SMU Hosts First Health Careers Symposium for LGBTQ Youth of Color

Finding a path into a healthcare profession can be difficult.

Double the difficulty if you’re a member of an underrepresented community – such as a person of color – and one that ranks among the most severely underserved – such as LGBTQ youth.

That’s why on Saturday, Nov. 14 from noon to 3:30 p.m., Oakland’s Samuel Merritt University (SMU) will host the first Health Careers Symposium, a free gathering that will bring together healthcare professionals, students, and youths ages 16 to 24, to inspire LGBTQ youths of color toward careers in medical and mental healthcare.

 “This will be an informational dialogue,” said Dania Sacks March, MPH, LCSW, and Lead Trainer for the Queer Trans Network of Alameda County, who helped organize the gathering. “It’s an opportunity for youth to learn from professionals how they got to where they are, what obstacles they overcame, and what they did to succeed. But it’s also an opportunity for the youth the talk about the services they need and how providers can make the healthcare systems more accessible and welcoming.”

Download a flyer here.

“This is a great opportunity to support organizations that are working to engage Oakland’s LGBTQ youth of color who may be interested in healthcare professions,” said Kathryn Ward, Assistant Director of Student Services at SMU. “Our community partners are actively working to support and guide these students in their journey; and as a result, they may directly improve the LGBTQ community’s access and quality of healthcare.”

The event is free and will take place Saturday, Nov. 14, from noon to 3:30 p.m. at The Health Education Center (HEC), 400 Hawthorne Avenue, Room 312.

Participants are asked to register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Tqqmol39CznMFVojyw92Kw8Az7AFtQr-r1NjbcT41Zc/viewform