Office of Multicultural Affairs for Health Professions Learners

Since 1975, the Office of Multicultural Affairs for Health Professions Learners (OMA-HPL) has promoted social impact and belonging, creating experiences that allow learners to thrive. OMA-HPL advises and mentors prospective health professions applicants and current health professions students at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Building the Next Generation of Health Care Professionals

Programming offered by the office extends from pre-college recruitment through graduation. OMA-HPL supports students at every step of their journey — welcoming new students, fostering a sense of belonging and community, and celebrating the achievement of graduating students.

• RUSCH and HPSP: OMA-HPL organizes the Rural and Urban Scholars in Community Health (RUSCH) pathway program and the Health Professions Shadowing Program (HPSP). Eligible prospective students with an interest in caring for all populations, including people living in medically underserved rural, urban, and tribal areas in Wisconsin, are encouraged to apply. Over 200 students have completed RUSCH, with 75% continuing to advanced health professions programs and nearly half (49%) entering medical school. Incredibly, 64% choose to study at one of Wisconsin’s two medical schools.
• How the Body Works: Health Education and Career Exploration Series: Jasmine Zapata, faculty director for pathways programming, launched this K–12 pathway program in collaboration with the Goodman South Madison Library. In this series, school-aged children learn about human biology and explore careers in health professions.

• Extended Admitted Student Visit Day: Each spring, members of the office invite admitted medical students to visit Madison and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. The purpose of the event is to allow admitted applicants to learn more about our academic environment and the resources available during medical school. The two-day event also encourages admitted students to begin building meaningful connections with their future classmates, current medical students, faculty and staff.
• PEOPLE Day: PEOPLE Day supports students enrolled in Madison and Milwaukee Public Schools who are part of the UW PEOPLE program. The full-day event includes information about academic degree programs at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and opportunities to interact with current medical students with various hands-on activities (e.g., clinical skills, human organ demonstrations, and lab demonstrations).
• Pre-Health Career Day: This event is for undergraduate students attending private and public universities in Wisconsin. Sessions focus on financial aid, admissions processes, and hands-on activities. Pre-Health Career Day also includes mock interviews, personal statement development, and opportunities to interact with current health professions students.
• MD Program Application Support: OMA-HPL provides guidance to campus and community educational programs that align with our school values and missions. Additionally, we provide premedical advising to help students navigate the application process. We engage with pre-health organizations to foster mentorship and community and collaborate with merit-based and enrichment programs to identify high-potential candidates.

Staying Connected and Getting Involved

OMA-HPL offers resources for current students to enhance their educational experiences and grow as individuals and professionals:

• Building Equitable Access to Mentorship (BEAM): BEAM is an evidence-based mentoring program that leverages the experience and expertise of UW faculty members to create relationships and provide ongoing support for our medical students. This program specifically focuses on fostering culturally responsive mentorship.
• Alumni Reception: During homecoming weekend each fall, former students are welcomed back to the school community and have the opportunity to connect with current medical students.
• BRAVE Spaces: Building Relationships and Valuing Each other (BRAVE) Spaces is a lunchtime series, held regularly during each semester, in the OMA-HPL suite. The program offers direct student support and centers programming on all seven domains of our integrative thriving model. Leveraging the arts and humanities, learners use this space to relieve stress, foster self-expression and build community. Grounding BRAVE Spaces in the arts and humanities reaffirms what matters most: people, community, and connection through creative and enjoyable activities.
• STAR Coaching Program: Supporting Trainees and Adapting to Residency (STAR) Coaching Program provides one one-on-one coaching to fourth-year medical students and continues as they transition into residency. STAR Coaches, who are all International Coach Federation (ICF)-certified from UW–Madison, aim to promote the well-being of medical learners transitioning to residency utilizing a formative coaching model. STAR Coaches foster psychological safety and redress power dynamics. The program offers holistic support focused on the individual, not just medical performance, and cultivates awareness, emotional agility, coping strategies, and professional identity formation.
• WPP Scholarship: The Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) has established the Wisconsin Partnership Program Scholarship Program — a senior scholarship — created with the goal of increasing the number of SMPH medical students who will ultimately practice in Wisconsin’s communities. The scholarship program is designed to enhance the recruitment and retention of medical students in Wisconsin and promote healthy communities.
• OMA-HPL Dinners: This is a series of monthly dinners where accomplished faculty members share stories about their journeys in medicine as clinicians, researchers, and educators. These events are intended to foster personal connections between learners and faculty.
• End of Year Recognition Reception: At the end of the academic year, OMA-HPL holds a graduation reception for health professions learners, graduating students and their guests. The ceremony acknowledges graduates’ hard work and dedication. Graduates share personal experiences, reflect on their time at SMPH and acknowledge the mentors, faculty, family and friends who have helped them throughout their medical school journey.

Registered Student Organization Participation and Advocacy

OMA-HPL works collaboratively with the Medical Students for Minority Concerns (MSMC). MSMC plays a valuable role in SMPH health professions community building and strengthens institutional alignment. MSMC is a registered student organization with independent governance. MSMC includes representation from several registered student organizations at SMPH, including the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA), Association of Native American Medical Students (ANAMS), Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA), Muslim Medical Student Association (MMSA), First Generation and Low-Income Student Group (FG/LI), Promoting Recognition of Identity, Dignity, and Equality in Healthcare (PRIDE), and Student National Medical Association (SNMA).

Community Partners and Allies

• Wisconsin Area Health Education Center (AHEC) offers a variety of education and training programs designed to increase the distribution of the health care workforce and enhance health care quality and delivery in communities across Wisconsin’s 72 counties.
• Mentorship Achievement Program (MAP) is an organization of SMPH health professions students who are committed to providing mentorship to local middle schoolers.
• MEDiC is a student-run program at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Health professions students and volunteer clinicians offer free health care to medically underserved populations at six clinics.
• Native American Center for Health Professions (NACHP) provides a supportive, mentoring environment for health professions students at UW–Madison who are interested in improving the health and well-being of Native people and communities.
• Training in Urban Medicine and Public Health (TRIUMPH) is an urban training track within the MD program that addresses health inequities and chronic physician shortages in Wisconsin’s urban areas. It prepares UW medical students to become community-engaged physician leaders in medically underserved areas.
• Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine (WARM) focuses on admitting and training students committed to improving the health of rural communities. The goal is to address physician shortages in rural areas, ultimately helping improve the health of rural Wisconsin communities.