LMSA West Spring 2014 Newsletter

7/22/2019 LMSA West Spring 2014 Newsletter

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LMSA West

Newsletter

LATINO MEDICAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION Inside this issueLMSA Annual Conference.............1

Case Mgt.to Stamp Out Diabetes..3

Wellness Center Collaboraon.....4

Empowering Young Lanas.....5

Outreach & Mentorship..5

Chapter Update......6

Mentorship & Networking...7

Compromedos con la Comunidad.8

Medical Spanish.......9

United Health Fndn. Scholar..9

Scholarship Recipients.......11

LMSA West 30th Annual Conference:A Testament of Passion and Dedication

Miguel Ruvalcaba and Olivia Campa-UC Davis School of Medicine

The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) chapter at University of California, Davis has been

extremely busy and excited, preparing to host the annual LMSA Western (LMSA-West) Regional con-

ference. Why is this such a big deal? It will be LMSA-Wests 30th annual conference, a reminder ofthe power of the movement behind us. While Latinos/Hispanics make up 17% of the U.S. population,

only 5.5% of the physician workforce is of Latino/Hispanic origin. However, in the last thirty years,

the number of Latinos/Hispanics in medical school increased significantly and we hope to celebrate

the work of those individualsin the past, present, and fu-

ture. Our LMSA chapter

members have worked in-credibly hard throughout the

last few months to make this

event possible and the day isdrawing near. From work-

shops to designing programs,

numerous volunteers collab-

orated in hopes of making

this event a success, led byLMSA-Wests Vice Presi-

dent of Conference and UC

Davis 4th year medical stu-dent, Olivia Campa.

(continued on pg.2)

Spring 2014

Several of the UC Davis LMSA chapter members that were

pivotal in the organizaon of the Annual LMSA-West 2014

Regional Conference


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Annual Conference (continued from pg. 1)

The importance of the conference is made clear in light of recent events in health care. There is still a

shortage of Latino physicians in the field right now, and with the implementation of the Affordable

Care Act, a more diverse healthcare workforce is imperative. LMSA-West is dedicated to diversify-ing the healthcare workforce with the goal of eliminating health disparities in the Latino community

and other underserved communities. With that in mind, we are excited to have many intelligent, like-

minded, dedicated students, physicians, and professionals with similar goals in one conference.The 30th Annual LMSA Conference will be held in Sacramento, California on March 21st-22nd

2014, at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. This historic conference will host over 600 attendees from

throughout the region including: high school students, undergraduate students, medical students, and

physicians. The years theme is Transforming Our Script in Medicine: Advancing Leadership, Poli-cy, Research, and Community, and the official social media hashtag is #LMSAwest2014.

This conference is a testament to the student-led work happening across the U.S. to bring healthcare

to underserved communities and increase the number of Latinos in medicine. The weekend will kickoff with the networking event on Friday evening for medical students and physicians. Saturday,

March 22nd will be filled with motivational speakers and informative workshops to aid students in

their pursuit of higher education and medicine. At the Gala on Saturday, medical students, faculty,and staff will be recognized for their contributions to their LMSA chapters and the Latino communi-

ties. In addition, we will honor the graduating senior medical students who will soon continue their

journey as medical professionals at residency training programs across the nation. This conferencewas made possible through the dedicated efforts of the UC Davis LMSA members, faculty/staff and

sponsors, and they look forward to hosting this grand event on March 21st and 22nd!

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3/12

Making the Case for Case Management-Patients and Students

Partner to Stamp out Diabetes

For one group of very committed patients, coming to the UC Irvine Outreach Clinic has evolved into more

than just a doctors visit. For eleven men and women coping with diabetes, monthly meetings of the Diabe-

tes Self-Management and Education Program (DSMEP) are a chance to share their experiences, learn

about specific health issues related to their diagnosis, and seek one-on-one counseling with their trained

case manager.Thanks to generous support from the UCI School of Medicines LMSA and Outreach Clinic, the Diabetes

Self-Management and Education Program is in its 3rd year. The program serves uninsured, diabetic Latino

patients for whom uncontrolled blood glucose levels pose a major threat to their present and future health.

The program pairs each patient with a Spanish-speaking undergraduate student who serves as that patients

case manager. Case managers attend all classes and doctors appointments with their patients, make regular

phone calls to check-in, and provide general support and encouragement as patients learn to maintain their

blood glucose at safe levels. Because each patient receives a glucometer, testing strips, and pedometer

through the program, case managers encourage patients to set goals of checking their blood glucose and

walking a certain distance per day.

