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What is the Social Medicine Fellows Program?

School of Medicine Orientation Week 2025 Hill District

Social medicine seeks to understand and influence the social, political and economic factors that profoundly affect the health of individuals and communities. Up to 90% of health outcomes are determined by social factors. As such, the importance of these factors in shaping the course of illness cannot be overstated. Health disparities are a major public health concern and injustice both in the United States and globally. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s (SOM) Social Medicine Fellows Program (SMFP) was started in 2018 to train medical students for careers as leaders who bridge academic medical institutions and traditionally underserved communities. Medical students selected in their first year partner for the duration of their preclinical medical school training with an underserved community, where they participate in service learning, research and advocacy in accordance with community needs and assets.

Structure

  • Based on their top three choices, each fellow is assigned a project and a historically marginalized neighborhood around Pittsburgh.
  • Fellows work on a longitudinal project based on community needs and assets with their team members and community mentors.
    • Meetings with the community members/mentors and/or directors occur throughout the year.
  • Each fellow receives a small stipend to fund their service, research and advocacy.
  • All fellows are expected to attend a monthly meeting with the directors to update each other on progress and to brainstorm challenges.

Requirements

  • Applications are due beginning mid-September. Please refer to email announcement for exact date.
  • Applicants must have demonstrated academic excellence for selection into SMFP.
  • A 500-word essay describing the applicant’s interest in the program, commitment to participation for three years, and goals to be realized during that period must accompany the application.
  • CV

Selection of the Social Medicine Fellows

  • Each applicant is interviewed by a group of current fellows and by a community or faculty member on the advisory board.
  • The directors will announce the fellowship recipients by the end of September each year. 

Neighborhoods and Committees

Neighborhood

    Braddock

  • Braddock Youth Project
    • monthly healthy cooking and food science programming
  • Akoma United
    • CPR Certification Class

    South Hills

  • South Hills Interfaith Movement
  • Casa San José

    McKeesport

  • Healthy Learning Village Institute
    • International Women’s Day
    • Health Talks
  • Hemorrhage Control Event

    Homewood

  • Oasis Farm
  • Senior Housing programming
  • Community Engagement Center

    Hazelwood

  • Pitt Science in the Park
  • Hazelwood Family Health Center
  • Dixon Innovation Center

    Hill District

  • Youth Sports at the Hill
  • Mini Medic talks
Neighborhoods

Committees

    Medical Education Committee

  • Neighborhood Walk
  • Social medicine Lecture Series

    Black Birthing Bridges

  • Health education talks
  • Peripartum pantry project
  • Maya Organization

    Advocacy

  • Newsletter and Instagram Advocacy lunch series

    Human Rights Clinic

  • Asylum evaluation
  • Medical Justice Alliance

    CATCH

  • Calls to schedule appointments and reminders on vaccine and wellness check Phone-a-thon
Committees<br />

Student Roles and Responsibilities

Student Roles and Responsibilities

Social Medicine Fellows Program Advisory Board

Thuy Bui, MD
Director, Social Medicine Fellows Program
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Yui Sugiura, DO, MPH
Codirector, Social Medicine Fellows Program
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

University of Pittsburgh Representatives

Chenits Pettigrew, EdD
Associate Dean for Student Engagement and Enrichment
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Abbas Hyderi, MD, MPH
Vice Dean for Education
Professor of Family Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Potential Faculty Research Mentors (among others)

Elizabeth Miller, MD, PhD
Sonya Borrero, MD, MS
Judy Chang, MD, MPH
Leslie Hausmann, PhD, CHERP/VA
Jennifer Baldwin, MD, MPH, MA
Marsha Ritter Jones, MD, PhD
Jared Magnani, MD
Eloho Ufomata, MD, MS
Martha Terry, PhD
John Maier, PhD, MD

Community Faculty and Mentors

Michael Yonas, DrPH
Theresa Chalich, RN
Stuart Fish, CRNP
Felicia Savage Friedman, MEd
Maureen Anderson, EdD

A special thank you to the students and former vice dean who started and supported SMFP.

Alyssa Bruehlman
Claire Paduano
Collin Schenk
Breonna Slocum
Ann Thompson, MD, MCCM
     Former Vice Dean
     University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine