Latino Medical Student Association at Tulane honors Hispanic Heritage Month with guest speakers and free medical screenings
Hispanic and Latinx people make up 18% of the US population, but less than 6% of the physicians around the nation identify as either ethnicity. The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) at Tulane University School of Medicine is one of many chapters around the country aiming to increase the number of Hispanic and Latinx medical students and raise awareness about how better representation can improve health outcomes in Latino communities. Tulane LMSA organized a series of events to honor and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
The Hispanic Heritage Month Lecture Series featured guest speakers Edith Romer, MHM, and Gezzer Ortega, MD, MPH. Romero is an activist, organizer and poet, who envisions art and storytelling as a tool for social change. She has extensive experience in community health, Latinx health, reproductive justice and health equity.
Ortega, MD, MPH, is an instructor of Surgery and Lead Faculty for Research and Innovation for Equitable Surgical Care at the Center for Surgery and Public Health, Department of Surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Ortega’s work centers on improving surgical care for patients with limited English proficiency.
Tulane LMSA also hosted its first ever pop-up health screening clinic at the annual Que Pasa Fest in Metairie. Students offered free blood pressure screenings, blood glucose testing and weight management advice. More than 100 people received free screenings during the two-day event.
“Our culture embodies who we are and why we are proud to care for our patients,” said Bryan Torres, a second-year medical student and co-president of Tulane’s LMSA chapter. “We will continue to strive for a place where we not only belong, but where we are celebrated.”
Tulane LSMA is holding a joint event with Cultural Coalition this Saturday, October 15th from noon to 5 at Zony Mash. The event will include Hispanic-owned small businesses selling goods and crafts.
