LATINO MEDICAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION

Winter 2014

Inside this issue Undocumented Student’s Road to Surgery-U of Washington................. …….1

LMSA West Newsletter

Escribiendo Historia-UCR………………...3 Serving Migrant Workers –UCSD……..4 Inner Peace in Peru-U of Utah………...5 History of a Health Fair-UCLA/CDU ..6 Frida Kahlo and Medicine-USC…….....7 Reflecting on 2013-OHSU……………….8

Mentorship Day-Western…………...8 Cesar Chavez Blood Drive…………...9

An Undocumented Student’s Road to Surgery Raymond Koopmans-University of Washington School of Medicine

When Juan Ortiz graduates from the University of Washington School of Medicine, he will be in the career of his dreams that began in Mexico working at a restaurant. Born and raised in Mexico, Juan knew he wanted more out of life. He has had to persevere and over come much adversary to get to where he is now. Here is his advice to other Latino Students pursuing a career in medicine.

What has your experience been like so far in medical school at the UW? Overall, it has being a great experience. I was lucky to find a great group of friends that have helped me out a lot during medical school. Also, the education that we receive and the reputation of the school is something that we don’t realize the University of Washington has until we get a chance to go outside the UW system for residency interviews. Having the opportunity to do clinical rotations within the WAMMI region is very valuable. I got to see how medicine is practice in big academic centers and also in rural places. I took care of homeless patients, ranchers, and Microsoft engineers during my clinical rotations. But, there have being some challenges as well. This is something that you can only get at UW.

Aspiring Surgeon Juan Ortiz

What is the significance of you being a general surgeon on the Latino community? In other words how do you see yourself helping the Latino Community? First of all, one has to realize that there are not that many Latino surgeons in general. So, having the opportunity to be one of the few is extremely humbling and special. I feel that we need more people of color going into surgical subspecialties. During my surgery rotations I took care of Latino patients who didn’t speak English. From the patient’s perspective, having someone that speaks your own language and looks like yourself goes a long way. Patients tend to be more confident and secure of the procedure just by the simple fact that they have a familiar face in the OR. Also, research – in particular health outcomes research – is another way I see myself helping the Latino community. Conduction research not only I feel that I can create awareness that these disparities are present, but I can start to bring change to the system.

Road to Surgery (continued) What kind of support have you received from LMSA? LMSA has helped me connect with mentors in medicine. It has also helped me find classmates that share the same interest as mine. For me in particular, not having any family here in the US, LMSA members have become part of my own family. Now that I am going through the residency interview process, LMSA has helped me find members to stay and decrease the cost of traveling. What advice do you have for Latinos who consider Family medicine or other primary care areas in order to consider a specialty in surgery? First and foremost, I would say that you don't have to feel that the only way to help and serve the Latino community is through Family medicine or primary care. A lot of the times, as Latino medical students we are pushed and guilt to chose a career in primary care because that is the only place that one can give back to the community. But, in my personal opinion, I think it is a wrong perception. While I believe primary care is one of the most challenging areas within medicine and some of the smartest people I know are in primary care, I think that Latinos in surgery or other more subspecialties areas are need it as much or more than in primary care. As a general surgeon, you can practice surgery in a rural or urban setting, in places where there’s a large Latino population – whether you believe it or not, you may be the only Latino surgeon that the area has. As a Latino surgeon you are able to bring the biopsychosocial model of medicine to surgery. Because you understand what the patient that you are going to operate is going through. Patients are reassured that things are going to go well in surgery when a familiar face is explaining the procedure. Talk about your mentors? Did you find one in surgery? How did that benefit you? I had several mentor in medical school from people in family medicine, internal medicine, science faculty, to surgery. They all have a big influence on me. Some of them were Latinos and others were not. When you are looking for a mentor, the most important thing to keep in mind is whether or not that person has what you are looking for, despite specialty or race. You need to find out if you relate with that mentor and if the mentor has the tools that you need to succeed. Early on in my first year of medical school, I found a mentor in surgery. He did not only guide me on surgery as a career, but he also helped me with personal things. The most important thing for me was that he was always there when I needed him. Thank you Juan. We are very proud of you here at UWSOM LMSA and wish you the best wherever life takes you. You are an inspiration to us and know that we appreciate you.

