Annual year 2025 – 2026 was our inaugural cohort for the Primary Care Scholars Program (PCP Scholars). Our inaugural cohort was comprised of 30 Scholars (15 M1s, 12 M2s and 3 M3s). While they were the initial cohort, our PCP Scholars accomplished a lot throughout their time as PCP Scholars and will continue to make an impact in the healthcare community.
- PCP Scholar Awards – View the award winners of our inaugural cohort on the PCP Scholar Champion section and Distinguished Scholar Awards section below.
- PCP Scholar Program Milestones – Check out the PCP Scholar Program Outcomes section, featuring program components, highlights and outcome data from our 1st Cohort of PCP Scholars. Discover all the PCP Scholars’ creative and impactful primary care projects in the PCP Scholarly Project section.
- PCP Scholar Graduation Highlights – Go through pictures from the graduation ceremony for our PCP Scholars in this section.
- Featured PCP Scholar Accomplishments – Explore the achievements of our PCP Scholars post-graduation, in the Leadership section and Scholarship section on this page.
“This is one of the most unique and life-changing experiences I have ever had. This has fundamentally shifted the way I view primary care and has inspired me to continue working towards a career in primary care. The learning opportunities are invaluable, and there is a wealth of volunteer activities, mentorship, and skill development that I would not trade for anything.“
“The program had no negative effects whatsoever. The positive effects were that we were discussing topics not covered in the regular curriculum that are arguably way more important for practicing medicine in real life than anything the regular curriculum has to offer.“
“I am very influenced towards becoming a primary care physician. I feel more confident in primary care as an option for me in life. I also feel more calm and confident that I can match into a specialty that I will truly enjoy since primary care has opened my eyes and become an option. I am more excited about the opportunities I can have and the physician that I can be through primary care that I never knew about before. I am very appreciative for this program for opening my eyes to the options that I have. I am looking into family medicine with integrative medicine fellowship as well as ultrasound fellowship.”
“I think the education workshops especially those focused on the types of jobs primary care providers can have were something I had not been exposed to before. Additionally the simulations that we had were very different than the simulations we have as a part of our curriculum (in PCSP we had more time to ask questions, more time for hands on practice, and more guidance; often the simulations in the curriculum feel more like an assessment and the simulations in PCSP felt like a chance to learn).”
“[PCP Scholars] made me realize the privilege it is to be a physician and how important our role is in primary care.”
PCP Scholar Awards
PCP Scholar Champions were the top participants in their class. PCP Scholar Champions are recognized for going above and beyond through outstanding engagement, leadership and service.
Primary Care Scholars Program Health Policy Panel
Rajib Chowdhury & Allison Regan
Scholarly Project Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JySLKEr2TI
Development and Pilot Dissemination of a Postpartum Education Resource for Community-Based Preventative Care
Vanessa Rodriquez & Sarah Harold
Scholarly Project Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpgwqgdfPXo
Wound Care Toolkit for Primary Care Scholars Volunteering in Underserved Medical Settings
Paxton Guerin, Anna Borbely, & Conrad Yee
Scholarly Project Presentation: https://youtu.be/_Kl8LNdhp6w
PCP Scholar Program Milestones
Curriculum Activities:
Underserved Care Activities:
Clinical Training Activities:
- Educational workshops
- Hands on Culinary Medicine
- Simulations & skills-based training
- Mentoring activities
- Scholarly work
- Uninsured
- People with disabilities
- Unhoused
- Adolescent pregnant women
- Mentoring in
- Family Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Pediatrics
Curriculum Outcomes:
Underserved Care Outcomes:
Clinical Training Outcomes:
- 1,850 cumulative hours
- Primary care and underserved care skills
- Career opportunities in primary care
- Financial aid, scholarships, and loan repayment opportunities
- Advocacy and leadership
- 13 Scholarly Projects
- 5 Educational Workshops
- 4 Mentoring Workshops
- 4 Simulations
- Florida Man Simulation Video, https://youtu.be/wK015wYE4Xw
- 400 cumulative hours
- Camp Boggy Creek
- Chapman Clinic
- Christian Service Center
- Community Wellness Events
- Knights Clinic
- LNHS Steam Event
- UCF Mobile Clinic
- Shield Clinic
- Special Olympics
- runDisney event
- Saint Thomas Aquinas Clinic
- The Center Orlando
- Rothman Sports Medicine
- And more …
- 575 cumulative hours
- 26 primary care mentors
- Family Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Pediatric Medicine
- 8 clinics
- Mentor website: https://med.ucf.edu/academics/md-program/primary-care-scholars-program/primary-care-mentors/
Students reported a “great deal” of Increased Interest in Primary Care.
