MAHPA History

 

The Mexican American/Hispanic Physicians Association* (MAHPA) is committed to assisting and empowering students, underrepresented in the health professions, to pursue medical and healthcare careers. By encouraging students to enter health professions, we strive to improve the delivery of health care services to the medically underserved.

MAHPA was established in 1983 as a local, non-profit organization of physicians. In 1987 it established the MED-PREP®S.M. program to provide educational guidance and support to help disadvantaged high school students to pursue medical and health careers and to prepare them to attend college and succeed in college.

It established a college scholarship fund to provide financial assistance to students who matriculate at a college or university. To date MAHPA has awarded over $300,000 in scholarships to college and medical school students.

In an effort to address the serious school dropout rate among Hispanics, MAHPA established a Scholarship Trust Fund in 2006. The first five participants are children from the Advance Program, a 27-year old program recognized nationally for their work with parents and children. Funds for the trust will come from MAHPA, the business community, and the parents of the children. A total of $600 will be placed in the 529 scholarship account per child per year. American Funds will be the venue for the funds.

MAHPA's Pre-Med Summer Clerkship was designed to provide undergraduate students the opportunity to obtain exposure to the medical field. For six weeks during the summer, students are assigned to work with a physician in a clinic or hospital setting. This program is being re-structured and will be called the Health Professions Summer Enrichment Program (HPSEP). The purpose of the program will be to assist Hispanic students who are under-privileged, financially and educationally, in enhancing their ability to become part of the competitive applicant pool seeking a health profession career. The specific goal of the program is to increase the ability of undergraduate students to be more competitive when applying to a health profession school. The program will provide a curriculum to assist in seeking a health profession career.

MAHPA's Medical Student Scholarship program is for first-year minority medical students. In the past it has awarded the students with a new set of medical instruments that are required during the first year of medical training. In 2004, the Medical Student Scholarship program was changed to award monetary scholarships to eligible students who participate throughout their first year in medical school in MAPA meetings and activities. In addition, the students who agree to participate in the scholarship program also get memberships to MAHPA for the duration of their medical school years.

MAHPA collaborative activities include the Los Quijotes program sponsored by Christus Santa Rosa Hospital . It is a team of medical professionals who volunteer their time to provide health care to indigent people in Mexico . The Family Practice Preceptorship is an experience sponsored by the Family Practice Residency Program at the Christus Santa Rosa Hospital . Both of these programs afford some the MED-PREP®S.M. students with a unique opportunity to observe the delivery of health care in an urban community hospital setting.

MAHPA's other collaborative partners include the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW). UIW hosts the MED-PREP®S.M. programs on their campus and provides scholarships to MED-PREP®S.M. students who attend the UIW; and, the Alamo Area Health Education Council (AHEC) has provided financial support for specific educational portions of the MED-PREP®S.M. program.

MAHPA®S.M. is a 501(c) 3 organization. Our tax identification number is 74-2250688.

* In January 2006, the organization's name was changed from the Mexican American Physicians Association (MAPA) to the Mexican American/Hispanic Physicians Association (MAHPA) to be more inclusive and let other Hispanic physicians who are not Mexican American to better identify with MAPA. MAHPA's mission statement and the organizations infrastructure remains the same.