In addition to providing direct medical and health education services to Latino patients, the program

strengthens the Latino community by offering undergraduate and medical students invaluable experience

teaching and managing a prevalent chronic disease. Case managers and medical students lead the monthly

group classes which focus on diabetes-related health issues. In this way, students teaching the classes be-

come empowered to disseminate diabetes awareness and education among the Latino community. Students

are also exposed to team-centered medical care, which is quickly gaining ground as the preferred model

within primary care specialties. In our view, this combination of experiences prepares and encourages our

students to pursue careers as primary care physicians to underserved, Latino patients.

With four classes remaining in the

2013-2014 cohort, we plan to

strengthen the program such that

current patients will potentially

serve as peer educators the follow-

ing year. Individual growth, scala-

bility, and sustainability are three

crucial factors for any program

seeking to positively impact a large

and diverse patient population. For-

getting one corner of the triangle

leads to either the program becom-

ing irrelevant to patients individual

needs, insular, or too fleeting to aid

patients whose conditions are life-

long. DSMEP strives to address all

three corners, bringing its patients

and community a little closer to the

high-quality health care each person

deserves.

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Diabetes Self-Management and Educaon Program paents, case

managers, and medical students pracce squang during Januarys

class on cardiovascular health and exercise at the Lestonnac Free

Clinic in Orange, CA.

Gabriela Pauli-UC Irvine School of Medicine


4/12

Forming New Relationships with the Virginia Garcia Wellness Center

The Virginia Garcia Wellness Center opened one year ago and is designed to promote wellness bothphysically and emotionally to the mostly migrant and seasonal farm worker community of Cornelius,

Oregon. OHSU LMSA contacted the Wellness Center in the fall to try to establish ways that our stu-

dents could participate with the community through this center. The center not only has wellness pro-motion and prevention services such as daily Zumba classes, a teaching kitchen and community garden,

it also has a primary care clinic, pharmacy, vision and dental clinic that are open five days a week.

On our first visit to the Center we came on a Thursday evening and the place was packed. Families

were waiting in the waiting room to see physicians that have stayed until 7 pm to accommodate work-

ing hours of the Center. Pharmacists were patiently explaining the proper use of diabetic medications topatients at the window. More than 25 women and one bold man were dancing and swinging their hips

in rhythm to Shakira songs in the Zumba class. At Virginia Garcia, all activities and services are bilin-

gual so that everyone feels comfortable in the wellness space they have created. After this visit, it was

clear that there were several ways in which OHSU and LMSA could volunteer our time here.

This past Saturday the Center held an open house. Again, there were crowded dance classes, and indi-

viduals working in the garden. We helped out in the test kitchen. Normally these classes are only held

on Tuesdays and Thursdays but today was a special occasion. Ten women joined in to learn about nutri-tion and how to make healthy substitutions to create better meals with less fat. Sometimes the ingredi-

ents come from the Centers own garden. Today we were making a chicken southwest salad with cilant-

ro lime dressing. It was delicious. The women chatted with each other, naturally switching betweenSpanish and English to include everyone. They talked about ways to improve recipes they have tried

before, while learning about the health benefits of quinoa over rice, and baking chicken instead of fry-

ing it. After the food was prepared we all sat down to enjoy the meal and took turns around the tabletalking about ways in which we could improve our health in the next week, making goals and even

writing them down to take with us.

Volunteering with Virginia Garcia Wellness Center has been slow to get started but this center offers

many ways in which OHSU and LMSA can continue to stay involved. We really enjoy the center be-cause so much of our time as medical students is focused on treatment, so it is great to be able to work

with the community on more whole-body wellness and disease prevention strategies.

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Michelle Kleiman-Oregon Health & Science University

We really enjoy the center because so much of our me as medical students

is focused on treatment, so it is great to be able to work with the

community on more whole-body wellness and disease prevenon strategies.


5/12

"So, what classes do I have to take to become a pediatrician?" A young Latina in the 6th grade askedus that question along with the other very well informed

questions being asked by inquisitive mothers and soon to be

college students at the Adelante Mujer conference on March

1st 2014.The room was filled with enthusiasm and curiosity,

by both parents and the youth who had a vision, who had

hopes for a better future.

Adelante Mujer, now in its 21st year, is a conference that

grew from the vision of high school teachers who wanted to

empower young Latina's and inspire them to create a dream

and a vision. One of our graduating LMSAers father wasa supporter of the conference from its inception. This

conference takes place every year in South San Diego and

targets Latina youth. LMSA at UCSD hosted a Your Path

to Medical School workshop. UCSD medical students: Vicki Chia, Carina Lopez, Viri Tapia, SilviaFonseca and Diana Garcia shared stories of their journey to medical school along with challenges they

faced in achieving their dream. It is our obligation, our sense of duty to give back to our communities

and to empower our youth to dream, a dream that they can smell, taste, touch and see", stated Carina,who has been organizing LMSAs participation in this event. LMSA is looking forward to

participating in this panel next year. We hope to make it a long-standing tradition.

