Across the country, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15. Since 1968, this national event celebrates the history, culture and contribution of Hispanic and Latinx Americans from Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. This year, the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) hosted a wide variety of events throughout the month-long celebration. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these events were hosted online. Below, LMSA leaders share why Hispanic Heritage Month is so important to them, both as proud Hispanic women and future physicians.
“When I first came to PCOM, I struggled to meet other Latinx students. Joining LMSA
allowed me to meet Latinx students who shared a similar background as me. This year,
even though we were virtual, we still wanted new students to have an opportunity to
meet one another. For Hispanic Heritage Month, we hosted more events than ever before
because we wanted new students to feel welcome and comfortable. These virtual events
allowed us to bring together both Latinx community members and allies and raise awareness
to issues that folks may not be aware of. We wanted to share information with future
physicians about what their patients might face in the future.
For me, the most important event we hosted this month was ‘Ethics of Medical Deportation’. Students from all three PCOM campuses came away from the event wanting to know what they could do to advocate for patients at risk of medical deportation. This is happening in communities very close to us and it’s very important to have this conversation.”
“Hispanic Heritage Month is so important for me because it reminds me of my parents
and what they’ve sacrificed for me to be here. As a future physician, seeing the discrepancies
in healthcare pushes me to work harder for the Latinx community. I wanted to be a
part of LMSA both to meet students with a similar background and to help ensure nearby
communities have what they need. LMSA also allows me to connect with non-Latinx students
and share with them ways that they can become allies. The ‘Ethics of Medical Deportation’
webinar was eye opening for students who may not be in the Latinx community. They
could see the tragedies that exist in healthcare and how it impacts families in the
Latinx world.”
“LMSA is very important to me because it’s a safe space on campus for Latinx students
to have conversations about what’s happening in our community. LMSA helped me find
other students who’ve had a similar upbringing to mine. I also find LMSA very motivating
in my career and seeing my peers and I work hard to grow our LMSA chapter inspires
me to continue in this path. I look forward to planning these events because they
focus on real-world issues that we can often overlook as we focus so intensely on
our studies. LMSA is a space for me to advocate for my future patients and my community.
As a medical student, feeling like we’re being celebrated and validated is so important.
LMSA is very valuable both for mental health and to celebrate our heritage.
As the organizer of the ‘Ethics of Medical Deportation’ virtual community conversation, I felt it was very important to bring light to this issue. We had a guest from the community come to speak about her first-hand experience with medical deportation. This was very important because participants could speak with a source directly to hear the changes that need to be made. As future physicians, we can’t assume what our patients need from us, we need to speak with them to see how we can help.”
"Cafecitos"
Held in collaboration with other medical and graduate schools across the Philadelphia
area including Drexel, Temple, and Jefferson, this virtual event was an opportunity
for students to practice their Spanish speaking skills with other students at a beginner,
intermediate or advanced Spanish level.
“Bridging the Gaps Between Physicians and Latinx Patients”
Sarah Wilson, DO ’08
“Journey and Experience as a Latino Physician”
Veronica Contreras, DO, Dr. Contreras spoke on her journey as a first-generation and
Latina in medicine. Dr. Contreras is an Ecuadorian osteopathic physician practicing
in Southern California.
“The Ethics of Medical Deportation”
Featuring guests from the Free Migration Project, a Philadelphia non-profit organization
that represents immigrant clients in their legal proceedings, provides legal support
and advocates for fair and open immigration laws. Over 120 students from all three
PCOM campuses attended this speaker event and discussion session.
For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
Brandon Lausch
Executive Director, Strategic Communications
Email: brandonla@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6312 | Cell:
717-371-0609
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