College of Medicine Urban Health Program (COM-UHP) Heading link
The College of Medicine Urban Health Program (COM-UHP) has a proven track record of developing leaders who will advance health equity. On all three sites of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, COM-UHP offers a variety of longitudinal programs and services for students who are underrepresented in medicine (URiM) specifically African-Americans, Native Americans, Latinx, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds that: attract talent, provide access to medical education, support even progression and academic excellence, and promote leadership within the health equity arena. Since its inception in 1969, COM-UHP has assisted more than 2,000 African-American, Native American and Latinx students in gaining admission to and graduating from the University of Illinois College of Medicine.
The College of Medicine Urban Health Program (COM-UHP) is the largest of the nine Urban Health Programs at the university, assisting in the recruitment, retention, and graduation of around 370 underrepresented minority students across the four years of study at UI COM.
Our Campuses Heading link
The College of Medicine Urban Health Program (COM-UHP) is the largest of the nine Urban Health Programs at University of Illinois, assisting in the recruitment, retention and graduation of about 370 underrepresented minority students across the four years of study at UI COM. COM-UHP provides programming/services for current medical students and future students.
There is a COM-UHP Office located on each of the UI COM campuses (Chicago, Peoria and Rockford). Each Office works with their respective Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Offices.
Mission and History Heading link
-
Mission
The mission of the College of Medicine Urban Health Program (COM-UHP) is to recruit, retain, and graduate students into medicine with the goals of eliminating health disparities and advancing health equity.
-
History
As a response of health inequities disproportionately affecting communities in Illinois, in 1978, the Illinois State Legislature created the University of Illinois Urban Health Program (UHP). The creation of UHP was a tangible response to address these growing health disparities through the training a diverse physician workforce.
The College of Medicine Urban Health Program (COM-UHP) is one of the nine health science colleges in the University of Illinois education system. It is the oldest and largest of the Programs having had its start in 1969 as the Medical Opportunities Program which was the model for UHP’s creation.