Latinx mEDICAL sTUDENT aSSOCIATION
About LMSA
Mission and Vision
The Latinx Medical Student Association (LMSA) unites and empowers medical students through service, mentorship and education to advocate for the health of the Latino community.
Our vision is: Unifying Medical Students to promote Latino health.
Part of our objectives include:
To unify all Latino medical students into one organization
To provide a voice for underrepresented medical students
To actively promote recruitment and retention of Latino students at all levels
To educate medical students on Latino health issues
To advocate for the rights of Latinos in health care
To provide leadership opportunities for Latinos
To promote volunteerism in the Latino community
History
The Latino Medical Student Association was first founded in principal as a national collection of like-minded but separate Latinx student groups in 1987. The network was created through collaboration between regional Latinx medical student groups and the need for a central national core for unified targeted efforts. As the regions became more developed, the complexity of the network demanded further sophistication.
Ultimately, after many name-changes of individual groups, the name of the national organization was officially changed to LMSA, in an effort to unify all the Latino medical students from different regions under the same title. In 2010, the first independent LMSA national conference was held in Chicago at the University of Illinois at Chicago. LMSA chapters at medical colleges across the nation are a part of one of the following regions, including: LMSA Northeast, LMSA Midwest, LMSA Southeast, LMSA Southwest, and LMSA West.
Founded 8 years ago in 2015, Albany Medical College's chapter of LMSA is a member of the LMSA Northeast region. In the time since its founding, LMSA continues to grow and has become an integral part of both USA and the greater AMC community. As LMSA's history suggests, LMSA reaches so far beyond the bounds of Albany. Our entire community is strong, and our unity can be felt powerfully at conferences and summits that are held annually. The bonds and connections that LMSA facilitates have the potential to truly embolden us all as we navigate the field of medicine.
Events and Initiatives
LMSA at AMC strives to empower our communities both within the medical college and center itself as well as with the capital region as a whole. Notably, this includes annual volunteering with the Albany Latin Fest in Washington Park, and as well as a series of spotlights and events (e.g., speakers, discussions on disparities, workshops) highlighting our presence in the medical field during Latinx Heritage Month. These events are in addition to constant initiatives to engage and advocate, including a winter tamalada and involvement with social media campaigns to promote Latinx-related issues (e.g., DACA, family separation).
In fall of 2020, LMSA also hosted several events surrounding Latinx Heritage Month (LHM), including a Latinx Heritage Month grand rounds lecture, presented by David Acosta, M.D., Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Association of American Medical Colleges. More information about LHM and the recording of Dr. Acosta's lecture can be viewed under the news tab on USA's website, or by clicking here.
Other events and initiatives we are currently involved in include:
Annual Hispanic Heritage Month events (Spanish HPI workshops, salsa/bachata nights, movie screenings, etc.)
Mentorship pairings with 1st and 2nd-year medical students
Student-led presentations and discussions about the health implications of medical mistrust in Latinx communities
Capital District Latinos Service Learning Program
Offers volunteer opportunities at their food pantry, vaccine clinics, community health screening programs (i.e. Kidney Health Prevention Education Sessions), etc.
LMSA PLUS network at UAlbany with mentorship and pre-medical advice panels
Conferences
Biannual LMSA Northeast Regional Conferences
Annual LMSA National Conference
Fundraisers
Recent donations to Mayan Hands, Saratoga Community Health Center, hurricane victims of Puerto Rico
Leadership
The LMSA leadership is elected every academic year in the Spring semester. The 2022-2023 LMSA Executive Board for Albany Medical College is:
President - Ashley Martinez (She/Her/Ella)
Vice President - Kelvin Rodriguez (He/Him/His)
Treasurer - Valerie Mira (She/Her/Hers)
Mentorship Chair - Emily Tovar (She/Her/Hers)
Events Coordinator - Garrett Kondek (He/Him/His)
Past leadership includes: Tyler Jetjomlong (Class of '24), Aimée Capellan (Class of '24), Marcela Morán (Class of '24), Abigail Martinez (Class of '24), Frank Trujillo (Class of '24), Aaron Garcia (Class of '23), Jeslyn Rodriguez (Class of '23), Yohary Fabian (Class of '23), Alex Khamechand (Class of '23), Alex Ortiz (Class of '23), Grace Rivera (Class of '22), Laura Hernandez (Class of '22), Lauren Camargo (Class of '22), Sarah Martínez (Class of '22), Ernesto Acosta (Class of '21), David Morales (Class of '20), and Fredy Huertero (Class of '20).
Get Connected
Interested in getting involved, learning more about us, or meeting with a LMSA representative when you interview at Albany Med? Reach out to us using our email and remember to follow us on instagram @LMSAAlbany!