T. Cavalieri 1 , K. Welding 1 , J. Ciesielski 1 , J. Kaiser-smith 1 , H. Dombrowski 1 ; 1 University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Stratford, NJ OBJECTIVES: To establish an inner-city community-based training site that will enhance primary care skills, build cultural competency, and improve internal medicine residents' skill in addressing the needs of an underserved population. METHODS: The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine (UMDNJ-SOM) established an affiliation with an existing primary care practice founded by the Diocese of Camden and the Society of Jesus. This practice, St. Luke's Catholic Medical Services, serves the poor, uninsured and underinsured community of Camden, NJ. It has a fluent bilingual staff and attracts a predominately Latino population. The physician at St. Luke's was a primary care internist/Jesuit priest who was volunteer faculty in UMDNJ-SOM's Department of Medicine. Initially, a full-time faculty member from UMDNJ-SOM was assigned part-time to assist him in providing patient care and to establish a training site for internal medicine residents. The Department then recruited a full-time primary care internist with a special interest and prior experience in serving the underserved for this facility. As part of this collaboration between UMDNJ-SOM, the Diocese and Jesuit Order, the Order funded the physician's participation in a Spanish immersion program in Mexico to improve language skills and cultural awareness. The physician has since initiated care at St. Luke's and been named Medical Director. RESULTS: This new partnership with St. Luke's, attributable to the collaborative efforts of the University, Diocese and Jesuits, has led to the development of learning objectives for a primary care continuity experience for the residents in our HRSA funded primary care residency. The primary care residents have begun weekly half-day sessions at St. Luke's that sensitize them to the medical, cultural and psychosocial needs of this underserved community. As a result of this HRSA grant, the new affiliation with St. Luke's has created additional educational opportunities. It has provided a new training site for HRSA-funded geriatric fellows and UMDNJ-SOM's extern program as well as primary care residents. CONCLUSION: This collaboration has provided the University with a unique training site and rewarding learning experience. Internists intending to serve underserved populations must be able to appreciate cultural diversity both within and between cultures; understand the impact that psychosocial, educational, cultural and environmental issues may have on client utilization and compliance; and respect the distinct cultural needs of various client populations. Collaboration between UMDNJ, the community and church, through HRSA support, has created a primary care training site to enhance cultural competency.