Shade Tree Clinic

You don’t just suddenly become a socially-conscious provider. It takes practice.

And what better way to practice social mission than by serving Nashville’s most vulnerable populations.

Shade Tree is a student-run clinic that provides free, high-quality care to uninsured and underinsured individuals in the Nashville area.

Since 2004, Shade Tree has been providing free, quality care for acute and chronic illnesses, social services, and health education. And here’s the best part: it’s completely staffed by med students.

Led by a team of medical students and supported by three faculty medical directors, Shade Tree is the perfect team environment to put your medical knowledge into practice. You’ll gain practical hands-on experience, while providing important health care and social services to a community in need.

Get involved at Shade Tree from day one

Pre-clinical students can volunteer as interpreters and patient health educators, while 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years direct everything from clinic operations to community outreach. Med students also help organize Shade Tree’s two main fundraising events: the Shade Tree Trot (a 5k held annually in April) and the Benefit Dinner & Silent Auction.

Shade Tree Clinic is one of the few student-run clinics in the country to feature a fully functioning dispensary that is able to provide the vast majority of medications to patients for free of charge.

Learn more about Shade Tree on the Shade Tree Clinic website.