Tulane to host Latino Medical Student Association Southwest Conference

Andrew Rivera is the first person in his family to go to medical school. Now a third-year student at Tulane University School of Medicine, Rivera is also co-conference chair of the Latino Medical Student Association Southwest Region. Tulane will host the association’s 10th annual conference March 11-13. This year’s theme is "Es Tiempo de Cambiar - The Importance of Diversity in Medicine."

The LMSA conference aims to bring pre-medical undergraduates, medical students, residents, and practicing physicians together to discuss how to best meet the needs of the underserved communities. The conference will highlight the importance of Latino leaders in improving Latino health and explore topics on the advancement of Latinos as professionals and leaders.

“It’s great to have the support of the Tulane School of Medicine administration as we host this conference,” said Rivera. “This is going to help us move our mission forward of inspiring and encouraging students of Latino and all underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in medicine.”

The virtual conference will begin with a day focused on high school students. LMSA organizers sent suture kits to participating high schools, and teens will get hands on training from Tulane medical students. High schoolers will also learn about the admissions requirements for medical school and hear about different specialties. The second day of the conference will include roundtable discussions with Latino physicians, training sessions and more.

“I think it’s an amazing opportunity to bring together a lot of Latino people and those interested in Latino healthcare together,” said Bryan Torres, a first-year student and president of Tulane’s Latino Medical Student Association chapter. “It’s vitally important to get together and highlight the unmet needs and disparities in Latino communities. We can work to find solutions, while encouraging the next generation of Latino doctors.”

For more information and to register for the conference, click here.