The Urban Medicine (UMed) Program at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago had a lot to celebrate. Not only did 98% of the graduating class Match, but half will remain in Illinois.

Match Day is the annual event where graduating medical students learn where they will begin their careers. Twelve graduates matched into primary care specialties, and 2 will pursue psychiatry and anesthesiology.

Following a beautiful and successful Match Day, students came together to take a deep dive into the world of policy and advocacy at the Annual UMed Policy and Advocacy Forum.

The Forum is designed unlike any other conference in that it pairs deep internal and group reflection and discussion with practical workshops and seminars to prepare student teams to create an advocacy brief and deliver an end of week advocacy campaign speech.

Dr. Gloria Elam, director of University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago’s Urban Health Program, and Dr. Joanna Michel, director of the Urban Medicine Program.

Speeches ranged in topic, including creating an ACEs awareness day, environmental justice and sustainability in North Lawndale, and implementation of a Restorative Justice Community Court in Auburn Gresham to address recidivism.

Dr. Gloria Elam, director of University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago’s Urban Health Program, and Dr. Joanna Michel, director of the Urban Medicine Program, both addressed the gathering.

Feedback and reflections from students regarding the week included these remarks:

“I felt more connected to my UMed cohort than I have been in all of the 4 years that I have known them.”

Participants at the UMed Program 2024 Policy and Advocacy Forum.

“Each presentation offered valuable insights into different aspects of health care delivery and system dynamics, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of addressing health equity and policy change.”

“Stay connected to a group of people who want to change the world with you.”

“I really enjoyed this whole week. It was amazing coming together as a cohort. Speaking to the cohort at the end about what we loved and how it can improve was full circle for me because it showed just how much UMed meant to us all.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the 2024 UMed Forum, reconnecting with classmates, delving deeper into policy and advocacy, and being reinvigorated in my passion for serving the underserved. The sessions provided valuable tools for resident education and reinforced the importance of our work in health care.”

UMed Program 2024 graduates.

UMed, housed in the Chicago campus of the UIC College of Medicine, is a four-year curricular program that focuses on the social determinants of health and the needs of Chicago’s most underserved communities.

Learn more about UMed