California State University, Dominguez Hills will be among five West Coast college campuses to host Tour for Diversity in Medicine, a grassroots program to encourage and inspire more ethnical and racial minority students to become doctors and dentists by providing them with information and advice from those who were once where they are. The tour makes its only Southern California stop at the CSU Dominguez Hills campus on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
Open to undergraduate and recent graduates from CSU Dominguez Hills and campuses throughout the Los Angeles region, the tour will include a variety of workshops throughout the day on such topics as the application process, and interview and test-taking skills, as well as networking opportunities with current physicians and medical students. More than 150 students are expected to attend.
“I am elated that CSUDH was chosen as one of the hosts for the February 2014 Winter Tour,” said Thomas Landefeld, professor of biology and pre-health adviser at CSU Dominguez Hills who was instrumental in bringing the tour to campus. “Our students will have an invaluable opportunity to learn more about what they need to do to be successful in achieving their future educational goals under the tutelage and mentorship of successful individuals who have experienced many of the same obstacles that they currently face.”
Landefeld is a frequent speaker on minority issues in the health arena and said the Tour for Diversity’s focus on educating and mentoring is key to diversifying the health profession workforce.
“The paucity of minorities in health professional schools and ultimately in health professions is due to a number of reasons, with two being most cogent: the lack of knowledge as to proper and comprehensive preparation for those careers and also the lack of role models that can relate directly to them,” he said. “The Tour for Diversity program effectively addresses both of these issues, and as a result, can truly affect change in this underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the health professions.”
There is no cost to attend but registration is required. Registrants can attend all or portions of the day’s events and will receive a schedule in advance.
To register or for more information, visit http://tour4diversity.org.