Students reported a “quite a bit / moderate” of Increased Interest in Primary Care.
Students reported a “minimal” Increased Interest in Primary Care.
Students reported an enhanced sense of professional identity as a future physician.
Scholarly Projects are listed in alphabetical order by citation.
Click on the Scholarly Project Citation to view the:
Student Video Presentation
Project Website
Ahmad, S. Transportation Barriers to UCF COM Student-Run Clinics: Literature Review and Intervention Design. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL.
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Ahmad. for additional resources related to the project.
Bansal, S., Patel, J., Ram, A., Bimal, S. Health Employment Opportunities for Orlando Unhoused Youth. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL.
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Bansal, Patel, Ram, & Bimal. for additional resources related to the project.
Bhatt, K., Nguyen, R., Veerapaneni, R. Evidence-Based Advocacy for Unhoused Individuals in Extreme Heat. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL.
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Bhatt, Nguyen, & Veerapaneni. for additional resources related to the project.
Chowdhury, R., Regan, A. Primary Care Scholars Program Health Policy Panel. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL. [Distinguished Scholar Award]
Distinguished Scholar Award for Leadership in Policy & Advocacy
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Chowdhury & Regan. for additional resources related to the project.
Guerin, P., Borbely, A., Yee, C. Wound Care Toolkit for Primary Care Scholars Volunteering in Underserved Medical Settings. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL. [Distinguished Scholar Award]
Distinguished Scholar Award for Leadership in Underserved Care
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Guerin, Borbely, & Yee. for additional resources related to the project.
Harold, S., Rodriguez, V. Development & Pilot Dissemination of a Postpartum Education Resource for Community-Based Preventative Care. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL. [Distinguished Scholar Award]
Distinguished Scholar Award for Leadership in Primary Care
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Harold & Rodriguez. for additional resources related to the project.
Pictures related to the Scholarly Project:
Kelley, N. Teaching Preventative Health Through Play: A Teddy Bear Clinic Outreach Program for Preschool Children. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL.
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Kelley. for additional resources related to the project.
Pictures related to the Scholarly Project:
Khan, S., Sachs, C., Hershman, M. Student-Led Volunteer Organization for the Special Olympics. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL.
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Khan, Sachs, & Hershman., for additional resources related to the project.
Loka, N., Sherwin, N., Pedicone, M. Food insecurity and clinical care: Developing a community-based food recovery and distribution model for underserved patients. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL.
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Loka, Sherwin, & Pedicone., for additional resources related to the project.
Mago, J., Futuro de Lima, I. Knight of Wellness: Beyond Lake Nona. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL.
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Mago & Futuro de Lima. for additional resources related to the project.
Murray, G., Warner, K., Tammaro, A., Jean-Louise, A. Student-Led Initiative to Strengthen Global Health Service at UCF COM. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL.
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Murray, Warner, Tammaro, & Jean-Louise. for additional resources related to the project.
Pride, N. Movement as Medicine: A Low-Cost Intervention to Promote Health & Prevent Chronic Disease in Underserved Adults. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL.
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Pride. for additional resources related to the project.
Runnells, H., Khan, S., Sachs, S. Bridging the Gap: Expanding Sports Medicine Exposure in Early Medical Training. UCF PCP Scholars; March 27, 2025; Orlando, FL.
Student Project Presentation:
Visit the Project Website: Runnells, Khan, & Sachs. for additional resources related to the project.
PCP Scholar Graduation
More Graduation Photos
Featured PCP Scholar Accomplishments
Leadership
- Sarah Harold
- Space Council Student Representative, 2026-27
Scholarship
- Paxton Guerin, Anna Borbely, Conrad Yee
- Wound care toolkit for primary care scholars volunteering in underserved medical settings. Poster presented at: MD Poster Symposium, Florida Medical Association; August 1, 2026; Orlando, FL.
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This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under grant number 6 T99HP55167‐01‐01of the Value-Based Medical Student Education Training Program for $2,600,000. This information or content and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.