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UCSD Medical Students Serve as Role Models at the AdelanteMujer Conference in San Diego: Empowering Young Latina Girls

Diana Garcia-UC San Diego School of Medicine

UCSD Medical Students at the Adelante Mujer

Conference

Passion for Outreach and Mentorship

Pablo Sanchez and Jessica Sanchez -University of Arizona College of Medicine

The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) at the University of Arizona College of Medicine is

maintaining a passion for outreach and mentorship ofunderserved Latino student populations at the

undergraduate level, as well as fostering cultural

competency in our medical school.

One of our goals is to inspire students to consider a career

in medicine and elucidate the pathways to get them there.In February, LMSA partnered with Fostering and

Achieving Cultural Equity and Sensitivity (FACES), and

Chicanos/Latinos for Community Medicine (CCM) to put

on a Vitals Workshop for undergraduate students interested

in medicine. Twenty-two medical students and 35

undergraduates participated. The undergraduate students

rotated through three different stations covering a different

portion of the physical exam (cardio/respiratory,abdominal/musculoskeletal, neuro/HEENT), and one

station using specimens and models to demonstrate

different pathology.U of A Students use a hands-on approach to teach

undergraduates about pathology


6/12

Outreach and Mentorship (continued from page 5)

We received several comments from pre-med students about how helpful, fun, and educational the

event was. We could see in their faces, an element of amazement as we explained the reason behind

a particular heart murmur, or neurological sign. As a result of a successful event, other undergradu-ate clubs have asked us to provide a similar opportunity to them.

Also in February, LMSA, in coordination withthe Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI),

we had the opportunity to conduct Histories

and Physicals on volunteer Spanish-speaking

patients from the El Rio clinic in south Tucson.About fifteen medical students attended. After

receiving some very positive feedback from

students as well as words of encouragement

from the volunteer patients about how im-portant events like these are, LMSA and ODI

will sponsor providing Spanish H&P cards to

current 2nd year medical students, so that thesecan be used throughout 3rd year clerkships.

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U of A Medical Students outreach to undergrads

Updates from Western University

Ruben Mora-Roman Jr. -Western University

At Western University, it is a priority to reach out and give back to the Pomona community. Predomi-

nantly a Latino population, many are underserved and the need for medical services is evident. A localfree clinic, Montclair Clinic serves as a great opportunity for medical students from Western Universityto gain valuable clinical experience. Many of the LMSA members volunteer at the clinic. Not only do

students have the opportunity to fine-tune their clinical skills, they also help out many patients who

would otherwise not have access to medical services. Since many of the patients that visit MontclairClinic speak mostly Spanish, our members are able to practice their medical Spanish.

The Western University LMSA chapter recognized the need for medical students to learn Spanish; wehave organized a Spanish class with 3 different levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced) to better pre-

pare our colleagues to interact with Spanish speaking patients. Over 50 students signed up and there

has been great feedback.

At the clinic, there are leadership opportunities for students to help coordinate such activities. We re-

cently transitioned from this years second year medical students to the first year medical students. As a

clinic coordinator, I am excited to continue to be involved and serve as a community advocate.


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Mentorship and Networking at UCSF

On September 4, 2013, The Underrepresented in Medicine (UIM) Program held its very first dinner

of the school year. I wandered into the room accompanied by three of my new first-year friends.

There were plenty of empty seats at tables with men and women whose nametags were accompaniedwith two simple but intimidating letters, M.D., but instead we sat down in the only empty table of

the room. Luckily, for us, we were about to receive a seminar on networking, and were given the op-

portunity to practice those skills with the diverse group of physicians in the room. Every month sinceSeptember, UIM has hosted many mentorship and leadership workshops specifically targeted to un-

derrepresented medical students.

Although the medical students population at UCSF continues to diversify, the teaching faculty is notrepresentative of this progress. Often, students from underrepresented backgrounds lack direct con-

nections to the medical field and struggle to access UCSFs wide network of physicians and research-

ers. Even if students are to enter this network, as minorities, we navigate this world differently. Our

paths to medicine were often accompanied with barriers that are more familiar to our underserved pa-tients than the physicians that teach us.

