There continues to be a big gap between the demographics of physicians and that of America as a whole. Quite simply, our doctors don’t come close to mirroring the growing ethnic, racial and cultural diversity of our citizenry. Yet studies show that greater diversity of practitioners leads to better patient health for underserved and lower-income populations.

As part of our mission to advance human health, NSU MD strives to bridge that gap. We are focused on enrolling a qualified diverse student body and employing top-tier faculty talent across diverse racial, ethnic, socio-demographic, geographies and backgrounds, particularly from populations underrepresented in medicine.

NSU MD DIVERSITY OUTREACH

Our outreach programs and support structures are diverse and include:

• Proactive outreach to institutions with qualified graduates renowned for diverse student populations.
• Targeted communications to potential students emphasizing NSU MD’s commitment to diversity and our numerous supportive organizations on campus.
• Scholarships to support diverse students demonstrating academic excellence and financial need, with backgrounds or life experiences matching donor requirements and diversity goals.
• Holistic admissions approaches that showcase a candidate’s experiences; obstacles overcome; service/healthcare commitment; and other characteristics, as well as academic record, to build a truer picture of potential.
• Learning communities and mentors to support incoming students underrepresented in medicine.
• Recognition/support of student leadership activities that actively promote and celebrate diversity.
• Best practices to recruit and support the success of faculty in underrepresented groups.
• Conducting searches that consistently identify and reach out to a widely diverse applicant pool.

STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAMS

Make an Impact in Law and Medicine

Make an Impact in Law and Medicine is an annual interdisciplinary program that is hosted in collaboration with the NSU Shepard Broad College of Law and funded through a grant from the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). The day-long program is designed to introduce South Florida high school students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to a wide variety of medical and legal practices. Students from four high schools in South Florida participate in the program. The program aims to empower students to recognize health disparities and to think of ways of addressing legal and medical hurdles through interdisciplinary collaboration. The activities include sessions taught by Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine and Shepard Broad College of Law administrators, professors, staff, and students. Students participate in activities including a negotiations lab, a condensed Problem Based Learning (PBL) case, a seminar that addresses social determinants of health, interdisciplinary health disparities brainstorming session, panel discussion, and speed networking with medical and law school students.

NSU MD STUDENT AFFINITY GROUPS

We are proud to support several student affinity groups that enhance the learning experience and career aspirations of our diverse student body.

NSU MD Latino Medical Student Association

The NSU MD Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) Chapter has been established with the intent to develop a network of Hispanic/Latinx medical students at NSU MD with a central mission aimed at increasing the diversification of the South Florida medical community.

NSU MD Student National Medical Association (SNMA)

• The NSU MD Student National Medical Association (SNMA) has been established with the following missions:
• To serve as a credible and accurate source of information relevant to issues affecting Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM)individuals in the field of medical education.
• To encourage and foster the development of URiM faculty in order to increase the presence of URiM mentors and biomedical researchers in academic health centers.
• To evaluate and cultivate the necessary measures to eradicate practices in the field of health professions education that compromise the goal of providing quality education to URiM individuals and women.

NSUMD South Asian Medical Student Association (SAMSA)

The NSU MD SAMSA Chapter has been established with the goal to develop a network of South Asian medical students at NSU MD with an overarching mission of unifying medical students’ efforts to address South Asian health.