Program Director Mary Lee Magee describes the success of one student who credits the I2CRP program with putting him on the path to treating patients in some of North Carolina's most impoverished counties. His mother was a social worker, and stories about poverty and the struggles of others were an important part of how he saw the world from an early age.
It was his desire to make a difference that eventually led him to medicine. The I 2 CRP program seeks to engage medical students early in their training to sustain their vision and drive to serve those in greatest need, while helping students translate these goals into long-term careers. Today, Moore is a family practitioner with a federally qualified health center where he provides care to some of the most impoverished counties in North Carolina.
In addition to providing primary care, he treats patients with HIV, hepatitis C, and substance use disorders. Through a partnership with the University of North Carolina, he trains primary care providers who practice in underserved settings throughout the state to care for patients with hepatitis C. Prospective students apply to the I 2 CRP program during their first semester and participate in longitudinal programming throughout all four years of medical school, including mentoring, didactics, service learning, and clinical training in urban, rural, and international underserved settings.
During the first two years of medical school, I 2 CRP students learn about historical trends of poverty and connect with local service providers to gain a better understanding of the day-to-day lives of individuals who struggle to meet basic needs, such as housing, employment, food, and adequate health care. Throughout clinical rotations, students train in diverse settings such as the Rural Health Group , the practice location of program alumnus Moore; Crossover Healthcare Ministry , a free clinic located in Richmond, Va.
For Moore, the I 2 CRP program provided a practical framework around what he dreamt of achieving as a physician. I 2 CRP program graduates pursue many career trajectories to meaningfully serve underserved populations, including practicing in community settings, academic medicine, global medicine, scholarship and advocacy at the policy level. The accomplishments of program graduates such as Moore are both inspirational and reassuring as to what is within reach for the prospective medical student who is driven to address some of the most pressing health concerns of our society.
