The Social Emergency Medicine Clinical Scholars Training Program is a two-year longitudinal curriculum program designed for Emergency Medicine residents at the University of Kansas Medical Center. This program equips physicians with the knowledge, skills and experiences to understand and address how social, structural and historical determinants shape health outcomes,especially in acute and emergency care settings.

The training program seeks to educate, engage and empower future emergency physicians to lead change at the intersection of clinical care and community health. The program addresses the urgent need for emergency physicians who  deliver lifesaving care and also advocate for systemic change to eliminate disparities across populations disproportionately burdened by social disadvantage.

About the Program

Mission

To train and empower Emergency Medicine residents to lead with equity, compassion and systemic awareness, advancing justice-driven, patient-centered solutions in emergency care through scholarship, policy and partnership with community stakeholders.

Scholar Expectations

By the end of this course, scholars will be able to:

1. Identify and address structural and social determinants of health through Emergency Medicine.
2. Conduct equity-driven clinical practices focused on community-identified disparities (e.g., mental health, housing instability, maternal morbidity, chronic disease access).
3. Collaborate with mentors and community partners to co-develop a project responsive to community needs.
4. Engage in local and national policy discussions impacting social medicine and emergency care.
5. Disseminate research findings through formal presentations at the Heartland Conference and peer-reviewed or community-accessible publications.
6. Support the Kansas Birth Equity Network research and evaluation activities.
7. To engage and empower providers to create and sustain inclusive, accessible, and equitable maternal care.

Reasonable accommodations will be made for Social Emergency Medicine Scholars to complete all activities.

Program Leadership

Application Information

The application is currently open and will close on Friday, June 19, 2026.

APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM

Questions?

For more information, please contact Claire Metcalf at cmetcalf@kumc.edu