Emergency Medicine Healthcare  Disparities  Externship

PictureCORTLYN BROWN, MD VICE DIRECTOR
Thank you for your interest in our Healthcare Disparities in Emergency Medicine externship at Carolinas Medical Center (CMC). We recognize the importance of having a diverse workforce in medicine that reflects the patient population we serve, provides culturally sensitive care, and is passionate about fighting healthcare disparities. As such, we created this externship for fourth year medical school students who are underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and/or interested in learning about social determinants of health and healthcare disparities. We subscribe to a broad definition of URiM that includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and immigration status.
 
ROTATION INFORMATION:
 
On the rotation students will
  • Receive a SLOE,
  • Function as an intern under direct attending supervision and treat diverse patients in our busy level 1 trauma adult and pediatric EDs,
  • Complete a healthcare disparities project of their choice with guidance from our passionate faculty,
  • Complete self-directed online modules which include everything from research articles, blogs/podcasts, to art pieces on core social emergency medicine topics such as how to be an upstander, human trafficking, jail health, as well as information on how to care for specific patient populations such as those with limited English proficiency or those from the LGBTQ+ community,
  • Visit community resources and learn about food and housing insecurity as well as treatment options for mental health and substance use disorders,
  • Have experiential learning opportunities where they will spend several hours with one of the following groups based on their interests (Chaplain, Human Trafficking EM Advocacy Team, Domestic Violence Healthcare Project, Project SEED, Hospital Based Violence Intervention Program).

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES PROJECT:
A main aspect of this rotation is the self-directed learning project. The student will propose their project to Dr. Cortlyn Brown at the end of the first week and once approval is obtained, will proceed. The only requirements are that it has to be focused on healthcare disparities and that the student must give a 10–15-minute presentation at the end of their rotation. This presentation will occur after residency conference and be open to faculty and trainees. Some past projects have included spreading awareness policies related to medical amnesty, the creation of a guide for opioid use disorder treatment options in the greater Charlotte region, and the creation of discharge instructions to help patients find transportation options for primary care visits.
​FUNDING FOR THE ROTATION:
All students (regardless of home institution) who apply, are accepted, and participate in the elective will receive a stipend which will be allocated as such:
  • Students whose primary living address is between 0-100 miles from our main site (please see address below) will receive a $500 stipend to help defray the cost of gas/transportation and housing relocation.
  • Students whose primary living address is greater than or equal to 100 miles from our main site (please see address below) will receive a $1,000 stipend to help defray the cost of gas/transportation, housing relocation, and a flight/train/bus to and from Charlotte.
HOW TO APPLY:
Please submit your application through VSAS (4EMED14).
Wake Forest students please see your course catalogue for application instructions.
 
*** URiM students interested in a rotation with a broader focus than solely on healthcare disparities- We also offer a limited number of scholarships are also available to students completing our acting internship (AI) in EM (4AIM361 on VLSO). These funds require a separate application and are meant to offset the cost of travel and housing for the AI. More information about the AI scholarship is available at the Wake Forest School of Medicine Visiting Students Page (https://school.wakehealth.edu/education-and-training/md-program/visiting-medical-students).
 
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Thanks again for your inquiry into our Healthcare Disparities in Emergency Medicine externship at CMC and good luck with your fourth year!

Cortlyn Brown, MD
Pronouns: she, her, hers
​Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center- Main
1000 Blythe Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28203
United States
 

Contact  Information

Cortlyn Brown, MD
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Vice Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Department of Emergency Medicine
cortlyn.brown@atriumhealth.org ​

Claudette Batton
Medical Education Coordinator
claudette.batton@atriumhealth.org
Phone - 704.355.5300
Fax - 704.355.8356

Department of Emergency Medicine
Carolinas Medical Center
P.O. Box 32861
Charlotte, NC 28232-2861
Fax: 704.355.8356