PRIME-LA’s goal: Create a pipeline of physicians who are equipped to influence issues of policy, care and research to improve the lives of medically underserved communities.Īfter her residency training, Chatmon hopes to practice medicine in California and plans to specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation, a field that drew her in because it is geared to consider the holistic needs of her patients, allowing her to advocate for them and develop care plans that reflect the full realities of their lives. and a master’s degree in public health through PRIME-LA, a program that augments the standard medical school curriculum with additional coursework in leadership and advocacy. This June, Chatmon will be one 18 students to have earned both an M.D. I decided I was going to become a physician specifically for patients who come from marginalized communities and face barriers to being able to improve their health.” struggling with what we now call social determinants - and how they impact health access and health outcomes. “I realized that it wasn't just my family - that there were many, many low-income families in the U.S. I started to see how health care providers, through their compassion, can have an impact not just on individuals, but on whole families and larger communities by their service to patients.”Ĭhatmon’s resolve to use health care to improve lives only intensified during college as she came to understand how the barriers to care that affected her mom were part of a bigger picture of health inequality. The kindness and dedication of a nurse in the ICU helped make those days a bit more bearable, and sparked Chatmon’s interest in medicine. When Janae Chatmon was a junior in high school, her mom suffered a cardiac arrest, passing away after 10 harrowing days in the Intensive Care Unit at the local hospital. Janae Chatmon, flanked by her aunt, Ivy Baker, and her father, Raymond Chatmon, at the UCLA White Coat ceremony. Specialty: Physical medicine and rehabilitation UC PRIME-LA: Leadership and advocacy for medically underserved communities UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Charles R. Rebecca George, Bringing a culture change to medicine Skylar Rains, Making a difference for the Inland Empire Reyoot "Rey" Berry, Being an advocate in emergency medicine León, Making room at the table for the Central Valley Theresa Asuquo, Addressing health care disparitiesĪislyn Oulee, Providing dermatological care to people in needĪlonso Rodriguez, Lifting up Spanish-speaking communities Vega, Building trust with underserved patients Janae Chatmon, A voice of compassion for patientsĮdgar J. (Click the links for a shortcut to each.) The next generation of California physicians is nothing if not passionate about leading a new era in medicine. That’s the joyful and anxious day when graduating medical students all over the country discover where they will serve their residencies, a period of hands-on training in their medical specialty that can last from three to seven years. The next big step on their journey: Match Day, March 17. At every one of UC’s six medical schools, those graduating are committed to bringing health care where it’s needed most, serving populations that have long been marginalized, and recognizing the importance of listening to patients, understanding the realities of their lives, and treating the whole person.Īnd that’s California’s good fortune: Roughly three-quarters of UC medical students are likely stay and practice medicine in the state. A lot of my colleagues now understand why health equity is such a central part of our work." “People started to pay attention to what health inequity really means. Vega, who will be awarded degrees in both medicine and health leadership later this spring. “I’m blessed to have gone through medical school at such a critical time in history,” says UC San Diego medical student Edgar J. The growing discourse about health equity has had a profound impact on their medical school experience. And the nation began a long overdue public reckoning about its glaring health disparities. There were silver linings, too: Telemedicine took root, an innovation that is helping ease the physician shortage by making it easier for anyone, anywhere, to meet with doctors and specialists. And they experienced the long hours and personal sacrifices made by health professionals on the front lines. They saw first-hand how patients from underserved communities were much more likely to get sick and die from COVID-19 than other patients. That’s a big accomplishment in its own right, but this year’s graduating class did it while also contending with a global pandemic. This year, more than 700 University of California medical students will earn the right to add M.D.
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