Physician training doesn’t stop at the bedside. Residents also grow by teaching, leading and mentoring others.
Sutter Health brought that approach to this year’s Latino Medical Student Association National Conference, where it served as a diamond-level sponsor. The event brought together medical students, pre-med students, residents and health care leaders from across the country.
Now in its 21st year, the national conference focused on the theme Cultura Cura: Healing Through Heritage. Programming explored how culture, language and lived experience can inform patient care. Sessions also focused on mentorship, clinical skills, specialty exploration and preparing students for medical school and residency.
Residents drew from their own residency experiences while building skills as educators and mentors.
Dr. Dineen Greer, vice president and designated institutional official for Graduate Medical Education at Sutter Health, spoke during the conference’s opening ceremony.
Dr. Dineen Greer
“Connecting with medical students early in their education gives us an opportunity to show them the breadth of careers in medicine and the communities where physicians are needed,” said Dr. Greer. “That matters as we work to strengthen the physician workforce and prepare doctors to care for patients across a wide range of settings.”
Residents Put Knowledge Into Practice
Sutter residents hosted Salud Reproductiva: Hands-on Workshop on Contraceptive Counseling, an interactive session focused on communication and clinical skills.
Medical students practiced discussing contraceptive options and helping patients make informed decisions about their care.
Leading the session also helped residents strengthen communication in clinical knowledge and guide other learners.
Dr. Bertha Villa
“It was an honor to impart knowledge during our workshop at LMSA,” explains Dr. Bertha Villa, a second-year family medicine resident at Sutter Memorial Medical Center. “The engagement, enthusiasm and forward-looking optimism were there! Our workshop represented a link to the future our audience is working hard towards. As a presenter, I saw a room full of enthusiastic soon to be physicians that are relentless in their effort.”
Outside the workshop, residents spoke with students considering their next steps in medicine. They offered a firsthand look at residency at Sutter across different specialties and clinical environments.
Dr. Adriana Mora
“LMSA holds a very special place in my heart because I attended this conference as a pre-medical student, where seeing Latino physicians who looked like me made a career in medicine feel possible,” explains Dr. Adriana Mora, third-year physician family resident at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento. “Returning now further along in my career is incredibly meaningful, and I hope to provide students with the same sense of hope and inspiration I experienced. Continued support from organizations like Sutter through funding and partnership is essential to creating opportunities for students and strengthening the pathways of healthcare professionals who can serve our communities.”
Sutter’s participation in LMSA reflects a larger investment in medical education. Across Northern California, Sutter continues to expand its graduate medical education programs and is working with Santa Clara University to establish the Mark & Mary Stevens School of Medicine.
Together, these efforts expand pathways for physician education and help ensure more doctors are prepared to care for patients in rural, suburban and urban communities.
They also support Sutter’s work to address gaps in care where they exist.
