Street medicine: An interprofessional elective to address the unhoused population crisis
Bunker-Alberts, Michele; Scheftz, Erin; Molga, Heidi; Gatto, Andrew; Fisher, Emily; Khalafalla, Farid G.
Abstract
The homelessness crisis continues to escalate nationwide, yet many healthcare providers are not adequately prepared to provide care for unhoused patients. An interprofessional elective was developed to address knowledge gaps. Thirty students participated (17 osteopathic medical, 5 pharmacy, 8 physician assistant/public health). Analysis of post-course reflections showed the course challenged biases, equipped students with new perspectives on specialized healthcare needs, and demonstrated interprofessional approaches. The Street Medicine elective provided a structured interprofessional curricular opportunity on specialized care for unhoused individuals.