On behalf of Alliance in Mentorship and MiMentor, we write to all School of Medicine Admissions Committees to express our commitment to undocumented pre-health mentees, their families, and communities. Aspiring health professionals from Underrepresented in Medicine (UIM) backgrounds are vital to supporting the healthcare workforce and advancing health equity. The next several months will provide a variety of opportunities to help support our undocumented communities, and we ask you to join us in this support.

We stand against the recent decision from the Trump Administration to rescind Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) without any viable solution for undocumented communities. This decision goes against our core values to advance diversity, inclusion and equity. We are very concerned about the 70 DACA medical students, thousands of aspiring healthcare professionals, hundreds of health professions applicants, and millions of individuals who are deeply impacted by short-sighted immigration policies.  

MiMentor was founded to provide pre-health, health professions students, and health professionals with a mentoring community to enhance diversity in the healthcare workforce throughout the country. We use our community of over 3000 pre-health and health professionals to advocate for our undocumented students and mentees seriously. Our mentoring programming is designed to make health careers accessible to students from UIM backgrounds. Not allowing undocumented aspiring health professionals to train and practice medicine will have irreversible and persistent consequences to our communities.

We ask that you to stand with us and support undocumented students by:

*Providing transparency in admissions and selection practices for undocumented students, residents and fellows with and without DACA by posting on your website that they are welcome to apply;

*Developing a supportive environment for undocumented communities and increase awareness of the impact of immigration policies on learners, trainees, their patients and their community;

*Providing financial resources for undocumented students and increase scholarship funding opportunities;

*Providing legal supports for undocumented students and trainees;

*Advocating on behalf of current and aspiring undocumented medical students, residents and fellows and;

*Advocating for medical students and residents applying to residency and fellowship training programs

As Alliance in Mentorship and MiMentor leaders, we urge you to help us ensure the success and wellbeing of current DACA medical students and to give current undocumented student applicants a fair consideration.


Signed,

1. Yadira Bribiesca, Pre-Health Student, UCLA
2. Antonio Becerra, Administration
3. Aldana Garcia, Pre-Health Student, UCLA
4. Bryan Rangel-Alvarez, Pre-Health Student
5. Mauricio Franco, MS, Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
6. Dr. Efrain Talamantes, Faculty, UC Davis School of Medicine
7. Jade Regalado, Pre-Health Student, UC Berkeley
8. Adriana Mora, Pre-Health Student
9. Sonia Mendoza, Pre-Health Student, Central Valley Health Policy Institute
10. Diego Gonzalez, MD, David Geffen SOM at UCLA
11. Elizabeth Rios Perkins, Pre-Health Student
12. Kenneth Bush, Pre-Health Student, CSULB BUILD
13. Alexandra Gutierrez, ASCP HT, Medicine, USC KECK
14. Paola Lepe, Pre-Health Student, UCLA/Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
15. Laura Cuevas, Medicine
16. Paulina Gonez, Nursing
17. Graciela Vasquez, College Administrator
18. Tyler Carcamo, MS, Medicine, UC Davis SOM
19. Katherine Guardado, BS, Pre-Health Student, UCLA
20. Kim Lim, Administrator, Medicine
21. Ozlem Equils, MD, FAAP, Medicine, UCLA
22. Favio Gallegos, Jr., DDS Student at USC School of Dentistry, Dentistry, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
23. Estefany Puente, Pre-Health Student, CSULA
24. Gladys Gonzalez-Matias, Pre-Health Student
25. Sonia Ceballos, MD, FACOG, Medicine, Drew/UCLA
26. Alexander Soto, MS1, Medicine, David Geffen School Of Medicine at UCLA
27. Vanessa Nuñez, Pre-Health Student
28. Griselda Aguilar, BS, Pre-Health Student, CSU
29. Melvin Rico, Pre-Health Student, UCLA
30. Alondra L. Thompson, LCSW, Cares Community Health Center and Private Practice
31. Christopher, Soriano , Clinical Information Manager, UCLA
32. Caryn Salgado, Pre-Health Student, UCLA
33. Mary Veliz, Pre-Health Student, UC Irvine
34. Nadia Brasil, B.S. Kinesiology and aspiring PT, Pre-Health Student
35. Rosa Magana, Pre-Health Student
36. Christian Bonilla, Pre-Health Student
37. Ayrton Osorio, Pre-Health Student, UC Davis
38. Mariela Magaña , Pre-Health Student
39. Ronald Castillo, Pre-Health Student
40. Rosemary Vergara, Pre-Health Student, Santa Clara University
41. Nesem Mergen, Pre-Health Student
42. Jazmin Martinez, MPH, CHES, Public Health
43. Margarita Loeza, MD, Medicine, Venice Family Clinic
44. Irving Angeles , Pre-Health Student, UCLA
45.  Jorge De Avila, Pre-Health Student, University of Southern California
46.  Karina Corona, Pre-Health Student, UC Berkeley
47.  Lisa Montes, MD, Medicine Pediatrics, Kaiser Permanente
48.  Mariela Garcia, M.D., Medicine Kaiser permanente
49.  Consuelo (Connie) B. Casillas, Faculty, Kaiser LAMC FP Residency & UCLA Clinical Volunteer Faculty
50.  Monica Lugo, MD Medicine, Kaiser Permanente
51.  Sydney Lopez, Pre-Health Student, UC Davis Pre-medical student

*Updated: 11/09/17