HARVARD

MEDICAL SCHOOL

September 19, 2013

Dear Latino Medical Student,

Soon you will have to make the important decision as to which medical specialty you will
dedicate your professional future. We are writing to ask you to seriously consider
psychiatry.
These are exciting times to become a psychiatrist. Neuroscience research is uncovering the
mysteries of the brain and mental illness, and, in years to come, we will undoubtedly gain
an enormous amount of knowledge about the fascinating mind-brain connection.
In addition, psychiatry offers the opportunity, more than any other specialty, to get to know
your patients on an interpersonal level, while integrating emerging biological knowledge
with the psychosocial aspects of their lives.
As you know, the Latino population in the United States has grown steadily over the last
decades; today, it is the largest minority group in the country. In contrast, the number of
Latino psychiatrists in the US lags behind this growth in the Latino population. Latinos
represent an underserved group with great mental health needs. Needless to say there is an
enormous need for psychiatrists who share and understand the patients cultural
background, and can communicate with them efficiently.
There are several programs that offer training in psychiatry. We encourage you to give
special consideration to the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), one of Harvard
Medical Schools (HMS) oldest and largest teaching hospitals. Our Department of
Psychiatry has a joint residency program with its affiliate, McLean Hospital. MGH and the
Department of Psychiatry are both committed to diversity. This year, the MGH
Department of Psychiatry transformed its Diversity Committee into the Center for

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Diversity the mission of which includes the recruitment and retention of Latino trainees
and psychiatrists. You may visit our website www.massgeneral.org/psychdiversity or
email psychiatrydiversity@partners.org .

For more information about the Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital

psychiatry residency program, please visit the Department of Psychiatry Residency
website at http://www.mghmclean.org/adult. In addition, you may contact Felicia
Smith, MD, Training Director, MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry, Massachusetts
General Hospital, WACC 812, 15 Parkman Street, Boston, MA 02114, 617-726-0895.

The Department of Psychiatrys Center for Diversity also collaborates with the MGH
Multicultural Affairs Office (MAO), the MGH Disparities Solution Center and the HMS
Visiting Clerkship Program.

The MAO sponsors several programs for students that may be of interest to you,
including: the Summer Research Trainee Program, which takes first and second year
medical students for an eight week research experience at MGH. To learn more
about MAOs student programs, please visit their
website: www.mao@mgh.harvard.edu or contact Executive Director, Elena Olson, JD,
at 617-724-3831.

The Visiting Clerkship Program, sponsored by the Minority Faculty Development

Program at HMS provides financial support for fourth year, and qualified third year,
minority (African-American, Native American and Hispanic American) medical
students to participate in the HMS Exchange Clerkship Program. Clerkships last four
weeks and are available, space permitting, throughout the year to full-time students in
good standing at accredited US or Canadian medical schools. For more information
about this program and office, please visit their website at www.mfdp.hms.havard.edu
or contact Jo Cole 617-432-4422: jo_cole@hms.harvard.edu for application
information. For specific information on MGH clerkship offerings, please contact the
MAO office above.

The MGH Disparities Solutions Center (DSC), directed by Joseph Betancourt MD,
MPH, has the mission to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and
strives to make sure our healthcare system delivers the highest quality of care to all
patients, regardless their race, ethnicity, culture or language proficiency. You can
access the DSC at http://www2.massgeneral.org/disparitiessolutions/about.html.

If you have questions or would like to learn more about any of the programs mentioned
above or others offered at MGH and other units of HMS, please feel free to contact any
one of us, at the email addresses below. In addition, you are welcome to contact one of the
trainees involved in our Center for Diversity:

Nicole Christian,MD at nchristian@partners.org,

Lazaro Zayas, MD at lvzayas@partners.org
HealthCare System Member

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As Latino psychiatrists and their colleagues, we are committed to strengthening the
presence of Latinos in our Department of Psychiatry. We hope you will apply to our
Psychiatry Training Program, but whatever training program you choose, we wish you
every success and satisfaction in your career, while keeping your firm roots in Latino
culture.
Un cordial saludo,
Ricardo M. Vela, MD
Director of Child Psychiatry
Psychiatrist-In-Chief, Child and Family Services
North Suffolk Mental Health Association
Member, MGH Department of Psychiatry Center for Diversity
rvela@partners.org
Byron Garcia, MD
Primary Care Psychiatry
Massachusetts General Hospital
Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
bgarcia4@partners.org
Ranna Parekh, MD, MPH
Director, Center for Diversity
Department of Psychiatry
Massachusetts General Hospital
Instructor, Harvard Medical School
rparekh@partners.org

cc:
Joseph Betancourt, MD, MPH, Director, Disparities Solution Center
Jo Cole, Program Coordinator, Visiting Clerkship Program HMS
Greg Fricchione, MD, Associate Chief, MGH Department of Psychiatry
David Henderson, MD, Director, Chester A Pierce Division of Global Psychiatry, MGH
Elena Olson, JD, Executive Director, Multicultural Affairs Office, MGH
Scott Rauch, MD, President and Psychiatrist-in-Chief, McLean Hospital
Joan Y. Reede, MD, MPH, MBA Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership, HMS
Jerrold F. Rosenbaum, MD, Psychiatrist-in-Chief, MGH
Felicia Smith, MD, Director of Adult Residency Training, MGH/McLean

HealthCare System Member