L ike the hardy desert mesquite, the Office of Minority Affairs has flourished in the brutal summer heat of Tucson. These groups came together to encourage students from rural areas and minorities underrepresented in h ealth care to learn more about the opportunities in the health care field. Both programs continue to have a broad base of community support. But grants first used to run the programs eventually ran out. Although the aim of the Minority Affairs office since it began in 1969 has been recruitment and retention of students underrepresented in health sciences fields, its programs affect many students at the College of Medicine.
Any medical student has the opp ortunity to get involved with the programs.
The program has support from the medical students. One of the program's goals is achieved thanks to the many volunteers who help make Med-Start and MMEP possible. A high priority, says Don, is celebrating diversity and helping students understand diversity issues. More than 40 minority undergraduates from across the state participated in the nationally recognized MMEP, a premed enrichment program. The program helps promising, highly motivated minority college students gain admission to medical schools.