Addressing the Physician Shortage by Increasing the Number of Underrepresented Minority Students Matriculating into Health Professional Schools

SMSU Event Center BC

The decline of primary care physicians available to practice in medically underserved areas is a problem that requires an aggressive solution. This issue, coupled with a low and stagnant percentage of minority graduates from medical schools, is leaving many populations vulnerable with care providers that may not be conscious to their needs. In order to help provide some relief, a group of students at CSUSB have organized a premedical and pre-health professions conference aimed at providing local and valuable resources to increase the number of underrepresented minority student applying and matriculating into health professional schools. This conference sees an average of 500 students annually who come from all over Southern California seeking information, mentorship, and opportunities for careers in healthcare. Student who attend receive information about internship opportunities, helpful tips to guide them through the application process, assistance with drafting personal statements and the chance to network with health professional school deans and faculty. As attendance of the conference has increased so has the interest of local health professional programs to aid in breaking down the seemingly insurmountable barriers these students face when walking down the premedical/pre-health pathway. It is the hope of the students at CSUSB that their efforts to put this event together will have a positive impact on their community.