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Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC)

The PRIME-LC program at UCI School of Medicine is a five-year MD/Master’s program committed to training physicians to meet the needs of under-resourced Latino communities.

The UCI Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC) is a five-year, dual-degree program designed to create leaders and physician-activists who will work in underserved Latino communities. PRIME-LC accomplishes this mission through a combination of immersion experiences in both Latin America and California with:

PRIME-LC students work with various community organizations and clinics, including: Christ Cathedral Food Bank, Centro Cultural de Mexico, Madison Park Neighborhood Association, Latino Health Access, UCI Student Outreach Clinic, UCI Harm Reduction Institute (Needle exchange program) and Angeles de la Frontera.

Planning for PRIME-LC began in 2001, and we enrolled our first cohort of students in 2004. Since 2004, we have established a residency track for PRIME-LC in the UCI Department of Family Medicine.

Charles
Our graduates are now working toward achieving one of our most important goals: to create a network of physician-activists and leaders across the state of California — all working in different yet interconnected ways to reduce healthcare disparities for Latino patients, particularly Latino immigrants. Our students have already accomplished some remarkable things in their time here. The establishment of PRIME-LC has enriched our campus and our larger community, and I hope that you are as excited as I am about this tremendous program! -Charles P. Vega, MD Director, PRIME-LC Program

News

Michael J. Stamos, MD, speaking at 2024 NHHF Gala

Dec 02, 2024 | UCI School of Medicine


Michael J. Stamos, MD, honored at National Hispanic Healthcare Foundation Gala

Secretary Xavier Becerra speaking at podium. The text on podium says: UCI School of Medicine. 20th Anniversary. PRIME and PRIME-LC. Celebrating 20 years of impact.

Oct 21, 2024 | UCI News


A leader in healthcare equity

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Support Our Students

The PRIME-LC Dr. Alberto Manetta Service Award was established to provide scholarship funding to PRIME-LC students who have not only demonstrated leadership with PRIME-LC, but also developed and led an exemplary service project in support of the program's mission. With your support, we can continue to recognize the extraordinary talent and dedication of our students who are committed to improving healthcare delivery, research and policy for California’s underserved Latino communities.

PRIME-LC class of 2026

Questions? View answers to frequently asked questions about our PRIME-LC program. For more information, please contact us at 949-824-7136
or primelc@uci.edu.

UCI School of Medicine PRIME-LC Medical Education Building
836 Health Sciences Road
Irvine, CA 92697-4089