UF medical students lead creation of comprehensive colorectal screening program
Program will help remove barriers to preventive care in North Central Florida
June 3, 2026 — After decades of decline, rates of colon cancer are on the rise in adults ages 20-49 years old, with the American Cancer Society reporting a 3% increase between 2013-22. And of all cancer types for adults under 50, colorectal cancer causes the most deaths.
The good news is, it’s preventable.
Seeing a need to help at-risk patients, a team of medical students and physicians at the University of Florida College of Medicine recently received funding to create a comprehensive colorectal cancer screening program. With a two-year $9,000 Medical Student Service Leadership Project Grant from the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the group is initiating the program through the UF Equal Access Clinic Network, a group of student-run primary and specialty care clinics that provide free care to underserved patients in North Central Florida.
“The best way to screen for colon cancer is a colonoscopy, where you can see whether there is cancer and then can take steps to remove it and prevent it in the future,” said Tran Ngo, a fourth-year UF M.D.-Ph.D. student and executive director of the Equal Access Clinic Network.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that most adults start routine screening for colorectal cancer at age 45. For patients with inflammatory bowel disease or a family history of colorectal cancer, earlier testing may be appropriate.
Tran Ngo
But not everyone has access to a routine colonoscopy.
Some patients may not have a primary care provider to talk with about getting screened. Without insurance to cover the expenses, transportation to get to and from the hospital or flexibility to take time off work for medical care, the barriers grow.
The Equal Access Clinic Network is using the grant funding to reshape patients’ access to preventive care and streamline the screening process.
The first resource at the Equal Access Clinic Network, Ngo said, is a fecal test to check for blood in patients’ stool. If the results come back positive for blood, the clinic connects them with UF Health gastroenterology for a follow-up colonoscopy.
In addition to transportation, referral, and pre-evaluation costs, the grant funding covers translation services to help guide patients with language barriers through their care. It also offsets certification costs for UF students who wish to become medical translators during their time volunteering at the clinic.
Taylor Thomson
“Increasing access to colorectal cancer screening can help identify disease earlier, improve outcomes and reduce barriers to preventive care for patients who may otherwise go unscreened,” said Taylor Thomson, a first-year medical student and director of physician recruitment at the Equal Access Clinic Network. “This program also provides medical students with valuable early exposure to community-based preventive care, helping them develop skills in patient outreach, interdisciplinary collaboration and addressing healthcare disparities in underserved populations.”
In the world of academic medicine, learning how to apply for and successfully receive grants is another valuable skill for students’ education. Overseen by faculty adviser Lucy Guerra, M.D., M.P.H., FACP, and second-year internal medicine resident Christopher Miquel Chambers, M.D., recent class of 2026 graduate and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society inductee Danielle Snyder, M.D., put together the grant proposal and cancer screening program with Ngo, Thomson and five peers at Equal Access Clinic Network, including third-year M.D.-Ph.D. students Bo Peng and Kamilah Roca-Datzer, fourth-year M.D.-Ph.D. student Sarah Tatum, and fellow Class of 2026 graduates Sarah Murphy, M.D., and Nadia Kabbej, M.D. ’26.
“It was a big project, but we are lucky we have a lot of folks who’ve been very passionate working on it and that we have the tools to integrate it,” Ngo said. “Having an in-house program at UF to offer the community is really great.”
