Honors in Underserved Primary Care HUPC Student Handbook

Introduction/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.

Honors in Underserved Primary Care HUPC

Primary Care Medicine Is…

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

What is HUPC?

HUPC at UAMS is a four-year guided track that provides medical students long-term community, faculty and staff support, UAMS resources and educational opportunities to encourage students to pursue community based primary care as a medical career. HUPC students will choose a physician mentor who will provide personal feedback and professional guidance. Students will gain early clinical experiences with area Family Medicine physicians. Each student will choose, research and develop a longitudinal project, research and write a literature review to support that project and participate in other activities. The HUPC curriculum and required experiences have been especially designed to enhance each students’ understanding and practice of Primary Care medicine in underserved communities.  

Goals of HUPC

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 HRSA Core Topics

Requirements for Application/Acceptance

Entrance into HUPC will require 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. The HUPC mentors, faculty, physicians and staff are available to nurture student interest in a career in primary care and will serve as personal and professional resources.

• M1 Med Students in good academic standing
• Passion for Primary Care Medicine
• Passion working with Underserved populations
• HUPC Application Deadline: March 15, 2024

Applications are accepted through the HUPC website during the M1 year from August through mid-March. A maximum number of 15 students are accepted into HUPC each year. The earlier the application is received, and the student is accepted, the sooner the M1 student is assured of a spot and can begin planning their M1 Spring/Summer HUPC activities. After a review of your application by UAMS/HUPC faculty/staff, you should receive email notification within two weeks. Then, an interview with a UAMS physician/HUPC faculty member will be arranged.

Benefits of HUPC

• 4-year extracurricular, guided program
• $3,000 TOTAL stipend*
  • $2,000 received upon acceptance into HUPC program
  • $1,000 received as M3 upon auto-enrollment into required AHEC program
• Increased marketability
• Small, selective cohorts (Max 15 per cohort)
• M1 hands on experience in Primary Care clinical settings
• Connect with UAMS Regional Campuses faculty and rural health care leaders
• Networking with Primary Care Doctors

 *This stipend disbursement plan begins with 2023-2024 HUPC Cohort – new students ONLY.    
*Stipend may be used as student wishes but is suggested to be used for self-selected longitudinal project     
*HUPC students will not receive stipends for required HUPC assignments/activities: Continuity Clinic, Family Medicine Preceptorship, JR Clerkship, Select Extracurricular Activities. However, HUPC students are eligible to receive stipends for any assignments/activities/classes that are NOT required by HUPC: Student Ambassadors, Summer Learning Project, MASH Camp Assistant, Select Extracurricular Activities, etc.

HUPC Program Requirements

HUPC offers TWO TRACKS: A Standard Four-Year Track at UAMS LR & NWA campuses and An Accelerated Three-Year Track at UAMS NWA campus.

Standard Four-Year Track (LR/NWA)

*Estimated hours for M3 JR Clerkship in Family Medicine and M4 SR Elective are not included in HUPC total hours. These are required in COM standard academic curriculum for M3 and M4.

M1 Year

Fall	EST Hours	Spring	EST Hours	Summer	EST Hours
HUPC/Interview Application	1	HUPC/Interview Application deadline	1	Complete 2 Core Texts	20
HUPC Acceptance	1	HUPC Acceptance	1
		Continuity Clinic	16
		Choose MD Mentor	3	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5
		Identify Longitudinal Project	4
		Family Medicine Preceptorship	1	Family Medicine Preceptorship	80

M2 Year

Fall	EST Hours	Spring	EST Hours	Summer	EST Hours
Begin Literature Review for Longitudinal Project	20	Continue Literature Review for Longitudinal Project	20	Submit completed Lit review to HUPC Ed. Coor. by end of Aug.	40
Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Kelley (2 out of 3)	1	Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Kelley (2 out of 3)	1	Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Kelley (2 out of 3)	1
Extracurricular Activity	1	Extracurricular Activity	1
Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5

M3 Year

Fall	EST Hours	Spring	EST Hours	Summer	EST Hours
Continue Longitudinal Project	20	Continue Longitudinal Project	20	Continue Longitudinal Project	40
Join AHEC Scholars	25	Continue AHEC Scholars	25	Continue AHEC Scholars	30
Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5
HUPC Ed Coordinator returns Lit Review end of Dec.		Extracurricular Activity	1	JR Clerkship in Family Medicine	4 weeks

M4 Year

Fall	EST Hours	Spring	EST Hours	Summer
Continue Longitudinal Project	20	Complete Longitudinal Project	20	Enjoy!
		Present Longitudinal Project at IPE Student Research Day	4
Continue AHEC Scholars	40	Complete AHEC Scholars	40
Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5
Extracurricular Activity	1	Extracurricular Activity	1
Senior Elective	60	Senior Elective	60

Accelerated Three-Year Track (NWA)

Northwest Arkansas COM Accelerated requirements for M1 Continuity Clinic and Summer Preceptorship are met through Northwest Arkansas COM Accelerated curriculum. Estimated hours for M2 JR Clerkship in Family Medicine and M3 SR Elective are not included in HUPC total hours. These are required in COM accelerated academic curriculum for M2 and M3.

