lmsawest fall 2013 newsletter.pdf

7/27/2019 LMSAWest Fall 2013 Newsletter.pdf

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LMSA West

NewsletterLATINO MEDICAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION Inside this issue

Mitral Valve Prolapse and Pin atas,

UCLA/CDU................................... .1

University of Arizona Recruits New

Members .................................... ...3

Summer PreMed Program at UCI.4

University of Washington Visits Cuba

.................................................... ...5

UCSF Welcomes First Year Students

.................................................... ...6

Community Events.. .............. ...7

Mitral Valve Prolapse and PiatasJennifer Menjivar

-

UCLA/Charles Drew University

It is 5:45 a.m. Twenty-seven undergraduate students gather around the bus turnaround in front ofAckerman station. Five rented vans pull up filled with eager physicians and residents, donated cloth-

ing, food, medications, and of course, a piata filled with candy and toys. I watch as these future lead-

ers pile up into the car for what would be a 4 hour drive across the southern border to a whole new

world. After stopping for gas and breakfast somewhere in San Diego, we meet up one last time nearthe border before everyone loses signal on their cell phones and cross into a land mixed with Spanish

road signs and restaurants featuring tacos dorados, menudo, and chilaquiles. Our caravan continues on

to a Mexican government-run building where at 10 a.m. thereis already a line of patients hoping to receive medical atten-

tion.

The CCMers, an undergrad premed group, have been makingthese trips to Tecate for several years, returning to this board-

er town once a quarter. They collaborate with the Latino Stu-

dent Health Pro-ject (LSHP), an-

other premed stu-

dent-run organi-zation at UCLA,

and several dedi-

cated physicians to provide basic health care to patientswho would otherwise never receive medical attention. Af-

ter setting up tents, and rationing beans, rice, and multivitamins for the patients; boxes of medication are taken

out of storage, assembly line style, as the endocrine drugs

are placed next to allergy medications and GI meds.

Fall 2013

UCLA/CDU Med Students and CCMers in Tecate

Jennifer Menjivar MSII, takes home her very own piata


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Some paents were in great health and needed only a mul vitamin; others

were diagnosed with serious medical condions, like the paent with a mitral

valve prolapse, who was advised to go to the hospital and seek follow-up care.

Mitral Valve Prolapse and Piatas

(continued)Gracious donations of clothes and toys from vari-

ous CCM'ers are also displayed out in one of thefinal sections of the health fair. The Tecate Clinic

Health Fair is finally set up and patients are readyto be seen.

Students take their place, taking vitals, registeringpatients, and handing out medications, clothes,

food and toys. Other CCMer's who are veterans ofthe Tecate Clinic Health Fair provide information

on diet, diabetes, sexual education, and more. As anew medical student I was the visitor looking inon this well organized and structured event. I was

truly impressed as these able minded bodies weremaking a difference in a nearby community, tak-ing an entire day away from their families, friends,and studying for finals coming up that week, to

help this underserved community. I looked on aspatients would walk in and interact with students,explain their chief complaint and get their vitalschecked. Doctors and their undergrad shadowswould welcome their patients and provide theneeded care. Some patients came alone to be seen,

others came in bundles of families; many withchildren who took great joy in breaking open a

piata. Some patients were in great health andneeded only a multi vitamin; others were diag-nosed with serious medical conditions, like the

patient with a mitral valve prolapse, who was ad-

vised to go to the hospital and seek follow-up care.After the last patient was seen and clean up was

taken care of, the CCMers and guests formed acircle to discuss the event. Positive feedback was

given all around as these professional and compas-sionate students were praised for their hard workand professionalism. The Tecate Health Day Clin-

ic was a huge success as many community mem-bers were helped.

The trip wouldn't be complete without stopping intown for some tacos and horchata. The streets

were blasting with live music and the park full ofstreet vendors and patrons. I had a great time, andit wasn't just because I walked away with somecajeta casera and a piata of my own; it was be-

cause I had the pleasure of working with theseindividuals who dedicated an entire day to help theneedy in this border town. They demonstratedcompassion, professionalism, and true leadershipthat brought a community together. This alsoserved as a reminder of the importance of health

fairs and volunteer work; in these events everyonewins. I will always remember Tecate, the faces of

those who were helped, and the inspiring individu-als who made this possible.

