Any Latino D.O. Students out There???

[Dre1207]

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hi guys!

I just started Western U this year and wanted to see what the population of Latino DO med students was like out there. In my class, we currently have only 5 students out of 180...not good stats...

Anyone else out there???

 

[bentz]

I can think of a least 4 latinos in my class at UMDNJ-SOM. I am sure that the number of latino in our is more than four. The class size goes up this year. We have 96 students as compare to 85 students from the previous years

 

[OphthoBean]

I was watching this thread and could practically hear the crickets chirping in the dark!!! Wow! I sure hope there are more than just a handfull of Latino med students around!

Mainly I stopped in to encourage you to get involved in recruiting Latino pre-meds and to get involved in CMSA. I am a past president of CMSA at WesternU and looking back, wish we had done more with the Latino pre-med groups, especially at nearby schools like CalPoly. The pre-meds are out there but many are not aware of either WesternU or DOs at all...or they don't think they can apply if they don't know a DO.

I know med school is a busy time, but, rally the troops and set a little bit of time aside for this good cause. Latino patients will be grateful for your role in getting them docs that they can identify with!

 

[Dre1207]

hi opthobean!!!

its so good to hear from you! Thanks for your encouragement, it is my goal to increase the number of Latino med students at Western. The Latinos we do have in our class are very interested in trying to increase our numbers here at Western, so we have that going for us! Do they have a CCM or CHE at Cal Poly, APU, or the other Cal States? Well, i would love to do my best to increase the numbers.

As for me, I love Western and would love to hear where your career has taken you. Are you now an opthamologist? Do you think its possible for a DO to get a competitive California residency like EM or OBGYN?

Let me know!

Adelante!!!

Andrea

 

[raining4days]

I'm not Latina but I do speak Spanish. Does that count? 😀

 

[Dre1207]

Thats awesome that you speak Spanish!!! Where did you learn?

 

[DrQuinn]

I'm not Spanish, and I don't speak Spanish, but I had a patient in the ED last month who told me his "pinga es en fuego."

Q, DO

 

[Shinken]

Quinn, the correct grammar on that statement should be his "pinga esta en fuego."

Wow, it's been a long, long time since I've heard the slang "pinga".

 

[OphthoBean]

Originally posted by QuinnNSU
I'm not Spanish, and I don't speak Spanish, but I had a patient in the ED last month who told me his "pinga es en fuego."

Q, DO

That's wonderful...and so relevant to this thread. Thanks for your useful contribution.

Anyhoo

I am so glad to hear about the enthusiasm on campus at WUHS! My class (2001) was a bit "too busy" to be very enthused about real recruiting so most of our efforts were through the admissions office phone-a-thon kinda thing and some joint work with SNMA.

I know Cal Poly's program because my sister is a pre-vet there. They have a Chicano/Latino Pre-Medical Student Assn that is part of the Cesar Chavez Center on campus. Through the center you can get a hold of all the Latino organizations on campus.

APU is less diverse I think. They don't have a Latino group at all. Instead they have a Multi-Ethnic Program that is an umbrella for all non-white students. It would be a bit harder to find pre-med Latinos there.

CSUF has a chapter of MEChA and a couple of other Latino themed organizations. They might be able to help in forming contacts with the pre-meds.

The Claremont Colleges also have small Latino groups and pre-health groups to contact.

As for me, I am PGY-3 Ophtho in MI...but with every intention to return to CA.

PM me and I will happily share more!

 

[Kiki2004]

Just wanted to give my shot out! I am also a past prez of CMSA at WesternU which is now called LMSA...I also tried my hardest on the recruitment and retention end, but with our schools' administration, it was like beating a dead horse. However, I was happy to at least gain one accomplishment...I got the Recruitment and Admissions departments to get a table going at the Statewide LMSA conference last year ( I was also a LMSA Statewide rep). It was a big success! A lot of pre-med latino students came to the table...hopefully that will open some doors and get some more latinos at COMP!