M1 Year

Fall	EST Hours	Spring	EST Hours	Summer	EST Hours
HUPC/Interview Application	1	HUPC/Interview Application deadline	1	Complete 2 Core Texts	20
HUPC Acceptance	1	HUPC Acceptance	1
		Continuity Clinic	N/A
		Choose MD Mentor	3	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5
		Identify Longitudinal Project	4
		Family Medicine Preceptorship	N/A	Family Medicine Preceptorship	N/A

M2 Year

Fall	EST Hours	Spring	Est Hours	Summer	EST Hours
Begin Literature Review for Longitudinal Project	20	Continue Literature Review for Longitudinal Project	20	Submit Completed Lit Review to HUPC Ed. Coor. by end of Aug.	40
		Begin Longitudinal Project	20	Continue Longitudinal Project	40
Join AHEC Scholars	25	Continue AHEC Scholars	25	Continue AHEC Scholars	30
Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Kelley (2 out of 3)	1	Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Kelley (2 out of 3)	1	Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Kelley (2 out of 3)	1
		Extracurricular Activity	1	JR Clerkship in Family Medicine	4 weeks
Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5

M3 Year

Fall	EST Hours	Spring	EST Hours	Summer
HUPC Ed. Coor. returns Lit Review By end of Dec.
Continue  Longitudinal Project	20	Complete Longitudinal Project	20	Enjoy!!
		Present Longitudinal Project at IPE Student Research Day	4
Senior Elective	60	Senior Elective	60
Continue AHEC Scholars	40	Complete AHEC Scholars	40
Extracurricular Activity	1	Extracurricular Activity	1
Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5

HUPC Program Activities

Longitudinal Project
The Longitudinal Project (LP) is a core learning activity of HUPC. It serves as a shared curricular and extra-curricular foundation on which group discussion and undergraduate medical academic experience can be based. In M1 Spring, HUPC students choose a topic of personal interest that pertains to underserved rural or urban primary care in Arkansas. Once the topic is selected, submitted, and approved in question form, students will undertake a Literature Review of this topic during their M2 Year to contextualize and guide their individual research. The Longitudinal Project (LP) continues through M3 Year; it culminates in a presentation at IPE Student Research Day in M4 Spring/Standard Track and M3 Spring/Accelerated Track.

Literature Review
The Literature Review serves as the foundation for the HUPC Longitudinal Project. Throughout the M2 year, HUPC students choose a minimum of 10 sources to provide the background, context, and foundation from which the student’s LP topic/question is developed, researched, and presented. Students submit their completed Literature Review to HUPC Education Coordinator by end of M2 summer Standard Track/Accelerated Track.

Mentors
HUPC students will choose a physician mentor by the end of M1 Spring. These mentors can, but do not have to be, employed with the UAMS system. The mentor’s role is to provide personal feedback, professional guidance and to nurture students’ interest in serving as a primary care physician in underserved areas in our state. Students will have contact with their mentor once a semester via email, text, phone call, or an in person visit.

Continuity Clinic
During M1 Spring, each student will seek out and secure this placement for Continuity Clinic using a list of approved preceptors. Contact the HUPC Education Coordinator for this information. For a medical student, this is an early, unique, hands-on experience within an actual practice of a primary care physician. The Four-Year Standard LR/NWA HUPC students will shadow a community doctor in the Greater Little Rock Metro Area. The time requirement/commitment is a half day per week for 4 weeks (16 total hours). These half days/hours do NOT have to be scheduled in consecutive weeks. The student and physician determine the schedule.

Family Medicine Preceptorship
Family Medicine Preceptorship is a two week in-clinic experience during their M1 Summer. The application process begins in M1 Spring.  The goal of Family Medicine Preceptorship is to give undergraduate medical students early hands-on personal experience and exposure to underserved rural and/or urban healthcare systems. The student is encouraged to choose a clinic in any region throughout the state where they can shadow a physician and gain valuable experience observing the physician-patient relationship. This is a two consecutive weeks, 40 hour per week, commitment. Students contact physicians and set up schedule. Contact the HUPC Education Coordinator for help if needed.

Core Texts and Core Text Discussions
During their M1 Spring/Summer, HUPC students will be required to read the two texts listed below. Both texts are provided for FREE to each HUPC student upon acceptance to the program. The HUPC Program Director and affiliated faculty view these fundamental texts as necessary for medical students who aspire to live and work in historically underserved areas. During their M2 year, HUPC students will be required to attend two of the three Core Text discussion sessions led by UAMS/HUPC faculty, Dr. David Kelley.

Anne Fadiman, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux), 2012.                                         

Tracy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World (New York, NY: Random House, Inc.), 2009.    

Extracurricular Activities
Beginning M2 Fall Standard/M2 Spring Accelerated, HUPC students will participate in an Extracurricular Activity (EA) of their choice.  HUPC students have many options: serving as a committee chair or club officer for student interest groups such as the Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) or Rural Medical Student Leadership Association (RMSLA); becoming a Student Ambassador; attending monthly Family Medicine Grand Rounds; or volunteering at a community clinic or not-for-profit. No matter the activity, HUPC students are encouraged to explore their professional interests and passion for primary care. 

