Our Interview With Ellie Marhefka & Steven Wallace, Co-Directors Of Urban Health Project

Ellie Marhefka & Steven Wallace are the Co-Directors of Urban Health Project.

What makes the Urban Health Project uniquely valuable for medical students? 

UHP is uniquely valuable to medical students because it provides them with an immersive summer internship where they play an active role in community-based participatory research. By combining service-learning with reflective practices, we work towards our goal of forming socially responsible physicians who have a greater understanding of the factors that impact health. This year marks our 40th anniversary, and we are excited to celebrate our deeply rooted commitment to serving Greater Cincinnati. Each year, UHP interns have the opportunity to build upon the connections that we have with our multiple partners, while learning from their years of experience. After spending their first year in classrooms learning about disease processes, it is crucial to bridge the gap between the learning they have completed and discovering how to implement that knowledge by identifying real issues affecting community members and developing practical solutions. UHP provides a structured way for students to immerse themselves in the community, complete a longitudinal project, and reaffirm their commitment to service.

How does the Urban Health Project decide which internships to place students in? 

UHP is a medical student-run program and the placement process is facilitated by two students acting as co-directors. Interns apply in January of their first year of medical school using the same application available for other summer programs. In this application, they are encouraged to look through our currently partnered community sites and explain what their goals and interests are for the summer. We have a wide variety of community partners with opportunities to work as medical assistants in clinics, at children's camps, women's shelters, in hospice care and much more. We are also constantly expanding our sites to increase our impact and ensure that interns are matched at a place whose mission aligns with their own passions. After the applications are submitted, students are matched based on the preferences they outlined. Finally, they complete an interview with the site to confirm that it is a good match.

How does the Urban Health Project prepare students for the realities of the medical field? 

UHP prepares students for the realities of working with underserved communities by providing hands-on experience and service learning. In a longitudinal study analyzing 160 post-internship surveys, respondents said that their confidence in identifying vulnerable groups increased from early medical school from 28% to 88%. Additionally their understanding of social drivers of health increased from 54% to 91%. 

Throughout the summer, participants spend valuable time with community members and develop their confidence in practicing trauma-informed care. They learn how to design a project using needs-based assessments and share the results back with their partners to  evaluate impact, promote quality improvement, and foster trusting relationships. This shared responsibility and collaborative problem-solving is an effective way to promote healthy communities and is valuable data that can help the community partner improve their ability to serve the community. The experiences gained provide benefits beyond those gained in the early years of medical school and substantially augment students' capacity to serve patients in the future.

How can being a part of the Urban Health Project help students in their journey through medical school? 

The Urban Health Project is currently only available as a summer opportunity between the M1/M2 years to medical students attending the University of Cincinnati. UHP gives medical students an opportunity to explore their interests by working with a community partner and developing a project that really shines through on residency applications. 

While students can be sure of a structured and supportive program with opportunities to showcase their work at our Committed to Community Event and at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine Research and Service Symposium, the real value is in the unexpected experiences gained from working directly with community members and the formation of future career goals. Through analysis of 9 years of post-internship surveys, UHP was deemed the most impactful influence to date on career aspirations, with 97% of respondents planning to work with vulnerable populations. One participant reflected: “Through [UHP], I saw how social factors can affect children but also […] the impact mentors can have on a child’s belief in themselves. [UHP] has solidified my passion to help the underserved urban populations.”

Inspira Advantage is proud to interview experts like Ellie Marhefka & Steven Wallace, to help future doctors understand the challenges and rewards of a medical career. Set up a consultation with one of our experts today to learn more about how we can help you get into medical school.