Dre, try to get involved if you can, I know it's tough with school and classes and tests, etc, but any little bit of help goes a long way! I may not be as actively involved this year because it's my last year, but I still feel very passionate for LMSA...I am anxiously and excitingly awaiting the Statewide conference this year at UCSF (last year it was at UCI) There is a graduation banquet each year and that's a lot of fun! Something about seeing a room full of Latino doctors (well, soon-to-be doctors! 😀 ) is very empowering!

If you have any questions, just PM me...I'll be happy to answer them!

ophthobean, what year did you graduate? Do I know you?

Glad to hear you guys are out there!

 

[Dre1207]

hi kiki!

GOD TO HEAR FROM YOU! I was actually on the planning committee for the UCI Statewide LMSA conference last year. I went to UCI for their College of Medicine Post bacc program and we were heavily involved with LMSA. Its good to hear that you went and had a great time! We had put soo many man hours to make it a success!

I am determined to get the word out about what some people are calling the "best kept secret of Socal", Western U!!! I love this school and cant wait to get involved and recruit Cal poly students and others that are out there!

It would be great to keep you and other latinos from Western in the pipeline of Latino Docs out there! Wouldnt it be great to oneday plan a statewide conf here at Western? hmmm..just a goal...or thought?

i'm thinking of OBGYN too! Where are you considering???


Adelante Siempre,
dre

 

[EcuaDOc2be]

Hey everyone,
I'm soooo glad to see there are students from Western that are eager to do their part in recruiting more Latinos into medicine. Hopefully we will be able to do that this year since it seems like more people want to get involved. We're planning on doing outreach to Cal Poly, possibly UCR as well as to local high schools. I'm really excited about this year!!! Hopefully we can get students that went to COMP to come talk to us as well. If anyone has any ideas or comments you can e-mail me: [email protected].

Querer es Poder
Veronica Farfan-Madrid
MSII
LMSA Co-President

 

[Kiki2004]

hey EcuaDOc2be,

I'm the other ex-statewide rep/ex-President! How was the meeting in Sacramento? Let us know where the next one will be, since it will be back in SoCal...I would like to attend if it's close by. Let us know if you have any questions, I may be busy getting my apps out, but I can never get away from my computer!

We tried to get a mentorship program going with Cal Poly in the past, however we just didn't have the manpower to keep it going. It sounds like this year you guys are really pumped up and that terrific! Maybe you can get it started up again? We aleady have contact info, I don't have it anymore, but I'm sure last years' officers do. Let us know if you need any help. Or if you ever want to have a panel of students and alumni from LMSA to come talk during a meeting...I could probably gather a few other LMSA alumni and 3rd and 4th year med students that are around the area...

Dre, that's great that you're thinking about going into OB/GYN! I want to stay in Cali so I am looking at all programs out here. Right now I am doing a rotation at UCI...I love it there! SO far, it's my first choice! PM me if you have any questions...

...now, back to my personal statement! 🙄

 

[monchiormeno]

Hi guys!
I just started NYCOM this Fall. We are over 300 students and I really have not seen that many Latinos. Maybe 10-15, or maybe I have not been looking. According to the AACOMAS website, we are not that many. I'm also Navy HPSP and doing some online surfing I came across some stats about female hispanic officers in the Navy. Needless to say, there are not that many of us out there. I guess in a couple of years that will start changing, until then, we better be good, we have to make a good example for the ones that will follow.

 

[Dre1207]

hey monchi,

Congrats on being a student at NYCOM! What an accomplishment! So, if there are only 10-15 of you guys there, have you thought about forming a Latino Medical Student Association? I think back east they call it the Boriqua Medical Student Association...but im not sure. A few years ago, our organizatin used be called the Chicano/Latino Medical Student Association, but they have since changed it to Latino Medical Student Association.

I can imagine that if there is only a few of us Latinos in Medicine, there are probably even few Latino docs in the military. But you are right, it is up to us to make a good impression now so that our predecessors can have a easier time! Have you guys thought about outreaching to nearby colleges?

Adelante!
Andrea