For this very reason, mentorship is especially important in the medical education of minority students.In collaboration with the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and Native American Health

Alliance (NAHA), LMSA students this year were actively involved in creating a mentorship match-

up program where Latino, African American and Native American students were given the opportuni-ty to receive mentorship from physicians of similar backgrounds. We received an incredible amount

of interest from faculty and alumni with 84 mentors! The UIM mentorship program has served as an

incredible resource for minority medical students struggling to navigate UCSF. Students have been

able to rely on their mentors to connect them with resources, give them advice on summer researchprojects, and have someone to guide them through difficult situations.

Along with providing mentorship opportunities within the medical school, we continue to pay it for-ward by providing individual mentorship to undergraduates at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State

University. We are excited and pleased to sponsor nine undergraduates from both schools to attend

the LMSA West Regional Conference. For the students that were unable to attend the conference, weprovide one-on-one mentorship through a similar match process as UIM. Many undergraduate univer-

sities lack the resources specifically for Latino and first generation college students. We hope to fill

that gap for undergraduates that participate in our programs.

Adali Martinez-UC San Francisco School of Medicine


8/12

LMSA at UCR: Comprometidos con Nuestra Comunidad

We are happy to announce that our new LMSA chapter here at the UCR School of Medicine has

been progressively growing in number and constantly engaging with our community and students.Last month, we introduced the LMSA undergraduate mentoring program with a mentor-mentee mix-

er event at the school of medicine. The event gave aplatform for the medical students to meet their un-

dergraduate counterparts, and gave everyone thechance to mingle and interact with each other. It was

through eating some pizza and a speed dating

matching proverb game that the undergraduates wereable to find their assigned medical student. Further-

more, this gave the mentors the opportunity to ex-

plore what the undergraduate students expected from

the program. The turnout for the mixer was amazing,and it was invigorating to see hungry and dedicated

undergraduates that are receptive to advice, guid-ance, and direction.

As we established our mentoring program, we have

gradually added more mentors, and we are pleased

with the participation of our first year medical school class. As of the moment, we have 25 medicalstudent mentors exceeding the 20 undergraduate mentees that have signed up for the program. Our

newly appointed LMSA mentorship chairs Rafael Ornelas and Talab Ibrahim were in charge of the

recruitment as well as matching undergraduate mentees to the medical students based on commoninterest and preferences. The mentorship

chairs were also responsible for designing

the protocols and dynamics of the mentor-ing program, and organizing events thatwould bring the mentors and mentees to-

gether. LMSA at UCR is committed to

make the program a one-to-one mentoringopportunity in order to provide a unique,

more personalized experience for the un-

dergraduates. Therefore, it is required thatmedical students spend at least an hour

each month to ensure that their respective

undergraduate students are getting all the

guidance they can possibly get. We hopeto coordinate more events with LMSA

PLUS, the pre-medical organization at

UCR, and possibly expand the number

of mentees and activities to further en-hance the experience.

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Edgar Ortega-UC Riverside School of Medicine

LMSA board & med students sele during the

mixer

It was through eang some pizza and a "speed dang"

matching proverb game that the undergraduates were

able to nd their assigned medical student


9/12

The spring has been very productive and busy for the LMSA-SOMA branch. January welcomed the new years

first Spanish classes as a continuation from last year. We are seeing great progress in our fellow students abili-ties to speak, recognize, and understand medical Spanish and appropriate cultural practices. Class participants

are excited to be learning such a useful skill!

To follow the model of our uniquely structuredcurriculum, we are seeking to match the infor-mation offered in Spanish classes to the material

being taught in the current block. Dialoguesheets have also been created to match current

physical exams. Past blocks have included muscu-

loskeletal, renal, cardiopulmonary, neural andHEENT. There has been great interestthe pro-

fessors have even decided to offer the Dialoguesheets alongside the required classroom material!

In order to keep the momentum high this spring,

we will be moving the Spanish learning from theclassroom into the clinic. Intermediate and ad-vanced students have already begun to take fullmedical histories in Spanish, and are acting out

patient encounters. Within the next few monthswe will be hosting Spanish standardized patient

encounters to really integrate and further theirnewly learned skills. Beginners and advancedspeakers alike will be participating.

As a climactic way to end the year of our Spanish learning experiences, we will be hosting two trips to the bor-

der town of Chaparral, New Mexico. Students will be working in the community health clinics and exploring

the lifestyle and culture of the area. It will be an eye-

opening learning experience for all, and will give insightinto the world of immigration health and policy. Our hope is to instill a better understanding of life in a multi-

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Broadening the Cultural Experience at ATSU-SOMA

Erinn Rieser-ATSU School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona

Intermediate Spanish-speaking students pracce

history-taking and exam skills during a biweekly

Spanish class.

