The Community Health Advocacy Program: changing the relations between communities and the medical campus

Both CHAP and service-learning are unique new additions to medical education. The Medical School, Swearer Center for Public Service, and the Providence community have shown tremendous support and commitment. This commitment continues with the medical school's hiring of the Service-Learning Coordinator, who will help direct CHAP and organize service learning opportunities for medical students. CHAP provided me with an incredible learning experience, both frustrating and empowering. I was able to make sense out of medicine in the context of community health and also help others make sense of why an understanding of the communities in which they work and live was important to their medical education. On the whole I am pleased with the work and progress of CHAP as well as the service learning. I look forward to its future success and the newly forged partnerships of participating communities and the Brown Medical School campus.