July 30, 2024

By August Ryan

Earlier this month, Drexel hosted Bridging the Gaps Community Health Internship Program participants at the Health Sciences Building in University City as part of their seven-week, paid summer internship experience. Bridging the Gaps helps health and social service professions students gain a broader understanding of the factors that affect health in underserved communities.

Bridging the Gaps is a collaboration among academic health institutions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and approximately 100 community organizations. Interns spend most of the week volunteering with the program’s nonprofit community partners.

In addition to their clinical experiences, Bridging the Gaps interns participate in interactive presentations and weekly discussions on topics related to health equity. At the Health Sciences Building, the health professions students engaged in a conversation with filmmaker André Robert Lee. Lee screened his documentary “The Road to Justice,” which highlights the history of racial injustice in America and asks how communities can move forward.