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By Justin Leutz / Asst. Features Editor
By Justin Leutz / Asst. Features Editor
The Chicanos / Latinos for Community Medicine at Riverside City College represent medical outreach to low income households.
The club is geared towards pre-med students that want to help out the less fortunate who need health care.
CCM was founded in Fall 2010 with support from MEDPEP,
MEDPEP is a “medical preparation and education pipeline program at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles,” said club codirector Francisco Lopez.
Being a pipeline program, CCM receives institutional support from the University of California Los Angeles, where the club originated.
Although the club was established in Fall 2010, the movement was “founded in the politically charged 1960s to address the medical needs of the Latino community and the Latino/ a physician, nurse, and health professional shortage”, as said in the club brochure.
Any student, regardless of ethnicity, may join the club if their major pertains to medicine or an interest in the field of medicine. CCM does not discriminate.
Not only does CCM attract students interested in the field of medicine, study groups are organized to bring the club members together.
“CCM is intended to enlighten low income families of diseases and preventative measures,” Lopez said. “We would like to branch out to local high schools, and middle schools.”
With a failing economy, preventative health measures are important. It is even more important to be prepared when health care is beyond the means of a family.
CCM promotes “access of medical care in undeserved communities and eventually service as trained health professionals,” as said in the club brochure.
CCM not only represents health prevention, but also student fiscal awareness.
One of the events include the Statewide Student Mobilization Against Budget Cuts which was held Mar. 2, with more to come.
CCM also holds health education presentations at surrounding schools and community health fairs.
The next health fair will be held in early August at RCC, with time and location to be announced.
In a way, CCM is starting a movement: Attaining information with the intent of distributing it to the less fortunate.
Having proper knowledge of health prevention should not only be universal.
Health prevention should be accessible by all.CCM meetings are held on every Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the Student Government building.
CCM is not a partner of Associated Students of Riverside City College (ASRCC).
For additional information, students can send inquiries to CCMatRCC@gmail.com or contact the group on Facebook by typing Chicanos/ Latinos for Community Medicine at RCC into the search bar.