“At the Center for Patient Partnerships, they encourage and practice collaboration, problem solving, and work that centers the individuals impacted by the health care system. We learn to balance self-driven learning and tasks with learning when to reach out to others who have a different area of study or expertise for answers or options.”
– Wendy B., Law Student, JD expected 2025
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Experiential Learning for Graduate Students
Graduate students from multiple disciplines assist people diagnosed with life changing health events as they navigate multiple complex systems of care and services.
Students typically come from law, medicine, the MPH (master of public health) program, pharmacy, social work, genetic counseling, and other graduate programs. For more information, you can reach us at learning@cpp.wisc.edu.
Learn more about the Health Justice Clinic Experience
Graduate Certificate Program
The Center’s Health Advocacy Certificate Program educates a diverse group of graduate and professional students interested in health advocacy. The 12-credit program is an innovative, experiential, interprofessional advocacy training experience for graduate students from across campus.
Learn more about the Health Advocacy Certificate Program. Or, to get started with an advising session, please send us an email (learning@cpp.wisc.edu) or call 608 263-7736.
Medical-Legal Partnership for Law Students
The medical-legal partnership is a pro bono clinic in which Law students learn to advocate with primary care patients who need legal assistance to address health-harming social needs.
Learn more about the Medical-Legal Partnership
LIFT Wisconsin: Pro Bono Law Student Opportunity
LIFT Wisconsin provides legal services at community-based pop-up legal clinics. LIFT Wisconsin helps people restore suspended driver’s licenses, assists people with identifying other legal problems they may have, and refers people to further legal services and employment support. Students are supervised by clinical faculty at the Center for Patient Partnerships and the Neighborhood Law Clinic, as well as staff attorneys at community-based partner organizations.
- Approximate hours of work requested: Students are asked to commit to at least 9 hours over the semester, which would be a 3-hour training, plus volunteering at 2 clinics.
- Location: Pop up clinics are from 3-6pm on Thursdays once a month in Jefferson County.
- Training: All volunteers must complete a three-hour training on reinstating driver’s licenses. Additional training will be provided as new modules are rolled out.
- Transportation: A vehicle is required to travel to Jefferson County. Carpooling will also be coordinated.
- Desired course or clinic experience: No specific course or clinic experience required. Training will be provided. Complete the required Canvas training course prior to beginning training for this opportunity. All levels (1L-3L) welcome.
- To participate: Contact attorney Sachin Gupte for more information.
“My experience at the Center has already had a huge impact on how I talk and think. I listen much better than I used to; I ask questions I never would’ve before. I feel much more confident talking about illness and cancer and death than I used to. All useful skills in any walk of life. My experience here has influenced my decision to look for opportunities to work with underserved people within my own community.”
– Health Advocacy Certificate Student
Complete Graduate Course Listing
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Health Justice Clinic
This experiential, interprofessional course* (Law 768) has students work directly with patients facing life-changing health events as they navigate the healthcare, benefits, and insurance systems.
Learn more about the Health Justice Clinic Experience
*formerly called the “Patient-Centered Care and Health Advocacy Clinical”
From Patient to Policy: Models of System-Level Advocacy
This seminar (Law 940) is designed to build on the patient advocacy clinical experience by (1) deepening understanding of the systemic causes of problems consumers experience with health and health care in the U.S. and remedial opportunities; (2) examining key elements of, and challenges/opportunities in, the advocacy field; and (3) strengthening identity and capacity as an advocate – with particular emphasis on system-level strategies.
The course introduces theories of change, themes, roles, and strategies of system-level advocacy; highlights the opportunities and limitations of patients in the policy domain; explores the role of advocacy groups; and critically examines advocacy in the legislative, regulatory, community, and organizational arenas.
Advocating for Populations: Partnering to Improve Community Health
This two week, interactive, e-learning seminar (Med-Sc 941) is designed to equip future health care providers with tools to improve community health in three ways: (1) by deepening your exploration of determinants of health and the systemic causes of problems consumers experience with health and healthcare in the U.S.; (2) by introducing you to a range of strategies for creating productive change with and on behalf of groups of patients; and (3) by strengthening your ability to see the connections between the experiences of individual patients and the organizational, political, social, and economic structures that influence the experiences of all patients. We will introduce theories of change and strategies relevant to system level advocacy; highlight opportunities for and limitations faced by patients in the policy domain; explore the role of advocacy groups; and critically examine advocacy opportunities for health care providers in the legislative, regulatory, community, and organizational arenas.
Further, students will enhance their ability to form key partnerships and work effectively with a broad range of other actors central to improving health and health systems. This online course utilizes discussion forums, collaborative documents, and multimedia sources. Assignments will include reflective pieces and short papers. Community forum participation will factor significantly into the final grade.
(Med-Sc 941 – online course; offered for medical, occupational and physical therapy, and genetic counseling students: 2 credits)
Advocating for Patients: Getting the Right Care at the Right Time
This four week, interactive, e-learning seminar (Med-Sc 940) is designed to provide an overview of the complexities of the U.S. healthcare system, as experienced by the patients and the healthcare providers caring for them. It will also build your capacity for advocacy in clinical settings by exploring strategies for addressing barriers and inequities, and for harnessing system resources and building on community assets. Study of public and private insurance, medical billing, employment issues, and disability will provide future healthcare providers with a comprehensive view of the myriad of challenges patients face as they navigate illness and healthcare – and concrete tools to address these issues that often hinder health improvement for individuals and populations. Each topical module will conclude with a guided reflection where students envision prevention and response strategies, resources, the provider’s role, and the roles of other key stakeholders. This online course utilizes discussion forums, collaborative documents, and multimedia sources. Assignments will include reflective pieces and short papers. Community forum participation will factor significantly into the final grade.
(Med-Sc 940 – online course; offered for medical, occupational and physical therapy, and genetic counseling students: 2 credits)
Directed Research Project or Paper/ Upper Level Writing
In our Directed Research (Law 990) option, students work with a faculty mentor on a self-directed project or paper from conception to completion. Past projects have included an analysis of bad faith insurance claims under ERISA, AI in health care (including patient privacy issues, ethics, liability, and reimbursement), an exploration of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in practice, and Hospital practices regarding medicare reimbursement limits
(Law 990: Directed Research–on campus; combination (on campus & online); or online)
Other Information
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Technology Requirements for Students
Hardware and Software Requirements:
- Operating System
- Windows: Windows 10 or higher
- Mac: Mac OS X (10.12 or higher)
- Internet
- You will need sufficient internet bandwidth/speed to complete all tasks required in our courses. For the Applied Advocacy Experience, this includes activities such as frequent video conferencing and telephone calls via your computer.
- Video & Sound
- Headset with microphone (REQUIRED)
- Webcam (REQUIRED)
- Browser
- Firefox (latest version)
- Chrome (latest version)
- Safari (latest version)
- Check to see what browser you are using now and if you need to update it at www.whatbrowser.org.
- Programs & Plugins
- Java (free)
- Adobe Reader (free) or Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Flash Player (free)
- E-Mail
- You must have the ability to send and receive e-mail from your computer
Contact us at learning@patientpartnerships.org if you have specific questions about the above requirements.