September 15 to October 15 each year is celebrated as Hispanic Heritage Month. In honor of the contributions of Latinx people to the health sciences, we spotlight the open access book, Latino, Hispanic, or of Spanish Origin+ Identified Student Leaders in Medicine. The acronym used to identify this population in the book is LHS+. This book, published under the auspices of the United Nations, traces the 50 year history of LHS+ leadership in the field. The volume was authored by members of the Latino Medical Student Association, a national organization which was formed from five regional associations that were founded in the 1970s and 1980s.
The book brings together personal narratives from LHS+ medical students and regional perspectives from organizations across the United States which led to the formation of the national body. The chapter "Tu Lucha es Mi Lucha" (Your Struggle is My Struggle) examines the development of a health policy initiative led by LHS+ medical students. Other chapters focus on the role of faculty/physician advisors who are partners in the success of LHS+ students, as well as the support roles of Student Affairs offices, and the role of Medical Education offices in training future practitioners to care for LHS+ individuals. The book also covers faculty development and advancement of LHS+ faculty in graduate medical education, which touches on topics such as culturally relevant faculty mentoring.
For those interested and engaged in medical education, or those wishing to gain more detailed insight into the history of LHS+ people in the graduate medical education field, this book is a unique and comprehensive resource.
References
Sánchez, J. P., & Rodriguez, D. (2023). Latino, Hispanic, or of Spanish Origin+ Identified Student Leaders in Medicine : Recognizing More Than 50 Years of Presence, Activism, and Leadership. (1st ed.). Springer International Publishing AG.
