• Skip to main content
  • Skip to main content
Choose which site to search.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Logo University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Regional Campuses: Honors in Underserved Primary Care (HUPC)
  • UAMS Health
  • Jobs
  • Giving
  • Student Handbook
    • Longitudinal Project to Senior Presentation – Timeline with Deadlines, Resources, and Examples
  • Contacts
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • HRSA Core Topics
  • Meeting Archives
  • Qualifying Senior Electives
  • Application

Honors in Underserved Primary Care (HUPC)

Honors in Underserved Primary Care program participants show off their bowling trophies

Honors in Underserved Primary Care

Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Apply Now

Important Links

Student Handbook

History, goals, and requirements of the program

View the Handbook

Application

Apply for the Honors in Underserved Primary Care Program

Apply Now

Student Support

Get support and answers to question about the program

Program Contacts

Travelers Sizzle Reel

DFPM Travelers Sizzle Reel

Introduction and History

The eight UAMS Regional Campuses across Arkansas serve as an educational outreach network for UAMS and are the principal means to decentralize medical and health professional education throughout the state. Its mission is to improve the health of Arkansans by training those skilled, caring professionals and delivering high quality patient-centered primary care to underserved communities.

An integral part of Regional Campuses division, Honors in Underserved Primary Care, was launched in 2020-2021 with three core goals:

  1. To train medical students by offering a comprehensive, longitudinal, extra-curricular experience in rural and urban underserved medicine
  2. to sustain medical student interest in in practicing primary care in such areas
  3. to retain these medical students in our state once they graduate.

Primary Care Medicine Is…

Family Medicine, Geriatrics, General Internal Medicine, General Pediatrics, Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, General Obstetrics and Gynecology

What is Honors in Underserved Primary Care?

HUPC at UAMS is a four-year guided track that provides medical students with camaraderie, faculty and staff support, UAMS resources and educational opportunities to encourage students to pursue community based primary care as a medical career. Students will gain early clinical experiences with area Family Medicine physicians. Each student will choose, investigate and develop a longitudinal project; explore and evaluate resources then write a literature review to support that project; and participate in other activities. The HUPC curriculum and required program activities have been specifically designed to enhance each students’ understanding and practice of Primary Care medicine in rural and urban underserved communities.  

Goals of Honors in Underserved Primary Care

  1. Provide students with a longitudinal experience that prepares them to provide comprehensive medical care for rural and urban underserved populations
  2. Support and foster student interest in a career practicing primary care in underserved communities in Arkansas.
  3. Foster a robust community of physicians and students who are passionate about primary care in underserved areas in Arkansas
  4. Understand and master the HRSA Core Topics
    • Interprofessional Education and Practice (IPE)/Quadruple Aim
    • Behavioral Health Integration
    • Social Determinants of Health
    • Cultural Competency
    • Practice Transformation/Population Health
    • Current and Emerging Health Topics

Benefits of HUPC

  • 4-year extracurricular, guided program
  • Stipend supported
  • Increased marketability
  • Small, selective cohorts
  • M1 experience in primary care clinical settings
  • Connect with UAMS Regional Campus faculty/rural health care providers
  • Network with primary care physicians

Requirements for Application/Acceptance

Entrance into HUPC requires a high level of student commitment and engagement, as well as faculty confidence in students’ likely success in maintaining the workload and completing all requirements over 4 years.  Mentors, faculty, physicians and staff in the HUPC are available to nurture student interest towards a career in primary care and are available to serve as personal and professional resources. Requirements to apply include but are not limited to:

  • M1 COM Students in good academic standing
  • Passion for Primary Care
  • HUPC application deadline is March 14, 2025
Apply Now

There is a great need for Primary Care physicians in Arkansas

Join the Honors in Underserved Primary Care program and take the next step towards serving the needs of the rural and urban communities here at home. If you need further assistance, please contact Heidi Damron, HUPC Education Coordinator.

Email Heidi Damron

Academic Staff List

Dr. Leslie Stone
Director of HUPC and Medical Student Education Division of DFPM                  LStone@uams.edu                                                                    

Dr. Jennifer Dukes-Casey 
Assistant Director, M1-M2 programs                                                               DukesJenniferN@uams.edu

Dr. Amber Norris 
Assistant Director, M4 Programs                           
AKNorris@uams.edu

Dr. David Kelley
M2 HUPC Core Text Discussion Group Leader
DKelley@uams.edu

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences LogoUniversity of Arkansas for Medical SciencesUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Mailing Address: 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: (501) 686-7000
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement

© 2025 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences