A transformative pipeline for community college students: California Medicine Scholars Program (CMSP)

This episode discusses how the University of California Riverside (UCR) School of Medicine (SOM) has supported community college students on their pathway to medical school amidst the physician shortage in the Inland Empire.  According to the California Health Care Foundation, the Inland Empire has only 39 Doctors per 100,000 people. A physician shortage leads to limited access to health care, increased health care cost, lower quality of health and greater health disparities. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, UCR SOM took proactive measures by becoming part of the Regional Hubs of Healthcare Opportunity (RHHOs) of the California Medicine Scholars Program (CMSP), an innovative pipeline program aimed at increasing the number of physicians. CMSP identifies promising students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine. These students are provided with mentorship, guidance, and education opportunities that prepare them for success in the medical field. Throughout the program, aspiring physicians gain exposure to various medical disciplines, engage in hands on experiences, and receive academic support to excel in their studies. The program's comprehensive approach helps cultivate a new generation of healthcare professionals who are passionate about serving their community. So, join Stephanie Sandoval, Health Educator and Fara Aidul, Community Health Project Manager, as they explore this crucial issue. We will hear from Kaylynn Rivas, Rechelle Patterson, Alexiana Quinones, and Rubbab Naqvi, California Medicine Scholars (CMSP) interns as they each share their own experience with CMSP and how it has impacted their career path as first-generation students. 

Fore more information about CMSP at UCR please visit: https://cmsp.ucr.edu/

Fore more information about CMSP please visit: https://californiamedicinescholarsprogram.org/

Transcript

[music] 30 sec of play 

Hello, welcome to Healthy Disruptions, a podcast about health and health inequities across our diverse communities in Southern California.

In this podcast, we speak with community members, students, researchers, and leadership to bring you the real experts on health disparities in communities across Southern California. 

Join us each month as we discuss local issues as they are happening and highlight members of our communities who are seeking better health for themselves and their communities. 

Thank you for joining us for your healthy dose of disruptions. Stay with us. 

[Short Music segment 5-10 sec] smooth fade into a montage of Michelle Obama "Inspiring message to first-gen college students" and Ted Talk with Lyric Swinton "What I have Learned as a first-generation college student".


Stephanie:  

California's Inland Empire or region nestled between Los Angeles and the Mojave Desert is home to vibrant communities and stunning landscape. But beneath the surface lies a growing concern, a shortage of physicians. In this informative video we'll explore the challenges faced by the Inland Empire and discover how the University of California system is stepping up to address this issue. 

The Inland Empire and combusting Riverside and San Bernardino counties is a stretched out region with a population exceeding 4 million people. However, this rapidly growing community is facing a severe shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly physicians. California is experiencing a physician shortage and especially affecting the Inland Empire. According to the California Health Care Foundation, most regions fall below the 60 Doctor benchmark that experts consider adequate and California's rural regions fare much worse. There were fewer than 50 Doctors per 100,000 People in three rural areas. And the Inland Empire region east of Los Angeles had only 39 Doctors per 100,000 people, a physician shortage leads to limited access to health care, increased health care cost, lower quality of health and greater health disparities. 

But what is causing this shortage in the Inland Empire? One major reason behind the physician shortage in the Inland Empire is the geographical distribution of doctors. Many physicians tend to gravitate towards coastal areas, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, where there is a higher concentration of medical facilities and professional opportunities. They'll an empire also faces economic and social challenges that contribute to the physician shortage. The region has a higher poverty rate compared to the state average, which affects the availability of residents to access and afford health care. These socio economic factors can deter physicians from establishing practices in the area. 

Recognizing the urgency of the situation. The University of California has taken proactive measures to address the physician shortage in the Inland Empire and throughout the state. One such initiative is the California medicine Scholars Program and innovative pipeline program aimed at increasing the number of physicians. The California medicine Scholars Program, developed by the UC system identifies promising students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine. These students are provided with mentorship, guidance, and education opportunities that prepare them for success in the medical field. Throughout the program, aspiring physicians gain exposure to various medical disciplines, engage in hands on experiences, and receive academic support to excel in their studies. The program's comprehensive approach helps cultivate a new generation of healthcare professionals who are passionate about serving their community,

Interview

Stephanie: 

Joining me are the interns at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine Center for Health Communities, who are also members of the California medicine Scholars Program. Joining us today are Kaylene, Rechelle, Rubbab, Alexi, Fara, and myself Stephanie and the goal of the program is to guide a diverse set of community college students into medical school. And I really want our listeners to get a feel of the diversity and at the California Medical Scholars Program. So I would like everyone to introduce themselves and share a little bit about your background and what brought you here today.

