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Resources

The information below provides students with resources to explore opportunities to build connections with others sharing the same or similar racial/ethnic identities. These connections can help develop students’ pre-professional journey with different groups of peers and professionals.

Organizations

The HPA team recognizes that Latinx students have been historically underrepresented at Northwestern and throughout the health professions. The following information is intended to provide additional sources of support for students identifying as Latinx who are pursuing careers in the health professions.

  • Professional & Support Organizations - Many health profession, professional organizations welcome undergraduate student members. Often, the professional membership fees are reduced for students—some may even be waived in certain circumstances. Joining such an organization will typically expose students to current issues, presentation/research opportunities, emerging trends in the health profession field. Membership can also present valuable opportunities to network with peers and professionals.
  • Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) - Joining a Registered Student Organization or RSO is a wonderful way to meet like-minded individuals, make friends and build a pre-professional network. Membership in these organizations can also present opportunities to further develop your leadership and organizational skills, often supporting communities in and around Evanston and Chicago.
  • Alumni Resources - Health Professions Advising offers services to Northwestern undergraduate alumni. HPA advisors are here as a resource for you during your gap/bridge year planning, or career transition planning into a health profession. Services include pre-health advising, application advice, support with your personal statement and mock interview practice.

Insights

  • AAMC, Inspiring Stories: Antonia Garcia –  Motivated by the lack of primary care physicians and health care disparities in his community, Antonia Garcia boosted his undergraduate GPA, retook the MCAT and reapplied successfully to UC Riverside School of Medicine.
  • Celebrating 10 Hispanic pioneers in medicine - These inspiring leaders launched advances in medicine and research that led to Nobel Prizes, life-changing cures, and better care for millions of people. This AAMC article shares their incredible stories.
  • Medical Student Tackles Health Disparities in Hispanic Communities - This article explores the work of Nicolás Francone, a first-year Feinberg medical student who is combining his medical education with his desire to help eliminate health disparities among Hispanic populations.
  • Why We Need More Hispanic Doctors - Improving the health of Hispanics and underserved communities can be enhanced through education and research activities advancing diversity in medical education.
  • The National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives (NALHE) - The NALHE is a national organization led by Latino/Latina executive leaders of U.S. hospitals and healthcare organizations and experts in the fields of health care policy and practice. NALHE was founded in 2005 to increase senior-level Latino/Latina representation in hospitals and health systems in the United States. Our goal is to create a future workforce of highly talented Latino/Latina healthcare executives who can meet the challenge of delivering and improving healthcare in our diverse communities.
  • Oral health and Hispanics - This article explores working to expand the Hispanic dental workforce as a way of increasing access to care to underserved communities recognizing the differing oral health needs of Hispanics across different groups.
  • Providing Mental Health Support to Families with Immigration Trauma - Cheryl Aguilar wants to help families experiencing the trauma of immigration and adjusting to new life in the U.S. Aguilar immigrated from Honduras as a teenager, an experience that helped guide her to give back to immigrant communities.

Programs & Opportunities

  • Summer Health Professions Education Program - The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) is a free summer enrichment program focused on improving access to information and resources for college students interested in the health professions. SHPEP’s goal is to strengthen the academic proficiency and career development of students underrepresented in the health professions and prepare them for a successful application and matriculation to health professions schools.
  • The Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship - The 2020 National Hispanic Health Professional Scholarship is open to any student enrolled full time in the following accredited graduate programs: Medicine: allopathic or osteopathic; Dentistry; Pharmacy; Nursing (including BSN); Public Health/Policy; Physician Assistant. Applicants are not required to be Hispanic; an affinity for the health of Hispanic communities and an interest in participating in NHHF Scholars Alumni activities is required.
  • Medical and Health Scholarships for Hispanic & Latinx Students - In many situations, grants and scholarships are the same. But sometimes, the awarding of a grant is based more on financial need, while scholarships may focus more on academic excellence, community service, a particular area of study, or membership in a particular group. See if one of these scholarships fits your college needs.
  • Hispanic Dental Association (HAD), Scholarship Program - The HDA scholarship aims to advance healthier Hispanic communities through scholarship and leadership opportunities supporting oral health initiatives. Applicants should show commitment and dedication in improving and serving the oral health of the Hispanic community.
  • Medical Organization for Latino Advancement (MOLA) - Dr. Pilar Ortega launched MOLA recognizing a need to support regional networking among Hispanic physicians as well as recruiting local students into the field and mentoring those already in med school or in training.
  • PAs for Latino Health Scholarship - The Physician Assistants for Latino Health (PALH), a caucus of AAPA, offers $1,000 scholarship grants to currently enrolled PA students
  • Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) - College juniors interested in public policy, including public health policy, should consider the PPIA Fellowship Program. The PPIA aims to help students prepare to pursue Masters' or joint degree, typically in public policy, public administration, international affairs, or a related field. The PPIA Junior Summer Institute Application is due around mid-November each year.
  • Office of Fellowships - There are varied resources available to students via the Office of Fellowships. For example, the Fellowship Finder is a searchable database containing information on undergraduate tuition support, research funding, internships and summer opportunities. When using the Fellowship Finder use the search filter "Underrepresented Minority" (URM). URM is used to define BIPOC underrepresentation according to federal standards and includes such identities as Black, Latinx, Native American, and Southeast Asian.  Additional drop-downs allow you to select other underrepresented identities, including LGBT and FGLI.