Urban Health Program
Increasing Representation in the Health Sciences
The primary goal of the Urban Health Program (UHP) is to increase the representation of minority students in the health sciences and health professions. UHP provides programming, resources, and support for pre-health and health professional students who are dedicated to addressing persistent health disparities in minority populations and improving the quality and availability of healthcare in underserved urban areas.
The program represents more than forty years of partnerships and collaboration with program alumni, urban communities, and institutional partners in the Chicago metropolitan area and across the state. To date, UHP has graduated over 9,000 health professionals, and continues to engage and support students with innovative programs such as the Early Outreach Program and the Urban Health Club, which engages students from kindergarten through high school.
The health sciences at UIC have shown year-over-year increases in enrollment of underrepresented minorities, rising from 25.1% for Fall 2018 to 32.2% in Fall 2023.
A Quote from the UHP Director
Our program represents over 4-decades of partnerships and collaborations with urban communities, and institutional partners in the greater Chicago region and across the state. I have been fortunate to serve this program alongside a talented group of dedicated stakeholders, all of whom share the same goals to provide quality services and programs that promote academic enrichment to assure that our students receive the needed support to succeed and become the health professionals the communities we serve.