NM Needs Doctors, No?

karlos says: Just passing info along. The following is from an email making its way around cyberspace...

Dear friends:

Cedric Edwards, who is from the New Orleans area, recently became the first US student to graduate from the Latin American International School of Medicine in Cuba. Cedric has decided to apply for residency in internal medicine in New Mexico.

We need to identify quickly physicians specializing in internal medicine who are willing to talk to Cedric and assist him to make it more likely that he is accepted as a resident in internal medicine here in Albuquerque.

Cedric's resume is available to those who may be interested in looking at it, and we can also arrange for him to speak on the phone with those willing to do so.

I encourage any with ideas on this to let me know by either responding to this email or calling at 505-344-5049. You may also contact Arnold Trujillo at atruj@rocketmail.com or at 505-737-1025.

The Latin American School of Medicine, known as "ELAM," was established in response to the devastation left behind by hurricanes George and Mitch in Central America and the Caribbean in 1998 and the fact that the countries most affected by those storms were lacking in doctors and medical infrastructure. The School presently takes in up to 1500 students per year from 24 countries in the Americas and Africa. Students receive a full scholarship, including training, accommodations, books and a modest stipend.

The School is located about 15 miles west of Havana. Students at the school agree on entry to return to their home countries to work in underserved communities

In 2000 the Cuban government committed to take in up to 500 students from the United States. At present there are approximately 90 students from the US at ELAM, most of them Black and Latino. This includes three students from New Mexico: Belisario Bejarano, Tatyana Guerrero-Pezzano, and Jessi Barreto.

The three will be returning to New Mexico in the coming three-four years and will face the challenge of obtaining residency as an important step towards practicing here.

Cedric's situation is important to all concerned about access to medical education as well as the provision of adequate medical attention to all people in New Mexico. By obtaining residency, Cedric will show in practice that it is possible for students to complete the program in Cuba and return to their home communities. Like others from the Gulf Coast, Cedric has been displaced by Katrina and seeks to obtain residency elsewhere. Having him here in New Mexico would be an honor, as well as assist us in our efforts to secure residency for the others who will be returning from the school both to New Mexico and to other parts of the United States.

Louis

Louis Head, Exec Dir
Cuba Research & Analysis Group
P.O. Box 6510
Albuquerque, NM 87197-6510
505-344-5049