine Department of Public Health, the IU School of Dentistry (who see patients at the People’s Health Center), the IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Science Department of Physical Therapy and the University of Indianapolis Krannert School of Physical Therapy.
“The IU Student Outreach Clinic has been an integral part of my medical education,” said Neha R. Patel, a member of the IU School of Medicine Class of 2013. “It brought perspective to medicine and advanced my education by allowing me to practice my skills, talk to patients, form friendships and learn from peers. Through continual involvement in the Student Outreach Clinic, I grasped the social aspects of health care and was able to ‘practice’ medicine under the watchful eyes of compassionate physicians and friendly students from all disciplines.”
Students from the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law volunteer in partnership with Indiana Legal Services to provide free legal services and resources, and IU School of Social Work student volunteers help by identifying needs and providing information on available resources.
“One of the most important and exciting aspects of the IU Student Outreach Clinic is the partnerships, both with our community partner, the Neighborhood Fellowship Church, and our various academic partners — the students from all the participating schools,” said Charles B. Goodwin, chair of the IU Student Outreach Clinic executive board. “These partnerships allow us to better understand what our future colleagues do, and how we can best work together to provide comprehensive care for our patients now. This multidisciplinary approach is the future of health care, and we feel like we are at the forefront of it.”
The clinic, which serves as a hands-on educational opportunity for students, sees 30 to 35 patients for acute and chronic conditions each Saturday. During the first six months of 2012, 676 patients were seen at the clinic, and 196 of those were there for the first time.