User:Ccmfamily/Chicanos/Latinos for Community Medicine (CCM)

About CCM
Chicanos/Latinos for Community Medicine is a pre-health professional student organization open to all interested in learning more about the health care field, participating in community service events, and making new friends. We are a student organization dedicated to supporting one another in our academic endeavors and thereby increasing the number of underrepresented minorities in medicine.

History
CCM has devoted more than 30 years to addressing the shortage of health care professionals serving the Latino community. In those 30 years, this organization has contributed to the successful emergence of many health services professionals to serve the Latino community. In 1969, the ratio of Latino health professionals to the overall Latino population was less than 1 to 3,000. This compared to the ratio of health services professionals to the general population of 1 to 400 shows the acute disparity within the concomitant implications of poor access to health services for Latinos in California. In 1969, there were a total of 3 Latinos enrolled in medical schools in California. The work of organizations such as CCM improved the situation, that by 1980, there were 200. In the last decade and a half, Latino medical school enrollment has remained relatively constant while the Latino population has grown by 65%. At the rate those students are graduating and actually entering the professional arena, it will take until the mid-22nd century (about 2,150) to make up the shortfall.

Benefits of Joining CCM
* Access to study materials * Information on pre-health programs and scholarships * Guest speakers from medical schools and other health professional programs * Pre-Health Conferences * Mentorship * Opportunities for CCM Leadership * Becoming involved in the community and campus events * Annual Banquet * Making lasting friendships and networking with others in the health care field