Touro University Nevada Hosts “Future Latinos in Medicine” to Strengthen Diversity Efforts
Touro University Nevada hosted the “Future Latinos in Medicine,” a group of UNLV undergraduate students for an on-campus introduction.
Future Latinos in Medicine is a pre-medical organization committed to providing community outreach serving the Latino community of Las Vegas and supporting Latino undergraduates interested in pursuing a medical career.
The dozen students in attendance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and Nevada State College (NSC) met with some of Touro’s Latino students representing a variety of programs.
Students were given a tour of the campus, met each program director and dean, and learned more about the financial aid/application process.
“We want to reach out to students in our backyard. We have a lot of bright minds out there who are excited to further their education,” said Rolando Flores, Touro’s Associate Dean of Students.
Touro is broadening its diversity through new programs and partnerships, most recently the announcement of a partnership with Nevada State College that allows qualifying third-year NSC students the opportunity to earn a dual degree by completing their final year in Touro’s Medical Health Sciences program.
The partnership was announced during a special signing ceremony on the Touro campus with NSC students in attendance. A few of those students, according to Flores, also came to the “Future Latinos in Medicine” event.
“We’re seeing the interest in both the Las Vegas and Henderson communities,” Flores said. “A lot of the messages our speakers gave seemed to really resonate with the group. We want to expand our diversity because Southern Nevada has such a mixed population.”
Flores said it’s important for Touro to be diverse, specifically with students who were raised in Nevada.
“We want to make sure we have students who are passionate about serving our population,” he said. “Why not someone who knows the community and the people who live here? They have a strong connection to this community, so that’s who we want to focus on.”