“During my surgery rotations I took care of Latino patients who didn’t speak English. From the patient’s perspective, having someone that speaks your own language and looks like yourself goes a long way.”

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The UCR LMSA Chapter: Escribiendo Historia Vincent Narvaez & Edgar Ortega-UC Riverside

Full of excitement and commitment, the charter class at the UC Riverside SOM has established the UCR LMSA chapter hoping to provide the undergraduate population with mentorship, provide health services to underserved communities in the Inland Empire, and create leadership among our undergraduate population - especially with the underrepresented minority students. It has been a challenging and enjoyable journey as a group of “naïve” first year medical students have been investing time and effort to establish a solid foundation for the chapter while managing to learn how to become successful medical students. Thankfully, support from school leaders, student affairs, and our amazing undergraduate student body have allowed the chapter to move forward by officially registering the UCR LMSA chapter. So far, we have elected board officers, assigned roles and responsibilities, and selected two hard working physicians, Dr. Heidi Millard and Dr. Maegen Dupper, as faculty advisors. Furthermore, the chapter has partnered with the UCR LMSA plus chapter to jumpstart this journey with social mixers, productive meetings, and medical student panels. UCR LMSA is also preparing to launch the LMSA Plus/LMSA mentoring program with an estimated initial enrollment of 30 undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students. Currently, we have 22 first year medical students who are willing to serve as mentors. Our goal is to have 1 mentor per 2 mentees maximum in order to truly provide a personal and involved mentoring relationship. The tentative start date for this program is scheduled for January 30th, 2013. The details of the mentoring program are still being ironed out; however, the goal is to devote at least few hours per month connecting with the mentees. Furthermore, other programs and workshops are being planned in order to help the undergraduates, especially the underrepresented student populations, achieve their goals of getting into medical school. Future projects for the chapter include partnering with established UCR SOM organizations and programs like the Mini Medical School, AMSA, and K-12 programs to expand our reach and impact the community. Additionally, we expect to be more active with our school’s Student Run Health Clinic. The chapter plans to be more involved in our community’s health by having health fairs and health education programs in the underprivileged communities of Riverside, the Coachella Valley, Imperial Valley, and Mexicali. Down the road, once our chapter has been thoroughly established, we hope to host a regional LMSA conference in our campus, and be more involved with regional programs and conferences. UCR LMSA Plus/LMSA with the UCR SOM Founding Dean Dr. G. Richard Olds.

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UCSD Medicine Strives to Serve Migrant Workers TC Robbins & Rene Garcia-UC San Diego

On Saturday, November 9, 2013, UCSD medical students, pharmacy students, undergraduates, interpreters, physicians and pharmacists traveled over 50 miles to the farms outside of Fallbrook, CA to increase access to health services for one of the most underserved and marginalized populations in San Diego county: migrant farmworkers. The health fair was organized by the Border Health Project, a student-run organization at UCSD’s School of Medicine.

workers were then guided to health education tables to learn more from medical students about topics that were personally relevant to them, including hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, occupational health, and sexual health.

