University of California, Riverside School of Medicine is set to launch a new family medicine residency program in Coachella Valley with a unique focus on community service, according to The Desert Sun.
The program, which will accept its first eight-member class in July, is hosted in partnership with Palm Springs, Ca.-based Desert Regional Medical Center and Desert Healthcare District.
The residency will be housed in a new facility with 20 exam rooms, two procedure rooms and a smart classroom, according to the report. However, the program puts a focus on learning to serve the community too.
Residents will participate in a street/backpack medicine program, in which a healthcare team comprised of a physician, a resident, a nurse, a social worker and a security professional will go into the community and provide medical care for the homeless, farm workers and undocumented residents. Eventually, a clinic will be established for these patients, according to the report.
Residents will also have the opportunity to provide health education for obese students and sex education for ninth graders at local schools.
The program was accredited in February and plans to grow to 24 residents in three years, according to the report. It is the second program in Coachella Valley.
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