| Summary: | Abstract Introduction The purpose of this yearlong elective course is to educate first- or second-year medical students about the cultural and environmental factors influencing the health status of diverse groups, especially underserved and vulnerable populations, and to help students develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge base to effectively and efficiently care for those individuals. The course has been supported in part by the American Medical Student Association and the Promoting, Reinforcing, and Improving Medical Education (PRIME) project. Methods Running for an academic year, the course is composed of twenty 2-hour sessions. Objectives for each session are structured around the PRIME core competencies. Results Student satisfaction data are included. In addition, students completed a pre/post assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and skills. All students improved significantly on all 16 assessment items. Discussion Although the activities and materials included in the course were designed for a 1-year elective program, they can be easily integrated into existing required curricula. The sessions, if used as a group, work better as a monthlong elective.
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