We see the world through our eyes. They give us color, shape, depth and assess our surroundings. Our eyes are a gateway of emotional expression. Vision problems however, are common to most of us. I learned that firsthand when as a student my vision deteriorated to the point that I could no longer read the blackboard from the back of the class. I would squint at distant objects which would produce headaches and an accompanying sense of vulnerability. I was not even suffering from advanced eye diseases. I am a member of a team of medical students who aspire to provide free health care to the low income and under insured population of Chicago. We would like to expand our capabilities to provide improved vision care for this population in need. Who we are: There are four members in the team and we are all first year students at RUSH medical college. The Rush Community Services Initiative Program was established in 1991 with the aim of providing community health care through medical students. The steering member students run the clinics and recruit other medical students as volunteers. The students are themselves overseen by Rush physicians in their clinical duties. I’m a steering committee member to 20/20, a free vision care program under this community initiative. We are entirely student run and free of charge to patients. Our participation: Participation in health fairs are the primary mode we bring our services to the community. The fairs are organized through the college or by outside organizations. During the last year, “20/20” participated in the medical college health fair, “Spring in to Health and Fitness”, and the 37th Ward Health and Fitness Fair with the Chicago Public Health Department. We visited Marillac House, which has provided services to the working poor since 1914, and Sanctuary House of West Chicago. We also volunteered our services at the Salvation Army. Provided Services: The students are able to perform Snellen chart readings to test and log: visual acuity and compare it to normal eye sight; pupillary light reflexes to test for nerve damage; slow tracking to test the muscles that move the eyeball; visual field testing, and other ocular deviations, such as strabismus. We also provide referrals for free clinics provided through Vision USA or Eye Care America. These organizations provide the patient with treatment through several specialized disease specific programs, such as senior/children eye care, macular degeneration and diabetics. If a clinician is available to volunteer time, then we are able to provide more advanced onsite screenings, such as glaucoma and retinal examinations. Future Directions: “20/20” lacks clinical facilities and equipment where patients can come for regular eye examinations. We believe that eye examination should be an aspect of supplying fair health care and that it is important to try and provide a clinic with necessary equipment and physicians. With this scholarship: Purchase equipment to set up clinic: We will use the provided funds to purchase equipment used in basic ophthalmology clinics. With this equipment we can set up a clinic and establish regular clinic hours and provide advanced service. This clinic would represent a valuable investment in both community health care and an ongoing standard of fair health care delivery. Space Availability: There are several spaces free of charge, under consideration for establishing a regular vision clinic. 1) New Life Volunteering Society is located in North Chicago and can provide clinic space every Saturday for 4 hours. The clinic provides health care needs for the low income, under insured and uninsured people in the community. The current exception is eye care. 2) Chicago Christian Industry League: This organization has space availability and the ability to address most health care. The lone exception, again, is eye care. Physicians and student volunteers: Ophthalmologists are recruited from RUSH medical college. Student volunteers are from Chicago medical colleges. Eye examinations give clues to assess function and the condition of the eyes and must be performed periodically. Many eye diseases are silent and prevention relies on early detection of blinding eye diseases and problems that signal systemic malfunction or functional brain abnormalities. We believe that the addition of eye examination facilities to these clinics will improve the quality of life of our patients and we hope that you express the same sentiments as us.