My name is Leslie Cepeda. I am currently studying Anthropology with a Health Emphasis, and minors in both

Human Biology and Chemistry at the University of Utah. I am from Bogota, Colombia and I am pursuing mygoal of becoming a doctor someday.

Last summer, I had the privilege to attend the 5thAnnual United Health Foundation (UHF) Diverse ScholarsForum in Washington, D.C. for three days. This was my first time in Washington, D.C. and I had the opportuni-

ty to hear from community leaders, doctors and health policy makers that are passionate about giving back tothe community and helping ethnic groups. Students from different ethnic groups attended. I was one of the 9

students chosen from 600 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) scholars to represent Latino stu-dents around the country. (continued pg. 9)

The 5thAnnual United Health Foundation Diverse Scholars Forum in

Washington DCLeslie Margarita Cepeda University of Utah


10/12

Scholars Forum (continued from pg. 9)

In this forum, I learned the importance of having diverse health care providers that not only provide

quality primary care but also get involved in health policy in order to advocate for our community

and help to enhance health care delivery. For example, a great way to help your patients that are partof an ethnic group to lead healthier lifestyles, is to include the family and community in the process

of healing. Additionally, we went to the Capitol Hill and the

House of Representatives. There, we heard from some of the USHouse of Representatives, who encouraged us to follow our

dreams and give back to the community.

Additionally, the House of Representatives honored our hardwork and accomplishments to help our communities by hoisting

an American flag on top of the Capitol for each state that we rep-

resented. The American flag was hoisted in my and the state of

Utahs honor since I was the only one coming from Utah.Additionally, every UHF diverse scholar received letters from

the US senators representing the states where we come from. I

had the privilege to receive letters and a Certificate of SpecialRecognition from Senators Orrin Hatch and Michael Lee, who

represent the State of Utah. In the letters, they congratulated me

for receiving the Diverse Scholar InitiativeScholarship honoring my hard work and en-

deavors in reaching out to my community.

They encouraged me to follow my dreams and

to continue giving back to the community.

All of the special recognitions and honors awarded at this conference embody the hard work of every

college student representing different ethnic groups, like the members of LMSA that strive to serve

their communities and want to make a difference. This conference also commemorates all of thework we do in and for our community through engaged involvement and service. This experience

has truly enabled me to see that in every small act of kindness, together we can do great things.

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Pre-medical Mujeres from Utah Represenng at the Naons Capital

Undergraduate Pre-Medical Students at the 5thAnnual

United Health Foundaon


11/12

Meet Our 2013-2014 Scholarship Recipients

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Si Se Puede Scholarship

Joaquin Michel-UC Davis Elina Serrano-UC Berkeley Cecil Benitez-UC Los Angeles

Ngabo Nzigira-UC Davis Nanse Mendoza-CSU Bakerseld Ashley Smith-University of

Washington

Nancy Rivera-UC Davis Renzo Corzano-UC Riverside Edgar Corona-UC Los Angeles

Read all about the Si Se Puede Recipients at:

http://lmsa.net/west/what-we-do/scholarships/si-se-puede/winners2


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Scholarship Recipients (continued from pg.11)

We are a group of passionate medicalstudents, organized to recruit and sup-port individuals in the healthcare pro-fessions who will strive to improve theaccess and delivery of healthcare to La-nos and medically underserved popula-ons.

We acvely promote:The development of a communicaon

networkfor medical, pre-medical, and

health care students interested in serving

the medically underserved.

Medical, pre-medical and healthcare

students' intereststhat will lead to the

improvement of healthcare for under-

served communies.

Health policyeducaon that aects un-derserved communies.

Educaonal enrichment programs for the

recruitmentof medical school applicants.

Collaboraons with other organizaons

commied to the improvement of health

care delivery for underserved communi-

es.

The academic success and supportof

students dedicated to improving health

care services to underserved popula-

ons.

For questions regarding the

newsletter contact VP of

Newsletter,

Karla Gonzalez

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To learn more about LMSA West please visit

hp://lmsa.net/west/

Latino Medical Student Association-West

Cinthia Felix Scholarship

Alexis Velazquez -UC Los Angeles Andrea Banuelos-UC Berkeley

Jennifer Pinal-UC Berkeley Maria Rosales-Charles Drew

University

Axana Rodriguez-Torres-UC

Davis

Read all about the Cinthia Felix Recipients at:

http://lmsa.net/west/what-we-do/scholarships/cinthya-felix-scholarship/winner

Dr. Amanda Perez Scholarship

Vanessa Marnez-CSU

Fullerton

Read all about Vanessa at:

http://lmsa.net/west/what-we-do/scholarships/cinthya-felix-scholarship/winner

LMSA West Spring 2014 Newsletter

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