Education

Developing a pipeline of street medicine team members is critical to the sustainability of street medicine for as long as the need exists. USC Street Medicine is dedicated to helping cultivate the future of street medicine by creating programming specifically designed for current students.

We welcome an interdisciplinary team of USC students for clinical rotations. Learners include students from:

• USC Primary Care Physician Assistant Program
• Keck School of Medicine (medical students)
• USC Dworak-Peck School of Social Work (year 1 and 2 master’s in social work students)
• USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (doctoral residency)

USC Street Medicine welcomes all  Keck Medicine Family Medicine Residents as they complete a required four week street medicine rotation during the intern year. Residents have an option for additional elective time in years two and three, regardless of track status. In addition, all residents receive eight street medicine education sessions per year from street medicine experts. Those who opt into the street medicine track spend part of their continuity clinic in year two and three with USC Street Medicine and align quality improvement and scholarly work with street medicine.

USC Street Medicine patients have an extraordinary volume of critical knowledge to teach future health care professionals. This program aims to elevate people experiencing unsheltered homelessness to educators in this patient-led, longitudinal, immersive experience. In contrast to a traditional method of teaching students to care for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness through accidental interaction, this program flips the script on who is leading who through their healthcare journey. Teams of pre-clinical medical and physician assistant students are assigned to one Trojan Trainer who is a USC Street Medicine patient for one year. Students meet with their Trojan Trainer weekly to both learn from the lived expertise of their Trojan Trainer while working collaboratively with their trainer on the trainer’s personal goals.

We recognize that the first time someone may consider a future career path caring for unhoused neighbors is often during academic classes, events or conferences. Members of our USC Street Medicine team are available to speak on street medicine and homeless healthcare topics or those closely aligned with street medicine.