Community public health institute

The Community Public Health Institute (CPHI) is the longest running-institute sponsored by the American Medical Student Association.  Its mission is to foster health justice activism in our nation’s communities.  This year, the CPHI is focusing on Chronic Public Health Issues, "the mind and the body” highlighting specific issues in mental health and obesity tied to the chronic disease processes.  The institute itself is organized over a six-month period, involving an application process, organizing logistics and programming, as well as finances and budgeting.  The programming is divided into two components. The first is to learn and understand the prevalence and burden of disease and the social, cultural and economic issues on a local and global level.  The second is focused on applying this knowledge to health policy initiatives and on experiential learning about public health frameworks (e.g., visiting various public health institutions).  Some examples of programming include the AMSA tool kit workshop which helps organize and structure individual project initiatives.  There will be discussions on the current issues of the cultural taboo of mental health and how to help bring an awareness about mental health as a relevant disease state to the general population.  Speakers will address the obesity epidemic in the younger population and possible solutions.  This year a unique opportunity is being provided for an IFMSA Standing Committee on Public Health member to be part of the institute, opening up CPHI to a global platform.  The institute provides a distinctive opportunity to innovatively apply public health issues and concepts to the practice and lives of medical students. As an institute run by students for students, it is a focused initiative to motivate and provide encouragement, learning objectives and resources to understand more about the importance of public health and how to apply that knowledge.