Medical Campus Outreach (MCO) is a ministry that has exists to serve, disciple, and partner with healthcare students and professionals. For over 20 years, MCO has provided fellowship, mentoring, and service opportunities in the Philadelphia area and beyond.
Serve
MCO has its roots in service. What started as medical students from Georgia coming to Philadelphia to vaccinate children in North Philadelphia in 1992 has now blossomed into the three week Summer Medical Institute (SMI). During SMI, and our multiple year-round outreaches, students in healthcare come to Philadelphia from around the country to learn how to integrate faith and medical practice by providing blood pressure and blood sugar screenings. Recently, thanks to partnerships with podiatry programs and Esperanza Health Center’s HIV team, the SMI teams can offer podiatry screenings and HIV testing as well.
Disciple
Mentoring is another important aspect of MCO. Medical professionals throughout the city, in many disciplines and specialties, make themselves available for students in search of a mentor. Some students are looking to tap into a mentor’s experience on work/life balance; others seek to better understand how to integrate their faith and medicine in a particular field. Mentoring opportunities also take place organically as more established professionals pour time into students that take part in the various campus Bible studies at each medical school in the city and many area hospitals. We seek to promote one-on-one discipleship with students.
It is estimated that one out of every six physicians in the US trains in Philadelphia at some point in their career. That fact allows MCO to have an impact beyond the greater Philadelphia area, as medical professionals train here, meet mentors here, serve here, and move on, spreading what they have learned to other parts of the country and the world.
Partner
MCO facilitates fellowship among students and professionals at many events throughout the year. Twice a year, students from all the medical campuses gather for a time of fellowship, teaching, and worship at Intermed. MCO coordinates and assists in the planning and execution of the spring Intermed.
Another venue for fellowship is the monthly luncheons planned by MCO. On the first Sunday of each month, MCO hosts a speaker or speakers to discuss a topic that may be of interest to healthcare students and professionals. In the past year, speakers have included missionaries, heart surgeons, pastors, directors of crisis pregnancy centers, and many others. In addition to the speaker, these lunches allow students and professionals to gather together in a relaxed setting and make connections with one another. MCO luncheons aren’t just limited to medical professionals, however—all are welcome to attend and learn more about the ministry and people involved in Medical Campus Outreach.
Resources
We also offer many resources for students and professionals in healthcare through our physical library at Tenth Church and our Resource Library.
Please don't hesitate to email us with questions or for more information about our ministry.