Community Partner: Student Run Free Clinic
The UC Student-Run Free Clinic is one of three student-led free clinics at UCCOM and is an organization that I am passionate about and have been involved with since 2021. The clinic was founded in 2019 as a Learning Community project partnering with the Healing Center, a community service organization dedicated to providing clothing, food, and educational services to the underserved community in Springdale, OH. Now, the clinic has grown to providing weekly acute care, preventative, and eye care services at the Healing Center every Saturday morning. The clinic is composed of over 60+ medical and pharmacy student volunteers, with support from medicine and pharmacy preceptors, community service leaders and advocates, as well as undergraduate volunteers. This past year, the clinic has received over $20,000 in grant funding, allowing for the implementation of plans to expand clinic services and increase accessibility to preventative care services.
About Megha
My name is Megha Mohanakrishnan and I am a fourth-year medical student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. I am originally from San Jose, California, but moved to Cincinnati to receive a Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences with a minor in Business Administration at the University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati’s charm inspired me to stay here for medical school!
I was first introduced to UC SRFC as a sophomore in college, where I helped with manning the front desk and setting up the clinic weekly. The clinic allowed me to interact with the Cincinnati community outside of the walls of my undergraduate campus and introduced me to the social disparities that affected them. Being able to witness the impact of providing accessible healthcare, I was inspired to be involved with UC SRFC throughout medical school as a volunteer, Clinic Manager, and most recently as a Medicine Co-Leader. I want to use this elective to continue to serve UC SRFC and assist with expanding the clinic mission. I plan to go into General Surgery and hope to use my experiences to advocate for equitable healthcare access in the community that I serve.