Patients who were identified as “highrisk” based on their screening values or acute problems were seen by volunteer doctors, and were then referred to Vista Community Clinic staff who The Border made them Health Project was appointfounded in 2006 ments for under the principal the followthat everyone deing serves access to week. The basic health services attendees and resources. Altwere also hough the group given reusahad been inactive in ble bags recent years, second with tooth-year medical stubrushes, dents Rene Garcia toothpaste, and TC Robbins condoms, collaborated with mouthwash, volunteer faculty deodorant, member Dr. Miguel working UCSD Students participate in the Border Health Project Casillas, original BHP gloves, socks, founder Dr. Shirin Alonzo, pharmacist Dr. Eduand first-aid kits, in addition to clothing from ardo Fricovksy, and staff members and health edUCSD’s clothing drive. ucators from Vista Community Clinic, to revive Support for the Border Health Project is the project this fall. provided by the PACE Program Underserved Migrant workers living in San Diego face Community Grant, PRIME-Health Equity, the many challenges in accessing medical care, inUCSD Office of Student Affairs, Planned cluding lack of transportation, financial barriers, Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, community and fear of deportation. On November 9, 58 dentists, and many other donors. If you are interworkers and their family members attended the ested in learning more about BHP, please conBHP health fair to be screened for high blood glu- tact [email protected] cose, cholesterol, BMI and blood pressure. The or [email protected].

The Border Health Project was founded in 2006 under the principal that everyone deserves access to basic health services and resources. 4

In Search of Inner Peace in Peru Dallas Shi-University of Utah School of Medicine

I took six years of Spanish in high school but it wasn’t until I went to Peru the summer of my senior year that I took an interest in Latino culture. In Yanamano Peru, I discovered a love for Latin America. Eight years later, my mind still wonders back to that trip because in some intangible way, it has led me here. I went to Peru as a part of a youth service mission. In my naiveté, I thought I could make a difference but in truth, I don’t think I made a dent and I am glad. I think in some ways, we as future doctors or healthcare providers are taught to disturb the world around us but Peru taught me that sometimes we Utah’s Dallas Shi visits Yanamano have to let the world be as if we had never arrived. That is how we respect indigenous people and how we learn. Along the Amazon River, surrounded by mosquitos, and the ever-smothering heat of a hot July, I learned to make chicken and rice wrapped in banana leaves, I watched men paint themselves with mud for the welcome feast and children play with buttons on a string. Sometime in my dreams, I see the children running on the single playground in the village or the men sitting around waiting for the sun to go down so they can work. There was a sense of peace there; a certainty in life and death that I couldn’t define. It was in learning by simply observing that led me to understand the people there. I think too often as future doctors we hole ourselves to the singular pursuit of excellence and from that, we learn to do. We learn to stop the bleed, sew up the wound, give the right medications but sometimes we forget Participant Observation: making chicken and rice to stop, to reflect on both the grace and horrors wrapped in banana leaves of living. The Yanamano people taught me that there is wisdom in doing nothing; in waiting, learning what already exists, and applying it to a new context. Little did I know then how much the trip would instill in me a sense of wonder but looking back, I now realize it is the singular experience that imparted in me a love for foreign culture, for observational science, and for finding peace in what I can do.

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History of Lennox Fair: A Partnership Between Lennox School

District, Hughes Space and Communication Company, and David Geffen School of Medicine/Charles Drew University Rosibel Hernandez-UCLA/ CDU

In 1992 Hughes Space and Communication Company (HSCC) approached the UCLA School of Medicine, now known as the David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) at UCLA, with a project in mind. Recognizing the importance of science and education, HSCC wanted to develop a partnership with the Lennox School District to promote preventative health care and education. In order to do so, they requested the help of DGSOM at UCLA, so that together they could offer health education opportunities to residents of the Lennox School District. The Lennox School District was chosen due to its need of educational and health opportunities, but mostly for its growth potential. In 1992 there were over 27,000 residents in the Lennox district that lacked a community clinic offering affordable health care to non-English monolingual-low income families. With this information in hand, the HSCC, the UCLA School of Medicine, and the Lennox school district sought to develop a self-sustaining program of primary preventative health care. The initiative for preventative health care had two aims: development of a need-based health care system and empowerment of the Lennox district through community education programs. Staff and parents preparing breakfast at the first Lennox Health Fair in 1993

