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California Medicine Scholars Program (CMSP) is pleased to announce the onboarding of students from the second cohort across its four Regional Hubs of Healthcare Opportunity. We warmly welcome them to the CMSP community and are excited to share details of their orientation events outlined in the updates below.
Additionally, ongoing planning is underway to offer CMSP students from both cohorts exciting and empowering programming opportunities that reinforce students’ identities as aspiring medical professionals. We are thrilled to host our inaugural CMSP Virtual Student Conference in April 2024. This year’s theme, “Empower, Elevate, Embrace: Crafting our CMSP Narrative,” will focus on student identity and development within CMSP.
As a community, we are collaboratively shaping the future of CMSP, fostering growth, and building camaraderie as we support students in achieving their goals.
UC Riverside CMSP scholars, second cohort during their orientation in January 2024.
Recent Highlights from Each Regional Hub
AvenueM, Greater Northern California Regional Hub of Healthcare Opportunity
UC Davis AvenueM recently hosted its inaugural Mentorship Networking Dinner on January 10, welcoming over 65 mentors and mentees from their first student cohort. A recap of the event is available on YouTube. Mentors and mentees are now meeting regularly, laying the foundation for a strong and ongoing relationship. Additionally, they welcomed their second cohort of 50 new students last month, having held their orientation via Zoom to guide them from community college to medical school. Their outreach coordinators eagerly anticipate getting to know this new cohort better in the coming weeks.
UC Davis AvenueM students with their mentor at the Mentorship Networking Dinner.
Inland Empire Regional Hub of Healthcare Opportunity
The CMSP, IE RHHO is excited to welcome their second cohort of students into the program! Scholars and families were invited on Saturday, January 27, for an Orientation at the new UCR School of Medicine, Education II Building. They had the opportunity to engage with one another, UCR SOM staff, faculty, and medical students. Smiles and good company were shared all around!
Inland Empire RHHO welcomed the second cohort of students at their orientation.
Region X Regional Hub of Healthcare Opportunity
Region X has completed the selection process for the incoming 2024 Cohort, choosing 63 students from over 150 applications spanning the region's community colleges: MiraCosta, Palomar, Grossmont, Cuyamaca, Miramar, Mesa, San Diego City, Southwestern, and Imperial Valley. The interview committee, composed of Region X CA Medicine Mentors, Senior CMSP Scholars, and staff, was impressed by the candidates' resilience and inspiring stories, reflecting a diverse cohort with 58% Hispanic or Latino, 14% MENA, 14% Asian or Asian American, 8% Black or African American, and 53% identifying as first-generation. Additionally, a joint workshop in December united CMSP and University Link Medical Scholars (ULMSP) for community building and professional development, offering activities such as Professionalism and Interpersonal Communication Workshops, Study Sessions, and Scholar Check-ins to enhance their
skills and foster peer mentorship. Looking ahead, we aim to integrate ULMSP students into future activities to provide valuable peer-level mentorship on the transfer process.
Scholars from the Region X Regional Hub of Healthcare Opportunity.
San Joaquin Valley Regional Hub of Healthcare Opportunity
The spring semester at UCSF Fresno is off to an incredible start! They have welcomed their second cohort of 59 new students, bringing their total to 101 SJV-MedBridge students currently being served across the San Joaquin Valley. They have had several successful events, including two virtual orientations and program expectation workshops to boost engagement. Additionally, they organized two well-received in-person events: a SIM Lab Day at UCSF Fresno and a "Medical Student for a Day" event at CHSU. Next up, they are hosting students at the 2024 Reaching Out to Aspiring Doctors (ROAD) Conference "Shaping the Future – Insights for Tomorrow’s Professionals," on March 1 and
2 at UCSF Fresno.
New CMSP students representing the San Joaquin Valley RHHO's second cohort attended the SIM Lab Day at USCF Fresno.
California Medicine Scholar Profile
Kenneth Encarnacion, a dedicated student at Riverside City College, is pursuing a degree in Chemistry for Transfer. He attributes his decision to join the Inland Empire CMSP program to the genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion he witnessed within the program. Kenneth is excited about being part of a community that values diverse perspectives and fosters an inclusive environment, a sentiment reinforced by his
professor, Dr. Tayyar, who recommended him for the program. He expresses gratitude towards Director Teresa Cofield for her unwavering support and kindness. Kenneth's aspiration to become a physician stems from his profound belief in the value of every individual's well-being. Inspired by his religious beliefs, Kenneth sees his future role as not only addressing physical ailments but also providing spiritual guidance, emphasizing the importance of holistic healing and personal connection in healthcare.
