Multi-faceted initiative to provide scholarships, mentorship and internship opportunities for pre-med and medical students.
OAKLAND, Calif. — The University of California, Davis and The Permanente Medical Group, a physician-led medical group serving Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California, is launching a new initiative at UC Davis School of Medicine dedicated to building the next generation of physicians committed to advancing Latino health.
The program, called Preparando Estudiantes Para Ser Medicos, or Preparing Students to Be Physicians, (“Prep Médico” for short) is a multi-faceted initiative that will provide scholarships, mentorship and internship opportunities, a residential program, intensive language training, volunteer service opportunities, and hands-on clinical experiences for pre-med and medical students. The goal is to expand diversity in medicine and ultimately increase the number of Latinos who choose to become physicians.
“With the growing demographic of the Latino community in California, it is imperative that we be proactive in educating a future workforce that is both skilled and culturally responsive to and respectful of the community we serve,” said UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. “Launching innovative and scholarly initiatives such as Prep Médico helps UC Davis better serve our local and global community and represents a tangible way we are breaking new ground to meet society’s most pressing challenges and leading the way for higher education in the 21st century and beyond.”
UC Davis expects to serve approximately 100 students annually through the new program, which begins with scholarship support for medical school admissions testing this year and will be fully implemented by 2018.
“There is an urgent need for California and the nation’s health care providers to have a workforce of culturally competent physicians who can help address health inequities in underserved communities,” said David Acosta, associate vice chancellor of Diversity and Inclusion at UC Davis, who will serve as director of the new program. “Our partnership with The Permanente Medical Group can be transformative, not just for UC Davis, but for California and the nation as well. Prep Médico will enable us to encourage and train more young people to become physicians and serve the rapidly growing Latino community. ”
“The Prep Médico program will provide a holistic, comprehensive and longitudinal approach to supporting diverse students at key stages in their educational experience,” said Julie Freischlag, dean of the School of Medicine and vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences at UC Davis. “It will encourage and support students from their first days in college all the way through medical school to help ensure that we can increase the number of Latino physicians practicing in California and around the nation.”
According to the U.S. Census, Latinos are the largest single racial/ethnic group in California, making up 39 percent of the state’s population. However, only 4.7 percent of physicians in California are Latino. Having a diverse workforce is a key component in the delivery of quality, competent health care. Studies by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Institute of Medicine have indicated that race concordance between patients and physicians can result in improved patient satisfaction, trust with better adherence to medical treatment, health literacy, and patient safety. Expanding the Latino physician workforce could play a significant role in reducing health care disparities in those underserved communities.
“This program is part of The Permanente Medical Group’s commitment to meeting the needs of all patients throughout California, including the rapidly growing Latino community,” said Robert Pearl, MD, executive director and chief executive officer of The Permanente Medical Group. “As the nation’s largest medical group with more than 8,000 physicians, we understand how important it is to provide care that is culturally responsive and respectful. To do that, California and the nation will need high quality, well-trained physicians who are knowledgeable about Latino culture and fluent in Spanish. Prep Médico will help us meet that very important need.”
Prep Médico emphasizes both undergraduate and medical school elements in its program design.
A certification program at UC Davis School of Medicine for students focusing on health care delivery for Latino communities.
In addition to launching the Prep Médico program, The Permanente Medical Group also announced today its renewed commitment to UC Davis’ Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care (ACE-PC) program. The ACE-PC initiative is a unique medical education program that allows a select group of eligible students to complete medical school in three years, one-year earlier than traditional programs, and then directly enter into their primary care residency. The UC Davis program eliminates summer vacations and electives, and is designed for students who know they want to become primary care physicians.
Kristina Rodriguez, a Healdsburg native who is a first-year student at UC Davis School of Medicine, has already started her clinical rotations with TPMG physicians through the ACE-PC program. She said the experience has reinforced her childhood dream of becoming a physician and providing medical care to the Latino community.
“Having support and resources are everything to people who sometimes don’t have anything,” said Rodriguez, who is the first person in her family to go to college or medical school. “It is so important to have these programs to bridge those gaps for people who have a passion, but don’t have the resources, help and support to pursue a medical education. These programs are going to be essential.”
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 10 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health.