AHEC Scholars
HUPC students are required to join AHEC Scholars and will be sent instructions at M3 Fall Standard/M2 Fall Accelerated from the AHEC scholar Education Coordinator. The $1,000 HUPC/AHEC stipend will be awarded at this time. ** AHEC Scholars is a two-year program of study that builds on prior education and experiences to include clinical and practical applications for students who are interested in serving rural and underserved populations. For more information on AHEC, click here.
**NOTE: This $1,000 award only applies to HUPC students who joined after Fall 2023.

Junior Clerkship
For JR Clerkship Rotations M3 Year Standard/M2 Year Accelerated, HUPC students will be given priority for placement over other College of Medicine students. They are encouraged to choose these 4-week rotations in unique places throughout the state, leveraging our partnerships with Community Health Centers (CHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

Senior Elective
Every HUPC student M4 Fall Standard/M3 Fall Accelerated will be required to take the following Senior Elective course: Rural Primary Care (FMED-8402).

HUPC Program Information

How do I manage and communicate my progress in HUPC?

For each Cohort, a master excel spreadsheet is created and the link is shared with all members of that Cohort. It lists all HUPC requirements by student name and HUPC year. It is the student’s responsibility to update that master excel spreadsheet and keep it current. The HUPC Education Coordinator periodically checks the spreadsheet to assess each student’s progress. Students are encouraged to contact the HUPC Education Coordinator with any concerns.

As a HUPC student, what if I run into issues with meeting certain deadlines? For example, if I’m hospitalized or have several COM tests due the same time?

One of the strengths of HUPC is flexibility and student personal responsibility. Communication is key. The HUPC Program Director is supportive of all students as they manage their COM courses, HUPC schedule and other activities. Please reach out to the HUPC Education Coordinator or the HUPC Program Director when any potential conflicts arise. We are happy to make adjustments and work together to solve any issues.

How do I receive information about HUPC events or other activities?

Currently, our primary communication with HUPC Students is UAMS student email. In addition, there are HUPC Cohort text groups, HUPC Instagram and HUPC ListServ.

Does HUPC help prepare me for a career in Family Medicine?

HUPC can help prepare you for a career in any primary care field. This includes Family Medicine, Geriatrics, General Internal Medicine, General Pediatrics, Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, or General OB/GYN.

If I commit to and complete HUPC, do I have to commit to a particular type of residency or practice after graduation?

No, HUPC has no requirements beyond COM graduation. While we encourage all HUPC students to pursue a career path in Primary Care Medicine in underserved communities, we understand this will not always be the case. However, we strongly feel the unique HUPC didactic and clinical experiences students receive will have a positive, long-lasting influence as they pursue their medical career, no matter the focus.

What if I drop out of HUPC before I complete the requirements? Do I have to refund the stipend?

No, you would not have to refund the stipend. However, if a student finds themselves facing challenges or debating their commitment to the HUPC track, our team is here to help! The physicians, mentors, DFPM staff, HUPC Program Director, HUPC Education Coordinator, and other HUPC students are all here to support you, to answer questions and to help overcome any challenges. Please click here for a list of contacts to offer support and answer questions After careful consideration and counsel from HUPC Program Director and others, if a student decides to withdraw/resign from HUPC program, the student must send written notification to Dr. Leslie Stone, HUPC Program Director at LStone@uams.edu.

Do I receive a grade for HUPC?

No. HUPC is an extracurricular honors program. Its coursework is routinely documented by students and staff and evaluated as pass/fail. HUPC does not count toward your grade point average or class rank. Staff and students remain in close contact as events arise that might affect the student’s ability to complete coursework as noted in printed schedule. The HUPC Program Director, HUPC Education Coordinator and others are available to help make schedule adjustments.

What do I receive when I complete HUPC?

Students that satisfactorily complete the program requirements will receive UAMS HUPC recognition. Distinguished Certificates of completion will be presented, and students will be recognized for completing the program at UAMS COM graduation.

HUPC Additional Information

Primary Care Interest Groups

HUPC Students are encouraged to participate in a primary care interest groups. This includes, but is not limited to, the Rural Medicine Student Leadership Association (RMSLA) and the Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG)

COM Rural Practice Programs

Rural Practice Programs RPP provides educational loans and scholarships to medical students (and Alternates) to increase the number of physicians practicing medicine in rural communities in Arkansas.

For More General COM Student Information-See UAMS Student Handbook

Conferences

HUPC Students are welcome to attend statewide Student Rural Health Summits, as well as National Conferences such as American Academy of Family Physicians. Stipends are available. Contact HUPC Educator Coordinator for information.

UAMS Academic and Support Staff

Leslie Stone, MD, MPH 
HUPC Program Director
Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine 
Director of Family Medicine Clerkship and Family Medicine Acting Internship 

Jennifer Dukes Casey, MD 
Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine
Director, UAMS Neighborhood Clinic