Tiempo 8/18/24: NYC medical program aims to increase presence of Latino and Black doctors

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- In this edition of Tiempo: the story of an incredible accomplishment for a first-generation Latina student from New York City.

Malena Galletto got accepted into eight Ivy League schools. A recent graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, she excelled academically with a stellar GPA.

We'll tell you how she was able to achieve this with the help of her tutor and family.

But first, we examine an effort to increase the number of Latino doctors. Seven percent of physicians in the US are Hispanic, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center analysis. But Hispanic Americans make up 19 percent of the population.

To address this disparity, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, part of the Montefiore Health System, is trying to boost the numbers of Black and Latino doctors. They have a program called SUMP: Summer Undergraduate Mentorship Program.

It provides critical opportunities for students from groups historically underrepresented in science and medicine to learn and pursue health-care careers. They are hitting the books this summer while many other students hit the beach.

Joining us is Dr. Elizabeth Lee-Rey, SUMP's program director; Yuliana Dominguez Paez, SUMP's leader; and Katherine Tinco, a student in the program.

Tiempo airs Sunday mornings at 11:30 on Channel 7, WABC-TV in New York City.

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Tiempo airs Sunday mornings at 11:30 a.m. on Channel 7.