Alexi: 

Hello, my name is Alexiana Quinones, and I go by Alexi. I am a second generation transgender, Hispanic American, and I attend College of the Desert as a biology major. My hope is to pursue a career in medicine and to become a doctor.

Kayleen: 

Hi, everyone. My name is Kaylynn Rivas, and I am a second generation Mexican American. I am the first one in my family to obtain an associate's degree and pursue a bachelor's degree, which makes me a first generation student. I currently attend Cal State San Bernardino as a biology major who is also pursuing a career as a pediatrician. 

Rubbab:

Hello, everyone. My name is Rubbab Naqvi. I am an immigrant from Pakistan, and I graduated from Chaffey College with associates in bio and will be transferring to UCR in fall 2033. 

Rechelle:

Hello everyone, my name is Rechelle,

Stephanie:

I heard a lot of you say that your first generation college students, what does that mean to you?

Alexi: 

For me personally, being a first generation college student meant that it was simultaneously its own unique challenge and a blessing for me to get into college. I stated previously that I'm a second generation immigrant, my father's side, and my mother's side came from poverty. So for us the possibility of me moving on from the cycle of working retail or menial labor working at Factory was a big deal. My paternal grandmother never even had the opportunity to obtain an education beyond elementary school. So the idea that I'm capable of obtaining advanced education is kind of crazy.

Kaylynn:

I am a first generation student. I am currently a transfer student at Cal State San Bernardino coming from Riverside Community College. And to me being a first generation college student is probably my proudest challenge I will be able to accomplish. Being a first generation student is something I don't take lightly, because my parents and my grandparents have sacrificed so much to get me to where I am at this point in my life. And I wouldn't be here without any of them. So being able to call myself a college student in the first place is such a blessing that I'm so grateful to have. And but it does create different challenges for us, I feel like because it's exploring a whole new world that my family has never been a part of. And it's a scary thing that I've and I've dealt with so many setbacks, just because I lacked knowledge about the path I'm taking. So pursuing a career as efficient itself is even harder and going through it blindly makes it even more challenging. But I want to continue to succeed not only to accomplish my own personal goals, but to show my family that everything that they've done for me was worth it.

Rubbab: 

I do agree with me with all my heart I wish I would have said the same thing. I am also a first in generation. I immigrated from Pakistan in 2017. With no background in English I learned English once I came here and starting high school. And English is like my fourth language. And being the first generation student here is hard because the system is the educational system like schooling in college and then medical school is totally different from Pakistan. So I have to learn a lot to say it has its pros and cons. I cannot rely on my parents for the info because they have never been to the same school in America. However, I can share bits of my journey with them and have them experience a little bit of it with me. A con is that I cannot rely on other people that I need for school. So it's kind of hard being a first generation here, especially in America.

Fara:

Awesome. So before entering the CMSP program, how are you all navigating your journey towards medical school? And how were your feelings feeling like lonely, lost, confused, 

disoriented?

Alexi:

Admittedly, I didn't really know what I was doing. My family was not well versed in how to use college websites, let alone what medical school really entailed. So whilst I did do some research on looking for the requirements, I was not properly educated and precisely what I need to be doing to go to my Medical School. I feel like whilst I was sort of getting into the right classes and doing pretty good on that front, I didn't really know exactly how to proceed. And so see the CMSP program really helped me get onto the right footing for my journey.

Kaylynn: 

Before entering the CMSP program, I truly felt behind I felt like I dealt with such a big transfer shock coming from high school and then going to college. And I graduated 2020. So it was, I was a COVID year. So coming back after COVID hit me really hard, my grades started to slip. And I didn't know how to study efficiently. Because I felt like in high school, personally, it was easy for me, I would go to class, I learned the information, take the test, and I'd get straight A's. So I felt like I didn't have to study. But going to college is much different. You really have to learn the information. So I felt like I didn't know how to study efficiently. I also felt like I didn't have enough on my resume to make me a competitive applicant. And before the CMSP program, I didn't know what you needed to pass be a competitive applicant, I thought it was just good grades and scoring high on the MCAT. But there's so much more. And I didn't know like we had to get so many hours. So that's why I felt behind. And I also had no idea how to find the different opportunities for like the clinical hours, the shadowing hours. And I just felt overwhelmed. Overall, I felt like I wasn't good enough at one point.

