With a commitment to helping underrepresented students prepare for medical school, the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine is developing expanded pathways to medicine.
Inspired by the film “Black Men in White Coats” — where Black doctors shared the difficulties of pursuing a profession in which they rarely saw physicians who looked like them — the See It To Be It initiative provides opportunities for undergraduate pre-med students to connect and engage with medical students and physicians from underrepresented groups and medically underserved communities.
Supported by generous funding from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Nevada, See It To Be It is made up of four elements that support undergraduates in preparing for the medical school admissions process:
Annual summit
This event brings together pre-med students, physicians and health care advocates committed to broadening diversity, inclusion and equity in medicine to better serve Nevada’s diverse populations. At our inaugural summit on Oct. 16, undergraduates — 75% of them first-generation college students — spent the day learning from 30 current UNR Med medical students and hearing about their own pathways to medicine.
Community network
We’re building a committee of community leaders, health care advocates, physicians and medical students who will meet regularly to discuss the needs of our See It To Be It students and help develop resources and solutions.
Monthly podcast
Featuring key stakeholders and influencers — including physicians, medical students, educators and public health officials — See2B will amplify messages about visibility and representation while inspiring continued conversations.
Mentor program
As we build connections, we’ll grow an existing mentor program, hosted by our Latino Medical Student Association, which pairs first-generation, pre-med students with a “triad” of support by adding a physician and a community member to their mentor team.
And be sure to visit med.unr.edu/NSB to meet two of our See It To Be It mentors — second -year medical student Sonia Figueroa and first-year medical student Steven Christian. You’ll be amazed by the role mentorship played in their own paths to medicine.
