Thanks to funding from The Doctors Company Foundation, the CMA Foundation is pleased to announce that grants up to $2,000 are available to medical student-run clinics. The funding for the medical student-run clinics is also supported by Hoops for Health, a medical student-run fundraiser. Please click here to download a flyer.
The CMA Foundation continues to offer Medical Student Community Leadership Grants to support health-related educational, advocacy, community service, and other outreach programs that enhance the well-being of California communities. Grants average $250
- $1000.
2009 Medical Student Community
Leadership Grants
Loma Linda University, School of Medicine
With a strategic partnership with Social Action Community Health System (SACHS), a group founded by medical students 35 years ago, the students at LLU have reopened a student-run clinic in the Norton neighborhood in Southern California. During January, the one year anniversary of the clinic opening, will begin to expand from once monthly to two evening clinics per month and double the staff. Bilingual services are provided reflecting the cultural heterogeneity of the population they serve. This effort is meeting a vital need – every clinic is completely in advance. Additionally, this clinic provides young medical professionals pragmatic understanding of the reality many of our patients face. It will develop skills of delivering efficient and economically feasible medical interventions – a facet of medical training which is often overlooked in other settings.
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
There exists a critical need for physicians and other health care professionals to recognize and address the unique needs of their lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender patients. The LGBT community is dynamic and rich in diversity, and health care providers must understand both the conventional and newly emerging issues and topics increasingly relevant to this population, including alternative families, the experiences of LGBT youth, and the needs of LGBT ethnic minorities. Through a quarter-long, weekly series of lectures we hope to enlighten and inspire our colleagues, with the ultimate goal of fostering culturally component care sensitive to the social political and health needs of the LGBT community.
University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
The Increasing Healthcare Access lecture series is in its second year, and continues to educate USC medical students and faculty on factors affecting healthcare access, models for healthcare reform, and ways the medical community can advocate for change. The lectures will increase awareness of our current process. Through empowering medical students to address these barriers to care, the lecture series is directly pertinent to improving the health outcomes of the patient population at LAC-USC.
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
Sun Safety Educational Outreach was created to address the tremendous need regarding skin cancer awareness and prevention. The Dermatology Interest Group (DIG) at UC San Diego School of Medicine seeks to develop an educational outreach program aimed at teaching local elementary school-aged students the harmful effects of the sun. DIG recognizes that sun-safety education must begin early in order to instill lifelong health-promoting behaviors.
Loma Linda University, School of Medicine
CKC mentoring is a one-on-one mentoring program that connects San Bernardino elementary-age children with a Loma Linda University Graduate student mentors. The goal of the program is to assist the students with homework and improve scholastic achievement while simultaneously providing service learning to medical students. Our program consists of 23 weeks consisting of four tutoring sessions per week dispersed through the year.
University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine
Over the past 25 years, the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) has been instrumental in creating a resourceful network of future health professionals who strive to improve the healthcare of underserved populations. The mission of the Annual LMSA Regional Conference is to emphasize the importance of creating community leaders who have the passion and courage to meet the demands of a rapidly changing society. Our success is dependent on planting and cultivating our seeds in high school, undergraduate and medical students who have the desire to make a difference in the Latino community.
Loma Linda University, School of Medicine
Pathway to Health is a collaborative effort with Healthy Neighborhoods, Social Action Community Health Systems (SACHS), and the Preventive and Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group (PLMIG). Pathway to Health has three components; employee health, community involvement, and patient health. During the health fair, the PLMIG will facilitate the creation of a walkway at the SACHS clinic, on the surrounding cement. The walkway will be a quarter mile path in which participants from the community will paint footprints. Employees and patients from SACHS can then utilize the path, even after the conclusion of the health fair. Employee incentives to utilize the Pathway to health will include stickers to keep track of their progress and monthly drawings for prizes for those who participate.