Rubbab:  

Before CMSP I was so lost on my journey. After high school I applied to  18 schools. Even though I got accepted to my top choice, I still decided to go to community college in order to save money, so I can save it for four year or medical school. But then people a lot of people told me that I have really low success rate getting into medical school because I attended to get college, like straight from high school to four year. So I was like, so that means I'm not gonna become a doctor or what? But then I applied for a CMSP. And they told me during my first meeting, that there are 66 person, students from community college, there are now becoming physician are doing or getting into medical school. That did give me a lot of hope. And I do feel like I am on the right path. I can share my experience with my family and my friends, but it is okay to go to community college and then for you and being a part of CMSP. I think if I have the opportunity, I would apply it while I was in high school. But better late than never. I think I did make a good choice. And I feel a lot more confident about my journey.

Rechelle: 

Yeah, definitely agree with Ruben, being in the CMSP has definitely helped give me hope to become a physician. Before joining the program, I was a bit disoriented in my journey to medical school, there was just a lot to keep track of in terms of like shadowing and clinical experience and things like that. It's just hard to figure out what to prioritize. But since being in the program, other people have helped me figure out how to navigate the journey towards medical school in a more organized way, like developing a plan. So it’s really great.

Stephanie: 

Awesome. And I know our audience members would really like to know how did you hear about the California medicine scholarship program? And what made you think that that was the appropriate choice for you in regards to your career goals? And how has this program helped you develop not just as a future physician, but in a personal sense has this program relieved you of any negative emotions you may have previously felt navigating not just the community college system, but now that you will be headed into your career path.

Alexi:

We had a presentation in the biology club on my campus. I immediately looked at the website and decided to take some initiative. I got a letter of recommendation from my Anatomy and Physiology professor and hoped that I could get in.

Kaylyyn:

I actually heard about this program from one of my community college professors. She had sent an email with like the subject line saying calling off physicians or are you a future? I'm sorry, or are you a future physician or something along those lines and it had details for the program and the thing that got my attention was the fact that it was telling me that I finally have the opportunities to get what I was lacking. They offered opportunities for us to get in contact with physicians and to medical students. That way we can ask questions and get some relief these And they even offered a mentorship opportunity and stuff like tutoring and internship opportunities. So far this program definitely diminished a lot of my negative emotions that I felt I had a lot of opportunities to talk to other students, especially like Rechelle or Rubbab, when I first met them, we were talking about our personal experience trying to get to know each other. And like I said, I felt very behind. So I was nervous meeting them, because I'm like, Oh my gosh, like, they're kind of like my competition, but not really. But I wanted to see what they've done. And they told me that they felt behind too. So it made me feel at peace. Like I was like, Oh my gosh, like, I'm not alone. And it was a really good feeling. And I'm glad that I got this opportunity to talk to them. I also got the opportunity to interview to become the Intern Center for Healthy Communities. And I was fortunately accepted, and I was able to get in. And now I'm an official intern. So I've definitely feel happy. I feel like I got the support I needed. I made friends and I feel like I'm a part of something that I didn't feel before.

Rubbab: 

I think we all are in the same boat. I do. I hear about CMSP from my former student she's on here her name is Stephanie, she told me about CMSP. So I applied for it. And I got in. The thing that made me to CMSP was the word medicine, because I would apply to anything that was in medicine, medicine. I applied to so many. And I feel a lot more calm and positive and confident about my journey. I do feel there's more certainty. Now I know what to do next, after I'm done with this internship. And it did help me relieve a lot of my negative emotions. Before it was like, oh, so I have to do this and that and then I can get into medical school. So I think being a part of CMSP is the greatest blessing for me.

Rechelle: 

Yeah, I definitely agree with you, Rubbab. Since being in CMSP, I've definitely felt more confident in my journey towards medical school. My sociology counselor is actually the one who introduced me to the program, she thought I'd be interested. So she just emailed me the flyer. And I just like took advantage of the opportunity to apply. Like before the program, it was really hard to find opportunities to do anything like I definitely wouldn't have had an internship this summer, if I didn't join the programs, has definitely helped, like finding opportunities, which I'm grateful for.

Fara:

So I know you all kind of touched on what you're trying to get out of the program, but specifically asking the question like What are you guys trying to get out of this program? And what are the opportunities you're most looking forward to taking advantage of? 

Alexi:

Honestly, I was really hoping I could get an internship or a mentorship that could really directly further my professional development. It may sound silly, but I suppose I ultimately just wanted to find a program that could help nudge me in the right direction, and maybe helped me do certain tasks that some might consider basic, but I struggle in building resume, transferring colleges, understanding how to upload programs, etc. Sure, the stipends that the program offers are very nice, but I'm not really here for the money. I'm here to learn more about how I can achieve my goals. And I think the program has really done that for me, I am really looking forward to getting access or at the very least help with obtaining some sort of positions for research and clinical work. They've also given me some places that I could potentially consider volunteering at that fulfills my goals and will help me with rounding out my education and pursuing my dream to be a physician. That advice for medical school. And transferring is wonderful and is absolutely what I needed. And given how much I love my internship, I'm excited to do more of my mentorship. It just began but I'm sure it's going to be great.

