The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences in Tuscaloosa also functions as a regional campus of UAB Heersink School of Medicine, providing the clinical years of education to a portion of UAB Heersink School of Medicine medical students. All medical students complete their first and second years at the School of Medicine’s main campus in Birmingham and their third and fourth years at any one of UAB Heersink School of Medicine's four campuses – Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, and Montgomery. Upon completion of all four years of medical school, students are awarded the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from UAB Heersink School of Medicine.
Medical students completing their clinical years at the Tuscaloosa campus form long-term learning relationships with experienced, practicing physicians and mentors and provide comprehensive care of patients over time and through different points in their health care journey. A portion of third year clinical rotations are integrated to allow for continuity of patient care. Additionally, students receive elective credit through a unique course that integrates their daily clinical experiences with physician leadership, population medicine, and health policy.
The University of Alabama Family Medicine Residency, which is operated by the College of Community Health Sciences, was founded in 1973 and today is among the oldest and largest such residencies in the country. Through the educational programs of the residency, the College fosters the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to create outstanding physicians capable of providing high-quality, continuing, comprehensive, and patient-centered care. Through its residency, the College also offers fellowship programs for family medicine physicians in obstetrics, hospital medicine, geriatrics, sports medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, and rural public psychiatry.
Objectives
A primary responsibility of the College of Community Health Sciences is to contribute to the improvement of the health of Alabama, with an emphasis on primary care, rural communities, and underserved populations. The educational programs of the College are designed to increase the physician workforce, the availability and accessibility of health care, and to improve its quality.
The College:
- Provides the clinical years of medical education and training (third and fourth years) for a portion of medical students enrolled at UAB Heersink School of Medicine.
- Offers a Primary Care track and a Rural Medical Scholars track for medical students enrolled at UAB Heersink School of Medicine.
- Offers a Master of Science in Population Health
- Offers a Master of Science in Rural Community Health
- Offers an undergraduate Minor in Rural Community Health
- Operates a Family Medicine Residency
- Works with UAB Heersink School of Medicine to integrate medical education programs with non-medical aspects of health care delivery.
- Provides training sites and internships for students in interprofessional disciplines such as clinical psychology, nursing, social work, pharmacy, clinical dietetics, health education, athletic training, and health care management.
- Offers shadowing and scribe opportunities for pre-med students.
- Makes available expertise in medical and health sciences to undergraduate and graduate education programs at The University of Alabama, and offers courses in medicine and health sciences to enrich University students’ education by relating it to health, health care, and the health care delivery system.
Courses
This course provides an overview of health care organization and delivery in the U.S. The course will examine the foundations of the health care system, system resources, processes within the health care system, outcomes, and the future of health care delivery. Current issues in health care including cost of health care, health care quality, and access to care will be analyzed.
This course can by taken by application only. This course will match each student with a physician at University Medical Center or one of our community partners. Students will shadow a physician for one half day per week throughout the semester. Students will gain firsthand knowledge of the practice of medicine in a primary care setting, have frequent opportunities to observe the physician-patient relationship, and explore medicine as a career path. Students will be directed to readings relevant to the patient care matters that they encounter and will document their observations via written reflections. Thirty-five (35) hours of shadowing are required over the course of the semester.
Lectures and readings will examine behaviors that compromise overall health status (eg, tobacco use, noncompliance) and behavioral aspects of specific medical conditions (eg, heart disease, cancer, pain). Topics will include bioethics, racial/ethnic disparities and rural mental health issues. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
Introduction to Fundamentals of Medicine I is an interdisciplinary course that provides a foundation for understanding the molecular and biochemical basis of cellular processes and whole body physiology, and initiates an appreciation for their impairment during various human diseases.
Introduction to Fundamentals of Medicine II is an interdisciplinary course that provides a foundation basic pharmacology and cellular physiology. The basic principles of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics will be followed by an introduction to autonomic nervous system pharmacology that will serve as a basis for understanding the pharmacologic treatment of diseases.
This course provides students with exposure to the research process and the opportunity to conduct independent work on a research project under faculty supervision, in the areas of medicine, rural and population health, primary care and bioscience. Students may take 1-4 credit hours per semester. Students may earn up to 12 credit hours of this course across multiple semesters. It is expected that students’ workload on the project will correspond to the number of credit hours. Specifically, it is expected that students work a minimum of 2.5 hours per week for every credit hour registered.
The Emergency Responder course prepares the EMR student to provide emergency prehospital assessment and care for patients of all ages with a variety of medical conditions and traumatic injuries. Areas of study include an introduction to emergency medical services systems, roles and responsibilities of EMRs, anatomy and physiology, medical emergencies, trauma, and special considerations for working in the prehospital setting.
An introductory course designed to teach learners to examine health issues from a population health perspective. Using real local and global health problems, students are introduced to evidence-based population health programs and policies that focus on closing the gap between science and practice.
Empirical evidence demonstrates that structural inequalities and health disparities disproportionately affect historically marginalized populations in the United States. Increasingly, Public Health and medical organizations have called on healthcare professionals to recognize these inequalities and actively work toward social justice and health equity in our research and practice. The goal of this course will be to provide students with evidence-based knowledge and the tools to understand and address health inequities in their research and practice.
An introductory undergraduate level course designed to teach learners how to examine reproductive health issues from a population health perspective using a life course approach to investigate the challenges people face at different times in their lives such as family planning, services to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and early diagnosis and treatment of reproductive health illnesses, and access of essential health supplies such as contraceptives and medicines. The course content will emphasize the social, economic, environmental, behavioral, and political factors associated with reproductive health. Students will make connections between classroom knowledge and use problem solving skills to work with a community organization to update lesson plans and facilitate lessons to pregnant women and their partners during the semester.
The purpose of this course is to understand the role of health care providers, politics, government relations, and effective advocacy planning in the betterment of population health. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course.
Statistical methods and concepts particularly appropriate for biomedical research and health-related subjects.
A basic course in epidemiology designed for students in health or related fields which points out the population-oriented approach to epidemiology and shows how the methodology can be used to develop knowledge of disease etiology with application to the entire spectrum of health service.
This course will match each student with a physician at University Medical Center or one of our community partners. Students will shadow a physician for one half day per week throughout the semester. Students will gain firsthand knowledge of the practice of medicine in a primary care setting, have frequent opportunities to observe the physician-patient relationship, and explore medicine as a career path. Students will be directed to readings relevant to the patient care matters that they encounter and will document their observations via written reflections. Thirty-five (35) hours of shadowing are required over the course of the semester.
Designed to help the student recognize environmental and occupational health hazards in the rural setting, the effects of exposure to these hazards, and preventive measures that should be taken to avoid them.
A combination of scheduled sessions and fieldwork activities. The fieldwork will consist of visiting with an assigned rural advisor, completing a rural community assessment, and assisting with community health screenings and education programs.
This independent study course is designed to allow students to pursue independent exploration of a particular field or topical area, under the guidance of an advisor. Material covered will be of an advanced nature aimed at providing students with an understanding of current developments within the field. Discussion and advisor guidance will be focused on issues related to rural healthcare, primary care, etc. to encourage a better understanding of the multifaceted role of a rural, primary care physician.
A combination of scheduled sessions and fieldwork activities. The fieldwork will consist of visiting with an assigned rural advisor, completing a rural community assessment, and assisting with community health screenings and education programs.