The club members believe that all future physicians will benefit from increased understanding of the role surgery plays in the delivery of health care. The club is also designed to help those with an interest in surgery gain some exposure in the first two years. The club sponsors talks, social events, and a surgeon shadowing program. The Free Clinic opened in 1992 in order to provide free health care to that segment of society that was working but was still unable to purchase health insurance. The clinic is open three evenings a week and is staffed by volunteers from all medical fields.
Medical students can sign-up in their first and second years to act as initial health screeners.
Third and fourth year medical students may choose to see patients in collaboration with physicians. This is the interest group for students interested in the field of Internal Medicine. The group was founded in 1993 and is sponsored by the UVa department of Internal Medicine. Students work to provide speakers on a variety of topics, to introduce medical students at all levels to the field of Internal Medicine and to host an informal social event to promote interactions between faculty and students. The CMF is the local chapter of the national organization, the Christian Medical and Dental Society.