Kaylynn:

One of the biggest things that I actually looked forward when getting into this program was networking with people. I've always heard like, oh, you only get in if you know people. And I felt like that kind of sucked as a first gen and as someone who's doing this alone, almost because I didn't know anyone. So a big part was I want to network with people and talk to people. I wanted to be introduced to anyone and everyone who might have an opportunity for me. And I really wanted to talk to medical students because as I said before, I really struggled academically once after high school and COVID. So I want to find new ways to study efficiently and I want to talk to my students and start picking up their habits

Rubbab:  

The thing, that I'm trying to get out of this CMSP program is mentorship and shadowing, because, as Kaylynn said, you will only get in if you have connections, so I don't have any connection, and I want to build connection so I can take advantage of them in the future. And lastly, I do not have any clinical experience. So I'm trying to get into those things as well. So I can have as many estimates of hours as I can before I apply for medical school.

Rechelle:  

It’s the same for me like Rubbab said, I'm really hoping to build connections through the program. I'm hoping to gain guidance along the journey more than anything else. But I definitely hope to be able to take advantage of some shadowing some clinical opportunities as well. Before joining the program, I think that those three things have proven to be the hardest to find on my own. So I'm hoping to ensure that I can gain that experience, which I think I will.

Stephanie:

 Wonderful. Thank you for sharing all about your goals and what you want to really get out of this program. But we also want to know how we can improve as a program. What is something that you would like to see offered that would help you benefit in your career? So would you like to see more academic support, more tutoring, more of a mentorship one on one, what's something that would help benefit you, the students,

Alexi: 

I personally do not feel that there is much that really needs to improve with CMSP. However, I would really love to have a sort of list of places that are local to us to where we can potentially consider reaching out for clinical research work. I've already done some of that research myself, they've already given us some options. But I think it'd be really nice to have a proper list for a lot of the students that might not inherently have the time to research or haven't really gotten to that point yet. I also personally would love to have the ability to shadow a physician. However, I'm not sure they inherently have the means to provide that. That being said, CMSP has done a lot for me and for other students. And I'm very grateful for what they have done. And I appreciate that.

Kaylynn:

I think some things that they can incorporate that would help us better is possibly more of that hands on clinical work. I think for us to truly know if we're going to be good positions is to have that hands on experience. And we really haven't gotten that yet with this program. So hopefully, if they add more of that we can really learn about ourselves and learn about what types of passions we have. Another thing is tutoring. I really like we have mentors right now. And I really liked that. I just wish we could maybe incorporate more like study dates, or I don't know what they call it like a study Diem. I think that's just about like, where everyone comes together. And we studied together. I think that'd be nice.

Rubbab: 

I do agree with Kaylynn, I do want them to tell us about more MCAT? And how can we start studying for them? Because right now I'm all over the place. I don't know where I should begin with? Or Where should I begin with? Who do I need to talk to you about my MCAT journey? Also, maybe? Because I'm really looking into this one program at UCR, I would appreciate if, if they could elaborate on that program and how one person can get into their programs. What are the requirements? Do you have to have citizenship or anything? Yeah.

Rechelle:

I'm definitely interested in gaining some more academic support through the program like Kaylene said through like a study gym or like study groups, you take a lot of the same classes. It's pretty mad. So I really like to see some tutoring. Exciting sometimes I struggle in science. 

Stephanie:

That's awesome.

I really wanted to thank you all for joining us today in this episode as we go deep and discuss the physician shortage and explore its causes and the implications that it has in our healthcare system. This issue requires urgent attention and action and to the CMS P interns who share their experiences. Thank you for shedding light on this important topic. Your insight has been invaluable

Episode Outro

[outro music] 5-10 sec fade to thanks 

P1: “Thank you for listening to Healthy Disruptions. Thanks to Vince Parra from BelzarMusic for the intro and outro music. 

This podcast was produced by the Community Engagement and Dissemination Core of the Center for Health Disparities Research at the University of California, Riverside in collaboration with the Center for Healthy Communities at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine.

Content was developed by our team in collaboration with community members.

For more information and the show notes for this episode, you can also visit our website at healthydisruption.buzzsprout.com 

We’ll see you next time for some more Healthy Disruptions.