Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC)
The Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) Program is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Community Oriented Primary Care Endowment (Award #5S21MD001102 03). The program is dedicated to advancing health equity through education, research, and community engagement.
Program Goals
The COPC Program aims to:
- Expand representation of students from underrepresented minority and disadvantaged backgrounds in health professions through academic support and scholarships.
- Increase student engagement in public health and health disparities research by offering meaningful, hands on learning experiences.
Program Components and Areas of Emphasis
COPC offers a range of initiatives designed to promote academic success, research involvement, and interprofessional learning:
- Summer Public Health Research Program
- A structured research experience connecting students with faculty mentors to explore health disparities and public health issues.
- Longitudinal Community Health Research Program
- An extended research opportunity that immerses students in community based projects addressing real-world health challenges.
- Common Ground: Interprofessional Forum on Health Disparities
- A collaborative platform that brings together learners and professionals across disciplines to discuss, analyze, and address health inequities.
- Tutoring Services for Medical Students
- One on one academic support to promote strong performance and retention throughout medical training.
- Scholarship Program
- Financial support for eligible students committed to advancing health equity and serving diverse communities.
- Financial support for eligible students committed to advancing health equity and serving diverse communities.
Contact
Phebe Mercado Jungman, MBA
Assistant Director of Programs and Operations
Multicultural and Community Affairs (MACA)
402.280.3925 | COPC@creighton.edu
Common Ground: Interprofessional Forum on Health Disparities
Since 2004, Common Ground has facilitated the education of a weekly average of 40 student, staff, faculty and community attendees in the areas of health disparities and community programming.
Common Ground is a weekly interprofessional forum sponsored by Health Sciences - Multicultural and Community Affairs through its Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) Program. In Common Ground, all health sciences students can learn the principles of health disparities and health equity from health professionals, researchers and community partners.
Common Ground is a multicultural and interprofessional forum that promotes integrated academic and professional relationships among students and faculty, making it an ideal context in which to discuss health disparities. The goal is to have students understand health disparities as an integral part of the practice of medicine for all professionals.
Location: All Common Ground sessions are hosted on Zoom
Time: Fridays, 12-1 p.m. CST
Schedule: Common Ground Spring 2026 Schedule
M1 Summer COPC Research For Medical Students
Research in public health is funded for medical students as part of the National Institutes of Health Community Oriented Primary Care Endowment. Students work with faculty mentors or public health specialists who provide structure and oversee the respective research projects.
The purpose is to increase student involvement in COPC public health research, with emphasis on addressing health disparities among medically underserved populations. Students are encouraged to consider research projects with faculty mentors who have health disparities research synopses available. However, projects developed with other faculty mentors within the Creighton University School of Medicine, and/or other public health specialists are also welcome.
Summer Research Assistantships can be conducted in any part of the United States and in the world. In the past, research has been conducted at (and in collaboration with): Harvard Medical School, University of Chicago, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, International Organization for Migration – Migrant Health Division (Switzerland), Colorado School of Public Health, North Hawai’i Health Care Group, and Tibetan monastic community in Dharamsala, India.
Program Details
Dates
Eight weeks between June and August actively engaged in the research project.
Research Plan
A research plan is due at the time of application, including the following sections:
- Hypothesis and Specific Aims
- Background and Significance
- Experimental Design and Methods
- Literature Cited
Letter of Recommendation
A letter of recommendation will be needed from your research mentor, due at the time of application.
Research Paper
Within four weeks of completion of the program, a research paper is due consisting of:
- Introduction
- Background
- Methodology
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
Common Ground
Students will present their papers at the Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) Common Ground during the fall or spring academic semester.
M4 Longitudinal Community Research Elective
FAP-481 Longitudinal COPC Public Health Endowed Research is an elective course open to any students who have existing public health research over the course of prior years (M2, M3). Students take this elective to conclude their research, create and revise drafts of their manuscripts, and submit them for publication at a medical journal. In addition to working closely with their research mentors, students will also receive guidance and support from Dr. Sade Kosoko-Lasaki and Dr. Laeth Nasir. Both are directors of this course.
Students are expected to conduct necessary statistical work, logistical work, research and writing to ensure completion of project within the time frame of the elective course.
This course is also open to any students who are furthering their research projects from having participated in the COPC Research Assistantship during the summer between their M1 and M2 years.
Participation in this course or any M4 Health Disparities Elective classes will fulfill the requirement for receiving a COPC Scholarship.
COPC Scholarship Program
The Creighton University Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) Research Program’s mission is to increase the number of health professionals who are committed to addressing health disparities through their research and service in medically underserved communities.
The COPC Endowed Fund program provides scholarship to Creighton University medical students who look to address national goals of reducing health disparities through research and state-wide goals to strengthen and transform public health in Nebraska. Students participate in health disparities research during their tenure at Creighton University School of Medicine, present research at a Common Ground student forum, and complete a two-week health disparities elective.
Any Creighton University School of Medicine M2 and M3 students are eligible to apply for this scholarship. Students who are of underrepresented minority (URM) or other disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Application for the scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year is now closed.
M4 Health Disparities Elective Classes
IDC-482 Minority Health Disparities: Issues and Strategies and IDC-485 LGBTQIA Health Disparities: Issues and Strategies are both elective courses that are directed by the Associate Vice Provost of Health Sciences, Dr. Sade Kosoko-Lasaki. These courses, while not funded by the COPC grant, are central to supporting the mission of increasing education in health disparities and cultural competency.
M4 students who participate in these courses conduct independent study and research on a selected health disparity topic approved by Dr. Kosoko-Lasaki (and Dr. Michael Greene in IDC-485). In addition to literature review, students are expected to interact with patients or practitioners who encounter the health disparity studied. This research-based course culminates in an academic research paper and a short formal presentation of research findings.
Participation in any of these classes or the M4 Longitudinal Community Research Elective will fulfill the requirement for receiving a COPC Scholarship.
