Implementation of a Longitudinal Rural, Interprofessional Community-Oriented Primary Care Project (COPC) Curriculum (1997-2023)

Background The Community Oriented Primary Care Project Model (COPC) has been well studied globally as well as in the United States as a way to provide both community-centered primary care and to engage in community based research. For three decades, medical student trainees through the University of Illinois College Of Medicine Rural Medical Education Program (RMED) and Rural Pharmacy Education Program (RPHARM) students through the University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy have participated in a COPC project as a capstone to a four month longitudinal, immersive community-based experience in a rural primary care setting. RMED students begin working with a dedicated faculty advisor and engage in a full research project plan starting in their M3 year for implementation in their 4th year. The purpose of this study was to identify the themes of presentations related to COPC from the graduating classes 1997–2023. Methods A research team reviewed projects on 30 elements; including topic and demographics. Patterns in COPC topics and rurality of the location in which the COPC project were also examined by using 2021 U.S. Census Bureau population data and Rural Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Code. Results COPC projects were categorized into 31 main topic areas with mental health being the most prevalent topic area covered by projects (n = 67, 15.7%) followed by 43 (10.1%) projects that focused on nutrition/exercise, and 41 (9.6%) focused on substance use (presented as a separate category from mental health in this analysis). Conclusions Project themes have addressed priority health issues in rural communities for over 30 years. Past COPC projects have also been implemented in highly rural areas where research is not often conducted. Students who have participated in the COPC research process are required to present their work at a peer-reviewed Research Day as well as provide results back to the community and stakeholders to support dissemination of results and provide recommendations for policy or program development. The COPC research process can be easily replicated in other trainee models such as to fulfill ACGME requirements of scholarly activity and can provide a template for trainees of this model to implement community-engaged research in the future.