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Newswise MAYWOOD, Ill. (March 25, 2015) Four Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine students with deferred action for childhood arrival (DACA) status will address the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) delegate congress at its Annual Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., March 27 and 28.

The students will speak in favor of passage of an LMSA policy that supports Latino students applying for medical school regardless of immigration status. It will encourage medical schools to amend their policies to welcome applicants with DACA status and will call upon organizations such as the American Medical Association to support the education and employment of medical professionals with DACA status.

The resolution encourages the American Association of Medical Colleges and other advocacy groups to develop legislative solutions that would eliminate road blocks for individuals with DACA status who are seeking higher education, specifically in the medical fields.

Our students of DACA status are a shining example of the attributes and talent DREAMers can bring to the medical profession. Not only by their testimony but also by their very presence they will show how patients across the nation will be better served when all medical schools embrace more socially just admissions policies, said Mark Kuczewski, PhD, chair of the Department of Medical Education at Stritch.

Stritch was the first medical school in the U.S. to change its admissions policy to allow individuals with DACA status to openly apply for medical school. In 2014, Stritch was one of the first medical schools to openly welcome DACA students when seven DREAMer students joined their colleagues as part of the 140-plus member class of 2018.

With media inquiries, please contact Evie Polsley at epolsley@lumc.edu or call (708) 216-5313 or (708) 417-5100.

The Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division (HSD) advances interprofessional, multidisciplinary, and transformative education and research while promoting service to others through stewardship of scientific knowledge and preparation of tomorrow's leaders. The HSD is located on the Health Sciences Campus in Maywood, Illinois. It includes the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, the Stritch School of Medicine, the biomedical research programs of the Graduate School, and several other institutes and centers encouraging new research and interprofessional education opportunities across all of Loyola University Chicago. The faculty and staff of the HSD bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and a strong commitment to seeing that Loyola's health sciences continue to excel and exceed the standard for academic and research excellence. For more on the HSD, visit LUC.edu/hsd.

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DREAMer Medical Students at Loyola Stritch to Address the Latino Medical Student Association