As such, the Lennox Community Health Clinic and bilingual Lennox Public Health Coordinator positions were born. The coordinators worked throughout the year, organizing professional volunteers to educate parents, students, and teachers on preventative health measures, while highlighting the resources available to the community. On June 12, 1993, more than 100 volunteers, teachers, parents, physicians, and medical students worked together to organize the first Lennox Community Health Clinic. More than 230 adults and children were seen for health related issues. Dr. Earl Homsher, co-organizer of the first Lennox Community Health Clinic, remembers that teacher involvement made the health fair a much greater success. “They put a lot of soul and heart into the 20 yrs. Later medical students from UCLA and CDU community” he says. The project was truly continue the Lennox Health Fair tradition developing into a successful partnership; a collaboration between different organizations with a common passion. The Lennox Community Health Clinic, now known as the Lennox Health Fair, continues its efforts to bring health care access to everyone in need. (continued on page 7)

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History of Lennox Health Fair-continued In its 20 years, the Lennox crew has seen somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 patients. Medical students, undergraduate volunteers, teachers, and physicians still work together to bring local health partners to the residents of the Lennox district. Just as they did in 1993, the types of services offered include dental and vision check-ups, nutritional and health education, immunizations, and physical examinations. Equally important, the Lennox Health Fair acts as an initial connection between community health providers and residents. Currently students from the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) at UCLA and CDU act as the primary organizers of the Lennox Health Fair. The biannual health fair works with the Lennox school district to serve the needs of the students, families, and area residents. With continual staff and faculty support, LMSA members work tirelessly alongside the Lennox school district to create a healthier Lennox.

Frida Kahlo: A Medical Student at Heart Ernesto Casillas-USC Keck School of Medicine

Students, faculty and community members attended LMSA-USC’s event featuring Dr. Fernando Antelo, a Pathology Fellow at the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner. Antelo, also a member of LMSA West’s Advisory Board, discussed Frida Kahlo’s artistic expression of personal pain, human anatomy and medicine through her famous self-portraits. Frida Kahlo, a Mexican painter born during the Mexican revolution, was an aspiring physician. She attended one of Mexico’s best preparatory schools but was unable to complete her studies due to a car accident in which she suffered severe injuries including a broken spinal column and abdominal trauma that resulted in infertility. The physical and emotional cost of these injuries can be seen in many of Frida’s paintings. In the painting “La columna rota” (The Broken Column), Frida depicts her spine as an ionic column broken in multiple places being held together by a corset, which she wore on a daily basis. Dr. Antelo explained to the audience that the steel nails piercing Frida’s body symbolized her La Columna Rota chronic pain and that Image Credit: her right leg was afhttp://www.museodoloresolmedo.org.mx fected the most. Dr. Antelo’s concluding remarks focused on his efforts to encourage young minds to explore or express science, anatomy and medicine through art, in much the way Frida did. This presentation was a great example of how to bridge Latino heritage and encourage participation of Latinos in medicine. In fact this was LMSA-USC’s first time hosting an event in conjunction with National Hispanic American Heritage Month. Those who attended also enjoyed authentic Mexican food from a local restaurant.

Dr. Antelo encourages students to explore science through art Image Credit: www.dailytrojan.com

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Reflecting on the Year 2013 Sam Moulton-Oregon Health and Science University

As we start a new year, it is important to reflect on the accomplishments of the previous year. The year 2013 was a busy year for the LMSA chapter at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). We started off the year 2013 last January with a mixer for our premed mentorship program. Thirty college students from local universities and community colleges came to our campus for a day full of workshops and panel discussions. They learned strategies to prepare for the MCATs, how to write a personal statement, and how to apply for medical school. The premed students maintained contact with their medical school student mentors throughout the school year to help them learn more about medical school. The year continued with our annual Cesar Chavez blood drive last March. The event was partnered with the American Red Cross. We had an amazing turnout for the event and surpassed our goal for the day. We then hosted the quarterly LMSA regional meeting last July. LMSA representatives from the Western region joined OHSU students and local premed students for a day full of inspiration. Dr. George Mejicano, the Associated Dean for Education at OHSU, shared with us his Guatemalan upbringing and his path to medicine. While, Dr. John Saultz, the Chair of Family Medicine at OHSU, spoke about the future of health care in America. The day was a great success and we were happy to introduce the LMSA regional board to our beautiful city. As we look towards the rest of 2014, we are excited to continue where we left off in 2013. We hope to expand our current programs while finding more ways to support our local Latino community in Portland, Oregon. LMSA Regional Summer Meeting at OHSU

