Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy ranks 7th in Top Colleges for Hispanics
by James Ponder
July 16, 2009
According to the May 4, 2009 edition of The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, Loma Linda University ranks 26th overall among the top 100 colleges offering doctoral degree programs to Hispanics, with the School of Pharmacy ranking 7th for the PharmD program.
In addition to the University itself, three other LLU entities shared the honors among schools offering professional degrees to Hispanics: the School of Dentistry tied for 9th; the School of Pharmacy tied for 7th; and the School of Medicine ranks 15th among American medical schools.
Leslie N. Pollard, PhD, DMin, MBA, vice president for community partnerships and diversity, says the success the University enjoys comes from a multi-faceted team effort. Other officials note the role of recruitment, location, and role modeling in bringing Hispanic students to the campus.
How diverse is LLU? Dr. De Leon reports that more than 80 countries are represented on campus, and at least 50% of LLU students are Hispanic, African American, Pacific Islander/Asian, or Native American.
“The university shows its commitment to sustain this rich, multicultural, diverse experience for our students by having an extensive array of pipeline programs funded through the National Institutes of Health,” he asserts. The programs— which are focused on increasing diversity—have “provided research training to over 350 students. The programs not only benefit individual participants, but also serve as a magnet to attract other students interested in the type of educational experiences we offer.”
Linda M. Williams, MS, BSRN, assistant dean for student affairs and admissions at the School of Pharmacy, says the School “realizes the strong need to educate the Hispanic population to the profession of pharmacy. Being located among a large Hispanic population, the opportunity exists for fostering an interest in the profession of pharmacy among not only college-age youth, but also to begin education in the lower grades as well. Educating Hispanic pharmacists allows these individuals to return to their neighborhoods to provide ‘whole-person’ care to their Hispanic patients, and improve their quality of life.”