Rise of Regions
In the 1970s and 1980s, Hispanic/Latino medical students recognized the need for mutual support to increase their representation and success within medical school. Over the span of ten years, five regional organizations were founded:
- Latino Midwest Medical Student Association (LMMSA; Midwest)
- Boricua Health Organization (BHO; Northeast)
- This became the National Boricua Latino Health Organization (NBLHO).
- Hispanic American Medical Student Association (HAMSA; Southeast)
- Texas Association of Latino American Medical Students (TALAMS; Southwest)
- Chicano Medical Student Association (CMSA; West)
- This became the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA).
A National Consortium
The aforementioned regional organizations sought to partner with each other while retaining regional autonomy. In 1998, the five organizations formed a consortium named the National Network of Latin American Students (NNLAMS). As the regions became more developed, the complexity of the network demanded further sophistication. Thus, national officer and board member positions were created. NNLAMS became incorporated a national non-profit organization under U.S. Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) in 2003.
An Unprecedented Feat
In 2006, NNLAMS hosted its first National Conference in conjunction with the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA). NNLAMS developed a two-day conference attracting over 200 medical and health professional students from all over the country. This marked the first instance in which trainees were given a forum to network with each other and bond over a shared commitment to improving the health of Hispanic communities in the U.S.
A Unified Medical Student Voice
In an effort to unify all the Latino medical students from different regions under the same title, the name of the national organization was officially changed to the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) during the 2009-2010 academic year. As the West region was already named LMSA, all regions assumed the same name in the years that followed.
In 2010, LMSA hosted the organization’s first independent National Conference at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The LMSA Logo
In 2011, LMSA National and its five regions modified the LMSA logo that was in place to assume the symbol that represents the organization to this day. Important considerations were the following:
- Replacing the caduceus with the rod of Aesculapiu;
- Adding five stars at the top for each region;
- Continuing the tradition of eagle wings, originally from the Farm Workers Movement in the West.
NNLAMS & LMSA Conferences
National Conferences:
| Year | Location | Theme |
| 2006 | Washington, DC (with NHMA) | Somos Unidos: United to Eliminate Health Disparities for Hispanics |
| 2007 | San Antonio, TX (with NHMA) | Celebrando La Diversidad: Bicultural Health Care is a National Priority. |
| 2008 | Washington, DC (with NHMA) | La Leyenda Continua |
| 2009 | Brooklyn, NY (with NHMA) | Tomorrow’s Doctors: Leading Advocacy and Activism in Medicine |
| 2010 | Chicago, IL University of Illinois at Chicago | Latino Medical Student Association: A United Voice First Independent Conference & First Conference as LMSA |
| 2011 | Irvine, California University of California – Irvine | Uniting Our Voices for Justice in Healthcare |
| 2012 | Boston, MA Harvard Medical School | Nuestro Futuro en Nuestras Manos: Empowering the Next Generation |
| 2013 | Miami, FL Miami-Dade College | Tomando Acción: Ensuring Health Equity for All |
| 2014 | Houston TX Baylor and UT Houston | Creciendo Juntos: Improving Health for and by Latinos |
| 2015 | Cleveland, OH Case Western Reserve | Llegamos, Seguimos: Celebrating a Decade of Progress |
| 2016 | Pomona, CA Western University of Health Sciences | Prevenir es Curar: Addressing New Obstacles and Improving Healthcare in Our Communities |
| 2017 | Hempstead, NY Zucker School of Medicine (Hofstra) | ¡Aquí Estamos! Our Journey and the Climb to Greater Heights |
| 2018 | Miami, FL Miami-Dade College | Siempre Unidos: Celebrating Diversity and Bridging the Gap |
| 2019 | Lubbock, TX Texas Tech University | Todos Tenemos Valor: Building Solidarity Through Healthcare |
| 2020 | Saint Louis, MO Washington University | Unidos por Medicina y Más: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Latinx Health |
| 2021 | Virtual UC-Irvine SOM & OHSU | Potenciar El Cambio: Creating Interconnection in Healthcare to Create Change |
| 2022 | Philadelphia, PA | Cincuenta Años de Comunidad: Fostering Service, Health Equity, and Leadership Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Organization’s First Chapter |
| 2023 | Atlanta, GA | Salud y Justicia: Fighting for Safety, Equity & Human Rights |
Garcia Leadership & Advocacy Summit (GLAS) & The Annual Policy Summit
GLAS
2000, 2001 – University of Texas Galveston
2002 – University of California Los Angeles
2003 – University of Texas Galveston
2004, 2005 – Duke University
2006 – Mount Sinai School of Medicine
2007 – GLAS cancelled
2008 – University of California San Diego
2009 – University of Illinois at Chicago
2010 – Boston, Massachusetts
2011 – Duke University
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 – Doctors Hospital Renaissance (Edinburg, TX)
LMSA National Policy Summit
2014. 2015 – Washington, DC, in conjunction with NHMA National Conference
2016 – George Washington University
2017, 2018, 2019 – Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC, Washington, DC)
2020, 2021, 2022 – Virtual
2023 – Georgetown University School of Medicine