Honors in Underserved Primary Care HUPC Student Handbook

Introduction

UAMS Regional Campuses serve as an educational outreach network for UAMS and the principal means to decentralize medical and other health professions education throughout the state. Its mission is to improve the health of Arkansans by training skilled and caring health professionals and delivering high quality patient-centered primary care.

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; and 3) to retain these medical students in our state once they graduate.

Welcome to Honors in Underserved Primary Care HUPC

HUPC at UAMS is a four-year guided track that provides long-term continuity, faculty and resident support, UAMS resources, educational opportunities and early clinical experiences to encourage you to pursue community based primary care as your career. You and your fellow HUPC students will learn together and choose your own physician mentor who will provide personal feedback and professional guidance. You will gain early clinical experience with local Family Medicine physicians; choose and develop a longitudinal study and literature review; as well as participate in meaningful coursework and other activities designed to enhance your 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: Mid-March M1 year

Applications are accepted through the HUPC website during the M1 year from August through mid-March. A maximum number of 20 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, you should receive email notification within one month.

Benefits of HUPC

• $3,000 stipend*
• 4-year extracurricular, guided program
• Increased marketability
• Small, selective cohorts (Max 20 per cohort)
• M1 Experience in Primary Care clinical settings
• Connect with UAMS Regional Campuses faculty and rural health care leaders
• Networking with Primary Care Doctors

*The HUPC stipend may be used as student wishes but is suggested to be used for self-selected longitudinal project and associated expenses.
*HUPC students will not receive stipends for required HUPC assignments/activities: AHEC Scholars, Summer Preceptorship, JR Clerkship, Select Extracurricular Activities. However, HUPC students are eligible to receive stipends for any assignments/activities/classes that are NOT required by HPUC: Student Ambassadors, Continuity Clinic, Summer Learning Project, MASH Camp Assistant, Select Extracurricular Activities, etc.

HUPC Program Requirements

HUPC offers a Standard and Accelerated Track. The Accelerated Track accommodates those pursuing the three-year MD at UAMS NWA campus.

Standard Four -Year Track

*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 Application	1	HUPC Application deadline	1	Summer Preceptorship	80
HUPC Acceptance	1	HUPC Acceptance	1	Complete 2 Core Texts	20
		Continuity Clinic	32	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5
		Choose MD Mentor	3
		Identify Longitudinal Project	4
		Summer Preceptorship	1

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	Complete Literature Review for Longitudinal Project	40
Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Stone (2 out of 3)	2	Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Stone (2 out of 3)	2	Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Stone (2 out of 3)	2
Extracurricular Activity	10	Extracurricular Activity	10	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
		Extracurricular Activity	10	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!
Continue AHEC Scholars	40	Present Longitudinal Project at IPE Student Research Day	4
Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Complete AHEC Scholars	40
Extracurricular Activity	10	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5
Senior Elective	60	Extracurricular Activity	10
		Senior Elective	60

Accelerated Three – Year Track

*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 Application	1	HUPC Application deadline	1	Summer Preceptorship	80
HUPC Acceptance	1	HUPC Acceptance	1	Complete 2 Core Texts	20
		Continuity Clinic*	4	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5
		Choose MD Mentor	3
		Identify Longitudinal Project	4
		Summer Preceptorship*	1

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	Complete Literature Review for Longitudinal Project	40
Join AHEC Scholars	25	Begin Longitudinal Project	20	Continue Longitudinal Project	40
Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Stone (2 out of 3)	2	Continue AHEC Scholars	25	Continue AHEC Scholars	30
Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Stone (2 out of 3)	2	Core Texts Discussion Group with Dr Stone (2 out of 3)	2
		Extracurricular Activity	10	JR Clerkship** in Family Medicine	4 weeks
		Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5

M3 Year

Fall	EST Hours	Spring	EST Hours	Summer
Continue  Longitudinal Project	20	Complete Longitudinal Project	20	Enjoy!!
Continue AHEC Scholars	40	Present Longitudinal Project at IPE Student Research Day	4
Meet with Mentor 1x	0.5	Complete AHEC Scholars	40
Extracurricular Activity	10	Extracurricular Activity	10
Senior Elective**	120	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, and submitted 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 continues through M3 Year and culminates in a presentation to their colleagues at IPE Student Research Day in M4 Spring. Accelerated Track presents in M3 Spring.

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 answered through its completion in M4 Spring. Accelerated Track presents in M3 Spring.

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 and professional guidance, nurturing students’ interest in a profession in primary care in underserved areas in our state.

Continuity Clinic
During M1 Spring, each student will seek out and secure this placement for Continuity Clinic. For a medical student, this is an early, unique, hands-on experience within an actual practice of a primary care physician. HUPC students will shadow a community doctor in the Greater Little Rock Metro Area (Standard)/Northwest Arkansas (Accelerated). The minimum requirement is a half day per week for 4 weeks (16 total hours). However, we encourage students to commit to a half day per week for 8 weeks (32 total hours).

Summer Preceptorship
Summer Preceptorship is a 2 week in-clinic experience during their M1 Summer. The application process begins in M1 Spring.  The goal of Summer 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. 

Core Texts and Core Text Discussions
During their M1 Summer, HUPC students will be required to read the two texts listed below. The 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.

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, HUPC students will participate in an Extracurricular Activity of their choice. The other Extracurricular Activities slots are Spring M2, Spring M3, Fall M4 and Spring M4. Accelerated Track Extracurricular Activities Schedule varies.  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; serving on one of the current workgroups or starting a new workgroup; or volunteering at a community clinic or not-for-profit. No matter the activity, HUPC students are encouraged to explore and refine their professional interests and passion for primary care. 

AHEC Scholars
HUPC students are required to join AHEC Scholars and will be given instructions during M3 Fall (Standard)/M2 Fall (Accelerated). 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.

Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Scholars is a national initiative engaging students from various health disciplines through clinical, didactic, and community-based activities. UAMS Regional Campuses (also known as Arkansas AHEC) administers this program and facilitates student connections at the national AHEC level. As AHEC Scholars, HUPC students can attend the statewide Student Rural Health Summit, as well as national conferences, American Academy of Family Physicians Conference.

Junior Clerkship
For JR Clerkship Rotations (M3 Standard /M2 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 will be required to take one qualifying Senior Elective. (M4 Fall Standard Track/M3 Fall Accelerated Track). Please see HUPC Qualifying Senior Electives for a list of approved elective courses.  This list is not exhaustive. With approval of HUPC Program Director, another course may be substituted to fulfill Senior Elective requirement.

HUPC Program Information

How do I manage and communicate my progress in HUPC?

For each Cohort, a master excel spreadsheet is created and shared with all members of that Cohort. It lists all HUPC requirements by 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.

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. Dr Stone is supportive of all students as you manage your COM courses, HUPC schedule and other activities. Please reach out to the HUPC Education Coordinator or Dr. Stone when you first become aware of any potential conflicts. We are happy to make adjustments and work with you.

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. In development: 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, General Internal Medicine, General 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 the students receive will have positive, long-lasting influence as they pursue their medical career.

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 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, 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 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

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