For 50 years the UP Campus has provided students in their Late Clinical Experience, rural community sites to complete their third and fourth years of medical school. Clerkships take place in Marquette and in communities across the Upper Peninsula in hospitals and clinics. Living and working in these rural communities exposes our students to the needs of our underserved populations.
Established in 1974 as the “pioneer” of the Rural Physician Program under the Leadership in Rural Medicine Certificate Program, the UP Campus has a long history of preparing students to learn and to serve patients in rural communities. After completing the early and middle clinical experiences in either Grand Rapids or East Lansing, students relocate to one of the college’s community campuses to continue their training. The UP Campus is one of eight community campuses across the state including: Traverse City, Midland, Flint, Southeast Michigan, Detroit, Lansing, and Grand Rapids.
Affiliated with UP Health System – Marquette, students learn in a beautiful new facility with state-of-the-art equipment and dedicated volunteer clinical faculty. The 222-bed specialty care, teaching hospital with designated Level II Trauma Center, is the region’s main referral center and serves as the primary clinical training site for students.
UP Campus students most often live in locations within Marquette County. Wherever they are, the UP offers easy access to many natural outdoor amenities, recreational, and community events throughout the UP. Students take advantage of a wide range of annual local events providing opportunity for volunteering and getting involved with the community. Marquette is also home to Northern Michigan University which adds many cultural, theatrical, musical, and sporting events to attend.
The UP Campus is closely affiliated with the Marquette Family Medicine Residency Program and the Michigan State University Psychiatry Residency Program, Upper Peninsula Rural Track. The family medicine and psychiatry residents assist and instruct our students, providing resources, support, and mentorship.
As part of the Upper Peninsula Education Corporation, we support pre-medical education with shadowing opportunities to provide enriched experiences for qualified pre-med students. Our clinical experience liaison facilitates all learners who enter the hospital, collaborative with UPHS-Marquette.