Preparando Estudiantes Para ser Médicos
Our innovative program introduces scholars to healthcare and connects them with leaders in medical specialties, public health, and policy.
- Interact with health professionals at UC Davis Medical Center and Kaiser facilities.
- Examine Latinx health disparities and the social determinants of health.
- Understand their personal leadership style and develop new skills.
- Receive structured academic advising and mentoring.
- Scholars may be eligible for a stipend upon successful completion of the program past scholar.
- First- or second-year college student (or community college).
- Resident of the Central Valley or Northern California.
- Completion of English Composition AND one semester/quarter of General Chemistry OR General Biology.
- GPA of 2.85 or higher.
- Demonstrated interest in becoming a physician and serving Latinx communities.
“My biggest challenges come from being a first-generation student. I did not see myself represented at the physician level, and I had no idea how to apply to medical school let alone how to succeed in college. I cannot emphasize enough how much Prep Medico helped me on my journey, it gave me the tools and confidence to visualize my dream and gave me the roadmap for how to get to my dreams. It laid the foundation for all of my success in undergrad and beyond. It truly changed my life and I am so thankful for this program. I am now a second-year medical student at UCSF in their PRIME program for the urban underserved, and I have no doubt that I would not have made it this far without Prep Medico.”—Diego Martinez Mori, Prep Médico Alumni '17
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Mailing Address: 4610 X Street, Suite 2104, Sacramento, CA 95817
Phone: 916-734-2743
Email: hs-prepmedico@ucdavis.edu
The Prep Medico team is working remotely. Please email us if you have any questions or concerns about the program.
UC Davis Program Targets Next Generation of Physicians to Advance Latinx Health
In 2016 the University of California, Davis and The Permanente Medical Group launched a new initiative at UC Davis School of Medicine dedicated to building the next generation of physicians committed to advancing Latinx 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, 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 former 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, former 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, former 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.”
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 The Permanente Medical Group 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.”
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, 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 Feature Videos
Learn about how Prep Médico is designed to expand diversity in medicine and ultimately increase the number of Latinos physicians.
In the summer of 2016, UC Davis School of Medicine launched its first six-week residential program for freshman and sophomore college students interested in becoming physicians.