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University of Arizona, Tuc-

son Recruits New Members

with Engaging Activities

This fall LMSA at the University of

Arizona, Tucson got off to a great

start in recruiting new members and

planning numerous activities. On Au-

gust 30th, 2013 the college of medi-

cine held a club fair where LMSA had a poster and did an awesome job of recruiting

new members and spreading the word about our goals to reach out to the Latino com-

munity in Tucson. Andrea and Alfonso did a great job of promoting us and we had a

great turn out!

Our September meetings were full of planning events to highlight Hispanic Heritage

Month awareness. We started off with a very successful bake sale. Our next activity

was stroke awareness at a health fair, our club was involved in cooking demonstrations.

It was a great turnout and we have more planned for the semester. We also had volun-

teering opportunities forVida! Conference that is focused on breast cancer awareness

especially early screening. Our job was to help with registration, distribution of materi-

als, and introduction of speakers among other things.

We have several dates planned where several members will go to lunch to talk to high

school students from underserved high schools about college and a career in medicine.

We have also participated in an event for undergraduate research where several mem-

bers have lunch and an-

swer undergrad ques-

tions about applying to

and life in medical

school.

Finally, another new

event in the works is a

dinner and a movie nightas well as more bake

sales!

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Andrea and Alfonso from U of A promote LMSA!

Bianca Barcelo-University of Arizona

U of A hosts a movie night for new members


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SUMMER PREMED PROGRAM: Inspiring Future DoctorsDuring the summer of 2013 the Summer Pre-Med Pro-gram celebrated its 3rd year of existence. The programwas created in 2010 by the collaboration of 3 UCI

SOM outreach programs: High School Outreach Pro-gram, Center for Future Health Professionals and the

Latino Medical Student Association. The programconsists of three two-week sessions throughout thesummer that cater to 60 high school students each.

Each session is designed to stimulate an interest intalented high school students in pursuing careers inhealthcare and science. The program does so by fol-lowing the 3 core values of the School of Medicinesmission-

Discover, Teach

and Heal.Discover: each

student is chal-lenged to think

independently

and critically.

Teach: hands-on workshops anda group presenta-

tion on diseaseand research en-

courages studentsto become life-

long learners and teachers

Heal: by lear ning how to conduct patient inter-views in the clinical setting students learn how to meet

the unique needs of the patient

These core values were all exemplified by participa-tion in various workshops led by School of Medicinefaculty, medical students and undergraduate studentcoaches. Such activities included an opening day

White Coat Ceremony, UCI Medical Center visit,mock trial to learn the legal side of medicine, college

and career development workshop, and clinical skillstraining. The exposure the students have to hands-on

medicine is unmatched by many other premedical pro-grams. According to one of the creators and major pro-

ponents of the program, Dr. Marco Angulo, the pro-

gram allows the kid born and raised in Newport Beachto work together with the kid from Santa Ana who

might not have the same resources as the kid fromNewport Beach. This program fosters a positive envi-ronment that allows students from diverse back-

grounds to work together to develop their interests in

healthcare and science.

The program also fosters a strong mentoring environ-

ment by recruiting passion-ate and giving undergradu-

ate student and medical stu-dent coaches. LMSA can

proudly say that 6 out of the

8 medical student coacheswho participated in various

sessions were LMSA offic-ers-Victor Cisneros (sessionI), Jesse Gomez (session IIand III), Krystal Jimenez(session I), Jose Muiz-

Castro (session III), BiancaRivas (session III) and Cris-

tina Vargas (session I). Vic-tor Cisneros and Bianca Ri-vas also had the opportunity

of working on the admissions committee workingalongside the creators and facilitators of the program

Dr. Benoosh Afghani, Dr. Marco Angulo, Wally Mu-ratori and Molly Blair. The two LMSA officers sharedthe responsibility of screening scholarship applicants

and rewarded scholarships to those students whodemonstrated need for financial assistance in order to

participate in the program.

LMSA plans to continue its strong support and dedica-tion to the UCI Summer Premed Program whose mis-

sion aligns with LMSAs mission of creating and men-

toring a generation of healthcare professionals thatwill give back to their communities and communities

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Marco Angulo, MD, one of the creators of the program, works

with high school students in the simulaon center

Bianca Rivas-UCI

The program smulates interest in talented high school students in careers in

healthcare and science using the three core values of the UCI School of Medicine

Mission: Discover, Teach, Heal.


