Intro Heading link
The Hispanic Center of Excellence (HCOE) at the University of Illinois College of Medicine (UI COM) is a program that aims to improve the health and wellness of Latinx communities in Illinois. The HCOE delivers programs that increase the number of outstanding Latino/Hispanic applicants pursuing health careers. Programs span the continuum of health education and promote the development of health practitioners who capably deliver language concordant and culturally responsive care to historically underserved Latinx communities.
The HCOE is a valuable resource for Latino students and professionals who are interested in pursuing careers in the health professions. The HCOE’s programs and services provide a comprehensive and supportive environment for Latino students to succeed in their academic and professional goals.
Goals Heading link
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Our Mission
The HCOE aims to improve the health and wellness of Latinx communities in Illinois. Our team delivers programs that increase the number of outstanding Latino/Hispanic applicants pursuing health careers. Our programs span the continuum of health education and promote the development of health practitioners who capably deliver language concordant and culturally responsive care to historically underserved Latinx communities.
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Goals
- Develop a competitive applicant pool of Latinos for medical school admissions, in conjunction with partners within and outside of UIC.
- Enhance the academic performance and overall experience of Latino medical students at UIC.
- Provide opportunities for faculty and student research on Latino health issues for undergraduate and medical students.
- Design curricular initiatives to increase the linguistic and cultural competence of College of Medicine students.
- Raise funds to support scholarships for Latino medical students.
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Objectives
- Increase the pool of competitive Illinois Latino applicants to the UIC College of Medicine by 20% from the current baseline.
- Increase the pool of competitive Illinois Latino applicants to college by 10% from the current baseline at each Medicina Academy partner school.
- Increase the number of Latino student research opportunities on Latino health-related issues.
- Increase the Latino student pass rate on the first attempt in the USMLE Step 1 to 90%, and increase the number who graduate on time to 92%.
- Increase the number of tenured Latino faculty at UIC, and raise the number of Latino faculty on the tenure track.
- Introduce and expose students to Latino medical health issues, needs, and improve resources for education.
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Our Partners
- American Diabetes Association
- American Heart Association
- Benito Juarez Community Academy
- Health Oriented Student Association (H.O.L.A.)
- Hispanic Serving Health Professional Schools
- Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education
- Instituto Health Science Career Academy
- Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)
- National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)
- Red Cross of Greater Chicago
- UIC Career Services
- UIC Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Latinos
- UIC College Prep
- UIC COM Office of Student Affairs
- UIC Department of Dermatology
- UIC Department of Emergency Medicine
- UIC Internal Medicine
- UIC Department of Medical Education
- UIC Department of Surgery
- UIC LARES
- UIC Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)
- UIC Urban Health Program