Our MedPEP Program
Our Participation in SRP 199
UCLA Courses
Seminar in Latino Health Research: HS206

The MedPEP program was developed by CESLAC in response to research preformed here which documented a grave physician shortage in Latino communities: fewer than 5% of physicians statewide are Latino, and while there is one physician for every 50 residents of Beverly Hills, the average in a Latino community like Southgate is one physician per 3,703 residents. Meanwhile, statistics gathered by a University of California committee show that while 3,000 to 4,000 Latino and African-American first-year college students per year express an interest in medical school, only 150 will ever be accepted into one. MedPEP's goal is to dramatically increase this number by assisting underrepresented students and guiding them from community college (where the vast majority of Latino students begin their college careers) through transfer to four-year institutions and into health professional programs. MedPEP has three components: a course which introduces students to the health care needs of underserved communities, parent education courses, and mentorship opportunities. Programs vary somewhat at different sites. Currently, programs are underway at Cerritos College (in Norwalk), East Los Angeles College, Bakersfield College, and Porterville College. <More Info>

SRP (Student Research Program) allows UCLA students to conduct research with a mentor for unit credit. CESLAC has been a strong participant in SRP for several years and has given many student researchers the opportunity to to to work with us. For more information on the SRP 199 program, click here.

Richard Rodriguez, a Cerritos College transfer student and recent SRP 199 participant at CESLAC, describes his experience: "Working with CESLAC was an enjoyable experience. The people were supportive, friendly, and I learned quite a bit. It was helpful for my transition into UCLA to be working at the Center and made my first quarter very enjoyable. The project I was assigned was very interesting---it was to prepare a presentation about the US medical system for the purposes of educating other pre-health students. As a Chemistry major I thought it would be an easy task, but it proved to be quite complex. In the course of writing this presentation I was introduced to the history of medicine in the US, UK, Japan, Germany, and Canada, as well as the financing, policy, and structuring of health care in these nations. I recommend participating in SRP 199 with CESLAC to anyone interested."

Dr. David Hayes-Bautista developed a course entitled "Health of Latino Populations in Los Angeles County and California," which is taught through both the Chicano Studies and Public Health departments (Chicano Studies M106 and Public Health M106). This course was the inspiration for the MedPEP course, Health Occupations 100, now taught at several community colleges. The course goals include:

1) Introduce students to major health issues facing Latino populations in Los Angeles County and California.

2) Transform a student's individual interest in health into a health professional educational goal.

3) Introduce students to basic statistical and policy information regarding health issues of concern to URM populations.

Catalog Description:

M106. Health in Chicano/Latino Population. (4) Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour. Designed for juniors/seniors. Examination of Chicano/ Latino health status through life expectancy, causes of death, reportable diseases, services utilization, provider supply, and risk behaviors within demographic/immigration changes. Binational review of health effects in the U.S. and Mexico.