Regional Hub Staff Profile
Kenneth Bush: Originally from the Imperial Valley (Calexico), Kenneth attended Community College at Cerritos College in Norwalk, CA where he began his involvement with Chicanos/Latinos for Community Medicine (CCM), MiMentor, and Medicos Enfermeros Y Dentistas Para El Pueblo (MED PEP). After transferring to California State University, Long Beach, he joined the NIH BUILD
(Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity) Scholars Program where he continued his health equity advocacy work and began his career in health outcomes research. He completed a Master of Science in Health Promotion from the University of Oklahoma and returned to Southern California with the skills he developed to advocate for health improvements in his community. Through these experiences, Kenneth has strengthened his belief that there is power in lifting members of the community into positions of leadership and influence to achieve favorable community health outcomes, which is a crucial aim of CMSP. He is proud to be a part of the California Medicine Scholars Program (CMSP) and is grateful for the opportunity to help provide students in the Imperial and San Diego Counties with the support needed to become physicians. Kenneth is grateful for the exceptional team assembled by Drs. Hernandez and Bailey at CMSP Region X, including Ivan, Sedtavut, Carissa, and Suzanne, who share a vision of advancing community college students' medical aspirations. He feels honored to work alongside them.
March 8, 2024, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. | A Path to Practice: Medical Student Speaker Series featuring Beverly Sayasouk
As a nontraditional medical school applicant and first-generation minority in medicine, Beverly found her path to medical school in her journey through California’s CSU and community college systems. She developed a passion for public health at Cal State Fullerton and majored in health sciences with an emphasis in health promotion and disease prevention. After many volunteer and work experiences within different fields, Beverly finally realized that her ultimate goal was to become a physician. The route she took to get to where she is today is unconventional, but because it helped refine her interests and ignite new passions, she wouldn’t have had it any other way. Her goals are to connect with students who may feel lost navigating the medical school process, share her experiences of balance in medical school, and empower those who may feel discouraged at any point in this journey.
April 10, 2024, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. | Personal Finance 101
Personal Finance 101 is a workshop that teaches students some of the fundamental building blocks for developing a personalized and intentional money management style. Participants will learn about foundational personal finance concepts, strategies for managing their money, and tools and resources that can help them achieve their financial goals. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a better understanding of concepts like cash flow, budgeting, saving, and more. This workshop is a great introduction to personal finance as well as an opportunity to refresh pre-existing skills.
Other Resources to Share with Students
CMSP has curated a collection of valuable resources that can support students on their journey to medical school. We encourage you to share these resources with students.
Pre-Health Dreamers is an organization dedicated to breaking down barriers to healthcare education and access for immigrant communities. By providing vital resources, support networks, and advocacy, Pre-Health Dreamers empower aspiring healthcare professionals from immigrant backgrounds to pursue their dreams of healing and serving underserved populations. Through mentorship programs, scholarships, and tailored guidance, students can access invaluable opportunities and guidance as they navigate the complex journey of pursuing healthcare careers. With a commitment to inclusivity and social justice, Pre-Health Dreamers ensures that all students, regardless of immigration status, have the support and resources they need to thrive in their academic and professional pursuits, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and compassionate healthcare system.
Basic Needs: A student’s ability to meet their basic needs, such as food, housing, and mental health and wellness, is critical to their well-being and success. The Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) provides resources and helps remove obstacles outside of the classroom to keep them focused on education and working towards their full potential. Order your complimentary basic needs outreach resource toolkit from FoundationCCC now! Resource toolkits will include posters, postcards, informational flyers, and stickers to help spread the word about these important resources.
Data and Evaluation
Research, data, and evaluation are important to the California Medicine Scholars Program to ensure that we are not only capturing the successes of this program but also continuing to improve based on current information.
Research Spotlight
From Setback to Success: Meeting Comebacker Students Where They Are
Over 6 million Californians ages 25 to 64 have completed some college but have not yet earned a credential. Against the backdrop of ongoing enrollment declines and skilled workforce shortages, supporting this prospective student population to completion and success serves as a critical component in addressing the state’s postsecondary and economic challenges. This new report from California Competes, which draws on over 50 interviews with comebacker students (those who exited college and re-enrolled) and a community of practice through CaliforniaAttain!, identifies four key areas, each with its own set of recommendations for promoting re-enrollment and degree attainment while also shifting higher education structures to address the needs of today’s diverse college-going population.
Challenges Facing First-Generation College Graduates in Medical School: A Qualitative Analysis
As part of this original investigation published in JAMA Network Open, the authors explored the experiences and professional identity development of 37 first-generation medical students across the US. First-generation medical students can experience a unique set of challenges related to financial stress, complex educational systems, and “a hidden curriculum with implicit, often unwelcoming professional norms and expectations.” This can ultimately lead to an overreliance on grit and resilience to overcome these challenges. The authors advocate for creating learning environments that are supportive and leverage students’ assets–extending holistic strategies beyond admission and into curriculum, student support, and faculty development. Targeted strategies related to academics, identity, and finances for supporting first-generation medical students are listed at the
end of the article.
In the News
In case you missed it, the following link highlights our work:
Scientific American: To Diversify Medicine Post–Affirmative Action, Look to Community Colleges
This publication is written and developed by Jessica Garcia, with support from the CMSP Coordinating Office and the Foundation for California Community Colleges Communications team. To learn more about the California Medicine Scholars Program, please visit our website. For more information contact us at: info@california-medicine.org.