2nd Annual Mentorship Day at Western University Of Health Sciences Robert Vela-Western University of Health Sciences On January 25, 2014 Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California will be hosting our 2nd Annual Mentorship Day where we have over 160 pre-med students registered to attend. Last year this event hosted about 60 pre-meds most of which fulfilled the mission of LMSA in that they are students considered underrepresented in medicine (particularly Latinos) that we hope we can inspire and motivate to continue pursuing medicine despite difficult challenges they will encounter. This year’s event is dedicated to the Latino’s in the country in the working class who work hard everyday in the hopes of giving their children the opportunity to attend college and pursue careers in medicine and as well as other careers. Unfortunately, in the Latino community this sacrifice is squandered by too many of our contemporaries who choose a life of materialism, lush, and instant gratification. We cannot afford to keep losing intelligent, capable Latinos to paths that do not progress our advancement into influential roles and fields. Our hope is that this event will shed a little bit of spotlight on the above issue that seems to continue to snowball. Further, we expect that this event will provide a direct contact for mentorship between pre-meds and med students in the effort to bridge the gap between Latino Physicians and the lack thereof in the field. Lastly, it is our hope that this will expose the Osteopathic Medicine philosophy to students that don’t have much of an idea what Osteopathy is really about. We will be having an Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine demonstration in which we expect to educate pre-meds on what this wonderful tool can provide patients and their potential private practice one day.

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Latino Medical Student Association-West LMSA West is a group of passionate medical students, organized to recruit and support individuals in the healthcare professions who will strive to improve the access and delivery of healthcare to Latinos and medically underserved populations. We actively promote:

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The development of a communication network for medical, pre-medical, and health care students interested in serving the medically underserved. Medical, pre-medical and healthcare students' interests that will lead to the improvement of healthcare for underserved communities. Health policy education that affects underserved communities. Educational enrichment programs for the recruitment of medical school applicants. Collaborations with other organizations committed to the improvement of health care delivery for underserved communities. The academic success and support of students dedicated to improving health care services to underserved populations.

Community Affairs Corner Sonia Morales-Charles Drew University

Save a Life, Give Blood. Did you know that someone in the US receives blood every 2 seconds?

Invoking the name and legacy of César E. Chávez, the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)-West, in conjunction with LMSA National, BloodSource and the Migrant Students Foundation will be taking part in the César E. Chávez Blood Drive Challenge on Saturday, March 22, 2013 during our 30th Regional Conference: Transforming Our Script in Medicine.

What better way to celebrate our 30th anniversary than by continuing the legacy of Cesar E. Chavez and bring awareness to a good cause: blood donation? This is the first year that LMSA-West has partnered with LMSA National for its National Latino Healthcare Day. Additionally, we are partnering with the Migrant Students Foundation a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the hundreds of thousands of existing migrant farmworker families within the U.S. today by helping them connect with scholarships, internships and service learning opportunities (more information and how to donate to the Migrant Students Foundation can be found at http://www.migrantstudents.org/). The blood drive will be held throughout the conference at the Double Tree hotel in Sacramento, CA. If you would like to participate and donate blood please indicate it on your conference registration under the “Participate in Blood Drive tab”. Our VP of Community Affairs will then contact you with further information.

To learn more about LMSA West please visit http://lmsa.net/west/

For questions regarding the newsletter, to contribute an article, or learn about ways to get involved please contact VP of Newsletter, Karla Gonzalez [email protected] 9