The three Panther Communities (PCs) signature programs give medical students the opportunity to apply newly acquired skills through a variety of events and activities beyond the classroom. These experiences support curricular learning objectives, promote interprofessional networking, foster leadership development, and offer opportunities to serve Miami-Dade’s communities with limited access to medical care in collaboration with the NeighborhoodHELP© program.
In conjunction with the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine’s Mission Statement, the purpose of the MedLEAD Program is to provide a platform for medical students to obtain the necessary skills and experiences to lead, inspire a vision, and transform the ever-evolving healthcare system. The program offers peer-to-peer mentoring from day one, giving students a chance to connect with upperclassmen for support and guidance. The PC MedLEAD Program serves as a means to address the needs of our medical students to gain the necessary leadership and mentorship skills required to be the type of physician the College of Medicine aims to graduate.
Contact: Ariana Antunez, aantunez@fiu.edu
The PC Community Service Learning program provides medical students the opportunity to develop an understanding of the sociocultural components of health through service-learning initiatives within NeighborhoodHELP® partnered neighborhoods.
Contact: Dorian Gomez, dorgomez@fiu.edu
The PC Culinary Medicine Program will provides medical students the opportunity to enhance their academic experience in the context of addressing social determinants of health through enhancing the awareness of nutrition and food in underserved communities.
Contact: Ariana Antunez, aantunez@fiu.edu
