Introduction
Welcome to the Urban Health Program, UIC’s leading effort to increase representation in the health sciences.
The University of Illinois Chicago Urban Health Program (UHP) is a pathway program within the university’s healthcare enterprise, UI Health, established to recruit, retain and graduate students from economically and educationally disadvantaged communities in the healthcare system. Increasing the presence of healthcare professionals who reflect the communities we serve, whether teaching, researching or practicing, is a hallmark of the program’s mission which aligns with the University’s own values of access, excellence and service.
Message From a UHP Graduate
When I first started the Early Outreach Program in 4th grade, I had no idea just how impactful the program would be for my future. At the time, math and science were not my strongest subjects, but EOP changed that. The program helped me build confidence and sparked a genuine interest in the health sciences. Through countless presentations and lab visits with doctors and researchers who looked like me, I began to visualize myself in those roles; that representation was powerful. EOP carried me through every stage, from 4th grade til 12th grade-9 full years. It guided me into UIC’s undergraduate research programs, through graduate school where I earned a dual Masters of Public Health and Masters of Social Work, and now into my career as a Research Specialist at the Cancer Center at UIC. Talk about full circle. I am forever grateful to EOP for its foundational role in my development.