Leadership, Advocacy, Community Engagement Summer (LACES) Med Student Summer Program

*Last edited on January 28, 2026*

 
Purpose
Students participating in this summer program will receive training focused on best practices for effective community engagement and participate in direct community health work. Student trainings will be led by a team of UCSF faculty, including Drs. Alicia Fernandez, Anda Kuo, Raul Gutierrez, and Amy Beck, among others. Students will engage in mentoring sessions with faculty and attend weekly instructional sessions devoted to addressing issues of health equity, community engagement, cultural humility, and leadership. The remaining time will be spent working on the ground with different community-based organizations (CBOs) that work with the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF). The goal of this project is to integrate health programming into youth summer opportunities in partnership with CBOs by developing and leading health-focused training and educational initiatives to CBOs serving San Francisco’s most marginalized children and families. *Please note this opportunity does not involve direct clinical care.
Details

Must be an upcoming SF State senior or recent graduate, first or second-year UCSF medical student. JMP, SJV-PRIME and UCSF PRIME first or second-year students are all eligible for participation.

Program Dates/Time Commitment:

Students should expect to be on-site at CBOs across San Francisco for a total of 20 hours per week from late June – early August (depending on med student schedule) and attend one instructional session per week. Hours not spent on-site are reserved for planning and development, some of which will be done in partnership with faculty leads. Participation in this program is contingent on the student's ability to participate in person in San Francisco for the entirety of the 8-week program.

Requirements

Participant Duties:
1. Attend and actively participate in weekly instructional sessions on health equity through cultural humility and effective community engagement.
2. Develop and maintain strong partnerships with CBO leadership and staff.
3. Assist in the development and implementation of health-focused trainings for staff, children, and families with CBOs.
4. Serve as a care navigator, connecting children and families to health and other social needs resources.
5. Provide a written evaluation of student summer experience and areas for improvement.

Training Sessions:

Participants will be required to attend one two-hour evening training session (likely to be Wednesdays) per week from June – August.

Application Information:

  • Applications open on February 2nd and close on March 2nd at 11:59 PM.
  • Notifications for accepted applicants will be sent out by early April.

Eligibility: SOM

Award: $5,000

Funding Type: Summer Explore

Length: 8 weeks

Location: UCSF & CBOs

Contact: [email protected] or [email protected] 

 

 

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The LACES program is open to all students who are interested in working with medically, economically, or educationally disadvantaged populations. If you believe that you can benefit from this program, please consider applying. All are welcome to apply, and LACES does not use race, gender, sex, or other protected categories or proxies for protected categories in the selection process.