Stanford Population Health Project

The Stanford School of Medicine inaugurated its Population Health Curriculum in 2006. Housed within the Practice of Medicine course, this program involves all first-year students and is coordinated through the Office of Community Health. The new curriculum provides students with background on the social and economic determinants of health, health disparities, and the unique physician role in addressing the community- and population-level factors impacting health.

An experiential component to the curriculum was incorporated by refining and folding in what was previously a stand-alone advocacy project requirement for first year students. The Population Health Projects, as they are now known, give students the opportunity to integrate and apply their understanding of health determinants and physician advocacy, and to contribute to addressing some of the most pressing health challenges faced by the local community.

2007-2008 Projects with Collective Roots

1. Food system mapping (based on community-based action research): Students and community members will produce an interactive online Food System (GIS based) map based on community based action research. The food system map will be linked to online community forums, and other online advocacy tools including a petition, community food system newsletter, food system action alerts, and e-letters to elected officials.

2. Food system advocacy: The focus of these advocacy efforts will be two-fold: establish a community-based Certified Farmers’ Market by Spring of 2008 (sponsored by Collective Roots), and secure a commitment to bring a supermarket to EPA by the end of 2008.

3. Food system change: A goal of this project will be to tap these strengths and capacities by engaging students and families in a ground up organizing effort to transform the food system in EPA. These efforts will focus on two key solutions: development of a Certified Farmers’ Market by Spring 2008, and securing a commitment to bring a full scale supermarket to EPA by the end of 2008.

Faculty Consultant

The role of the Faculty Consultant is to help evaluate student assignments, support students with additional resources, and help students troubleshoot and brainstorm ideas. The faculty consultant for this group is LaVera Crawley, MD, MPH

For more information about Dr. Crawley (click here).

2008 Team Members (Awarded one of top three "Outstanding Population Health Projects")
Amanda Brosius Lutz
David Craig
Patricia Foo
Mariko Howe
Grace Huynh
Anna Lonyai
Liam MacLeod
Michael Sundberg

Click here to see the 2008 Team Poster Presentation.