University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine
The role of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) – UCLA Chapter is to address issues pertinent to Asian American medical students and the communities that we serve. We are also advocates of health issues that affect East and South Asian-American communities. We are a nationwide organization, representing nearly 14,000 Asian-American medical students. This year, the 16th Annual APAMSA National Conference will be co-hosted by the APAMSA chapters at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, and Western University. The conference will be held on the UCLA campus on October 9-11, 2009. The theme for this year’s conference is; Leadership and Change: Envisioning the Future for Students, Physicians, and Patients.
University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
Native Americans have the highest prevalence of diabetes in the US. Several of the members of the church have previously been diagnosed with diabetes, and many are at risk. This program will allow USC medical students to get involved with community healthcare, and it will be a big help to the FAIC members. The project consists of an 8 week diabetes education/exercise program at the First American Indian Church (FAIC) in Lincoln Heights. Educational and encouragement sessions will be provided every 1-2 weeks, about diabetes screening, prevention and treatment. Pedometers will also be provided to congregation members to help them track their exercise progress. Participant will also have BMI, blood pressure, blood lipid and blood glucose tests before and after the program.
University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
The SNMA chapter at the USC Keck School of Medicine developed a Mini-Medical school program. The program involves mentoring and teaching four fourth grade classrooms at tom Bradley Elementary School in South Los Angeles. The goal is to expose the student to minority medical students as well as scientific information in hopes of sparking their interest in medicine and advanced education. The schedule this year included the following lessons: Nutrition, Diabetes, Sickle Cell Anemia, Proper Skin Care, Germs, and finally a field trip to the USC Medical School campus where the students will participate in an Anatomy lesson.
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
The Ulezi Family Health Fair 2009 is an annual event that continues to enhance the overall quality of life in Oak Park and engage medical students in learning more about health promotion in the African American community. This health education project is designed to inform the residents of the Oak Park community in the city of Sacramento regarding preventive strategies to common health diseases prevalent within the African American community. Its mission is to reduce the high disease burden and morbidity rates for heart disease, hypertension, stroke, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and obesity within Oak Park. The primary source of health education will be through conducting small information sessions, providing free healthcare screening, and distribution of healthy behavior instructional materials. In addition, various local and national health related organizations would be present to promote their resources. Family oriented games and activities will emphasize healthy lifestyle changes. In Addition, listings of low-cost and free health care services in the Sacramento area will be provided.
University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
The Screen Now and Prevent Program (SNAPP) is Keck’s first and only student-run free health clinic. SNAPP opened on January 10, 2007 and will continue to operate on the second Tuesday of every month. We currently offer screenings for common conditions, education about lifestyle changes, and free prescription pharmaceuticals. SNAPP is run at St. Camillus Church across the street from Los Angeles County Hospital. For the many medical students signed up to volunteer for SNAPP, we hope that this early exposure to the privilege and responsibility of patient care will help craft a new generation of socially conscious and compassionate doctors.
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
The mission of the Latino Medical Student Association is to recruit and support individuals in the healthcare professions who will strive to improve access and delivery to Latinos and other medically underserved populations. The UC Davis School of Medicine’s LMSA Chapter “Dia de los Muertos” Program will promote science education and appreciation for the Latino culture’s contributions to medicine. The program will celebrate and highlight the centuries old tradition of anatomy education, healing and respect for science exploration. The program will also highlight the value of cultural competency by offering a medical Spanish workshop in our clinical Skills Center exam suites.
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
The American Indian contribution to medicine is a shared national treasure. In recognition of November as Native American Heritage Month, the UC Davis School of Medicine medical students would like to honor and highlight these contributions in addition to addressing the current healthcare issues facing American Indians today. The proposed project will contribute to both the community and medical student education through a lunchtime talk and workshop. Most importantly we hope these activities will inspire Native American high school students from the local community to become motivated to pursue a college education and hopefully a career in healthcare. In addition, our medical students will gain an appreciation of Native American culture and it’s contribution to modern medicine. This is extremely valuable because our curriculum currently does not include any instruction in this area and we will use this project to promote the integration of the information into our medical education.
View grants given in previous years:
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2001-2002
The CMA Foundation proudly provides grants to California medical
student organizations in support of projects that promote
community health and well being. 