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Last summer, during the month of August, a group of eleven people (4 UWSOM students, 1 UWSOM

professor, 1 nurse, 1 human rights advocate, 1 political science student, 1 writer / women's rightsactivists, and 2 engineers) traveled to Cuba. The purpose? To learn about Cuba's healthcare system,

especially about their successful programs focusing on preventive and community-based medicine. The

group spent a total of two weeks visiting a number of medical centers, including a policlinic, a familydoctor's practice, a mental health clinic, a maternityhome, a retirement home for the elderly, and the NationalCenter of Sexual Education. Each visit provided an

opportunity to talk to doctors, nurses, and patients, aswell as experts in different areas of the Cuban healthcaresystem. In addition, the group's itinerary also allowed for

learning about the Cuban culture. Besides Havana, thegroup traveled to other areas known for their natural

beauty: the valley of Viales, the peninsula of Varadero,and colonial town of Trinidad. The group enjoyed

learning about Cuban history, geography, music, and"criollo" cuisine. One of the highlights of the trip wasinteracting with Cubans in the streets of Old Havana, at

the Malecn, or at the Casa de La Msica in Trinidad. Itwas a fun-filled trip with many takeaways. In a country

with limited resources, it was a humbling experienceseeing and experiencing the emphasis Cubans put onmaintaining a universal, community-based healthcare

system.

In the words of a couple of the participants:We not only had the opportunity to explore Cuban

culture and the beauty of the country, but also theopportunity to see the possibilities of a socialist medical system that measured itself by how well it tookcare of the poorest and worst off within the population. It was inspiring for us as someday-professionals

within the medical system to see that therereally are other ways of taking care of

people. Medical systems that are built onaccess to resources, education, giving

basic needs of housing and food, primary

care for all and specialized care for thosethat need are incredibly important andsomething that we hope to take home with

us.

Plus, we got good food, good music, gooddancing, and amazing sights all along theway!

-Ben Lang

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Visiting Cuba: A Close Look at AnotherType of Health System

Mariana E. Oliva-University of Washington

U of W students vising a maternity home

U of W students vising Cubas Naonal Center of Sexual Educaon


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We not only had the opportunity to explore Cuban culture and the beauty of the

country, but also the opportunity to see the possibilies of a socialist medical sys-

tem that measured itself by how well it took care of the poorest and worst o

within the populaon.

"This trip was great. Our understanding of Cuba as a country is often muddled by politics and limitedinformation. It was enlightening to visit and see the country for myself. Their healthcare model is alsoexceptional, and one of the biggest contributing factors I observed was a people and a government that

truly value being healthy. People are active, they know where to get care, and many services are availa-

ble to them."

-Sean Bernfeld

One of the most memorable mornings was our meeting with staff from a mental health clinic that

serves the densest neighborhood in the entire Caribbean, a corner of Havana much like the rest of thebustling city's core - with tight, winding streets of tired, beautiful apartment buildings. The staff whosat with us - nurses, social workers, pediatric and adult psychiatrists, spoke with candor and passionabout their challenging work: with alcoholism, depression, with the homeless, even how the Cubanmedical establishment approaches ADHD treatment for children. More than anything, what struck me

was that the work of the caring, committed physicians of this hyper-urban corner of Havana is identicalto the work of the caring, committed physicians that I've shadowed at our public hospital in Seat-

tle. Despite the radical differences in our social fabrics and our histories, the language and perspectives

of committed caregivers seems universal.

-Benji Perin

After a much needed summer break, UCSF

LMSA is finally back in action. We welcomedthe incoming MS1s to the wonderful world ofmedical school at our first meeting of the year onSeptember 9th, 2013. There was quite the turnout, with a total of 21 eager students attending.

Each of our soon to be successors received a giftbasket, containing goodies ranging from schoolsupplies, to instant coffee, to much-needed pen-

lights.

As we all stuffed our faces with freshly madequesadillas from the local taqueria, the co-chairs

took the lead and set the meetings agenda. How-ever, the agenda of this meeting was simple we

wanted to get to know the incoming first yearsand invite them into our famlia of LMSA. And

so we did. Everyone shared a small blurb about

their background and what sparked their interestin joining LMSA. Laughter was had, smiles wereshared, and friendships were made. Additionally,a great number of students expressed blatant in-terest in joining our board, so it looks like UCSF

will have yet another strong LMSA contingentnext year.

