About Us

The Columbia Student Medical Outreach (CoSMO) clinic provides free, high-quality healthcare to uninsured and medically underserved patients in Washington Heights and Northern Harlem. Under the guidance of attending physicians, students from Columbia University offer comprehensive care; promote community outreach; and foster student education, service, and innovation.

CoSMO began in 2000 when a group of first-year medical students recognized the need for a primary care center devoted to the underserved residents of Washington Heights. After thorough research, recruitment of attending physicians and administrators, and partnership with the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, CoSMO opened its doors on March 6, 2004.

Since then, CoSMO has become a model of collaboration and service on the Columbia University Irving Medical Center campus, thanks to the involvement of student volunteers from five schools: Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Physical Therapy, and Nutrition. CoSMO student volunteers have continuously expanded the clinic’s services, including a behavioral health clinic, rapid HIV screening, diabetes self-management education, and health coaching.