Primary Care Initiative Program

For webcasts, please visit the Primary Care Initiative Lecture Series page.

The Primary Care Initiative introduces all Keck School of Medicine of USC students to primary care and nurtures, supports, educates and develops those students whose career goal is to become a primary care physician. We will do this by providing primary care clinical, research, leadership, policy and educational opportunities in a variety of settings.

Introduction to Community Medicine (ICM) Focus Experience and Shadowing
The community-based focus experience is designed to introduce medical students to the challenges and rewards of community-based primary care by providing them with the opportunities to spend a day (or more for non-ICM shadowing opportunities) observing doctors and their medical staff, conducting patient histories and physical exams, among other learning experiences. Read more…

1st & 2nd Years Longitudinal Family/Community Medicine Experiences
Through a longitudinal shadowing/mentorship experience with a primary care provider in a community clinic, medical students will be exposed to a variety of aspects of community -based primary care over the course of their first two years of medical school. Such experiences include learning about the establishment of medical homes for low income families and individuals, chronic disease management, and public health, particularly the broader social determinants of health.

Geriatric Community Medicine Focus Experiences
This experience is designed to introduce medical students to community-based geriatric and ambulatory care through a day in an assisted living facility. Students are given practical education and opportunities to evaluate individual geriatric patients in their home, perform mental status exams and medication assessments, as well as safety and ADL/IADL assessments. Read more…

4th Year Community Medicine Selectives and Electives
The 4th year community medicine selectives and electives are designed to immerse the interested 4th year medical students into community health through a variety of experiences including patient contacts in a variety of community medicine venues, legislative opportunities, and working with members from a community medicine health care team. In addition, students will gain an understanding of billing, coding, and other economic parameters that sustain the viability of a community medicine clinic. Read more…

Community Preceptors & Family Medicine Clerkship Sites
There are multiple venues in which KECK-USC medical students can experience community-based medicine throughout their four years of medical school including inner city sites in Los Angeles, suburban and HMO sites, school, homeless and free clinics, rural health sites in California, Hawaii, Arkansas and Alaska, HIV sites, and a tribal health center. Read more…

Professional & Student Organizations
The Primary Career Community Medicine Program works with a variety of professional organizations and student groups including the Area Health Education Center (AHEC), California Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP), California Student Physicians for Healthcare Reform (CSPHR), Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG), Peds Student Interest Group (PedSIG), and Internal Medicine Interest Group (IMIG).
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