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The Office for Diversity
and Community Outreach in Undergraduate Medical Education

Office for Diversity / Student Groups

Student Groups

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Boricua Latino Health Organization

The Boricua Latino Health Organization is a Latino student group representing health professional students from the northwest region of the United States.  Like the national organization, our local our Penn Med chapter has the following mission to:

  • Recruit Latinos into higher education
  • Develop a Latino High School Mentoring Program pairing Latino high school students with Penn Med  Latino medical students
  • Serve as a support network for Latino students
  • Advocate for increased Latino representation in health professions
  • Participate in the recruitment of underrepresented minority students to Penn Med
  • Work closely with the Student National Medical Association to foster a community of color at the University of Pennsylvania
  • Educate the public and one another about Latino heath issues which we do, in part, by assisting in health care delivery at a free clinic, Puentes de Salud,  in southwest Philadelphia for Latino immigrants
  • Promote awareness of social, political and economic issues as they relate to Latino health which we do during Latino Heritage Month (September 15th through October 15th)
  • Assist in the organization of the Medical Spanish courses designed for Penn Med medical  students wanting to learn Spanish
  • Sponsor the 2009 National Conference, "Strengthening the Core," February 20-21, 2009

 2009 BLHO Executive Board

  • Faculty Advisors: Mrs. Hilda Luiggi and Dr. Iris Reyes

Student National Medical Association

The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is a national student-run organization focusing on the needs of minority pre-med students, medical students, and health care consumers. The goals of the University of Pennsylvania chapter of SNMA are the following:

  • To conduct heath fairs and health screenings in underserved minority communities in Philadelphia and suburbs
  • To sponsor informational programs which educate minority youth about the medical school application and admissions process
  • To serve as mentors to younger students who aspire to go to medical school
  • To participate in the recruitment of underrepresented minority applicants to the School of Medicine
  • To serve as informal peer academic advisors to other enrolled Penn Med students
  • To sponsor Black History Month activities and presentations for our medical school
  • To promote residency training programs at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

2009 SNMA Executive Board

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