We second years took great pride in introducingthe first years to UCSF and LMSA. Meeting

those who will soon run UCSFs chapter was adirect reminder that LMSA is a full functioning

and evolving force, bound by the past, present,and future generations of its members. We will

continue to be heard, and we will continue tomake change.

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Health Care Systems (continued)

Quesadillas y Charlas: UCSF Welcomes First Year Students

Nash Martinez-UCSF


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A Season to Give Thanks...Looking for ways to get involved in

the community? Looking to donate

your me to a good cause? Pleaseconsider the following organizaons

and upcoming events.

RUN/WALKSAlzheimers AssociaonWalk to End Alzheimers

hp://www.alz.org/

California:Hunngton Beach, CA 11/02/2013

Anaheim, CA 11/16/2013

Los Angeles, CA 11/02/2013

Arizona:Phoenix, AZ 11/2/2013

Susan G. KomenRace for the Cure

To parcipate: hp://

www.komensandiego.org/race/

To volunteer: hp://

www.komensandiego.org/race/

volunteer-for-race.aspx

California:San Diego, CA 11/2/2013

American Diabetes AssociaonStep out-Walk to Stop Diabetes

hp://stepout.diabetes.org

California:Los Angeles, CA 11/02/2013

SERVICE PROJECTSCasa LanaSeale, WACasa Lanas mission is to empowerLano immigrants through educaon-

al and economic opportunies.hp://casa-lana.org/

Looking for volunteers for their gala

dinner La Fiesta de Sol, English as a

second language teacher, or social

media.

Utah AIDS FoundaonProjects help the Utah AIDS Founda-

on by giving direct support to peo-

ple living with HIV/AIDS and their

families, or providing educaon to

the community.

hp://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/

current-volunteer-opportunies/

team-projects/

In need of personal care/food drives,

assembling meal baskets, and organ-

izing a World AIDs Day event.

Naonal Alliance on Mental Illness

(NAMI)

Utahhp://www.namiut.org/

To ensure the dignity and improve

the lives of those who live with men-

tal illness and their families through

support, educaon and advocacy

Throws an annual Holiday Party &

needs help stung gi bags for

aendees.

Thursday, December 11th, 10am-2pm

Thursday, December 18th, 10am-2pm

Community Affairs Corner

Latino Medical Student Associa-

tion (LMSA)-West

LMSA West is a group of passionate medical

students, organized to recruit and support indi-

viduals in the healthcare professions who will

strive to improve the access and delivery of

healthcare to Lanos and medically underserved

populaons.

We acvely promote: The development of a communicaon net-

work for medical, pre-medical, and health

care students interested in serving the med-

ically underserved.

Medical, pre-medical and healthcare stu-

dents' interests that will lead to the im-

provement of healthcare for underserved

communies.

Health policy educaon that aects under-

served communies.

Educaonal enrichment programs for the

recruitment of medical school applicants.

Collaboraons with other organizaons

commied to the improvement of health

care delivery for underserved communies.

The academic success and support of stu-

dents dedicated to improving health care

services to underserved populaons.

To learn more about LMSA West

please visithp://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]

Sonia Morales-CDU

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http://www.alz.org/http://www.alz.org/http://www.komensandiego.org/race/http://www.komensandiego.org/race/http://www.komensandiego.org/race/http://www.komensandiego.org/race/volunteer-for-race.aspxhttp://www.komensandiego.org/race/volunteer-for-race.aspxhttp://www.komensandiego.org/race/volunteer-for-race.aspxhttp://www.komensandiego.org/race/volunteer-for-race.aspxhttp://www.komensandiego.org/race/volunteer-for-race.aspxhttp://www.komensandiego.org/race/volunteer-for-race.aspxhttp://www.komensandiego.org/race/volunteer-for-race.aspxhttp://www.komensandiego.org/race/volunteer-for-race.aspxhttp://stepout.diabetes.org/http://stepout.diabetes.org/http://casa-latina.org/http://casa-latina.org/http://casa-latina.org/http://casa-latina.org/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.namiut.org/http://www.namiut.org/http://www.namiut.org/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://www.utahaids.org/volunteer/current-volunteer-opportunities/team-projects/http://casa-latina.org/http://stepout.diabetes.org/http://www.komensandiego.org/race/volunteer-for-race.aspxhttp://www.komensandiego.org/race/volunteer-for-race.aspxhttp://www.komensandiego.org/race/volunteer-for-race.aspxhttp://www.komensandiego.org/race/http://www.komensandiego.org/race/http://www.alz.org/

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