By Sarah Wang | Staff Writer
While Baylor has a commitment to diversity and inclusion, minority students have often seen a need to create additional communities for underrepresented groups on campus.
Houston sophomore Adrian Williams said when coming to Baylor, he was looking for a welcoming environment where pre-health minorities could gather together and foster relationships. After joining a few other pre-health organizations, he decided to found Minorities in Medicine to fill the gap.
“I really noticed that there was a lack of representation for people who look like me and also people of other different races and nationalities,” Williams said. “[Minorities in Medicine is] something that I want to do, and I’m going to do it.”
Dr. Rizalia Klausmeyer, adviser for the organization, said she immediately supported the club when Williams approached her with the idea.
“Minorities in Medicine is exactly what some students have been looking for in a student organization,” Klausmeyer said. “As Minorities in Medicine starts to gain momentum, we hope that underrepresented students can find a space to grow professionally and spiritually to achieve their goals [because] one of the best ways to find inspiration is to see other people that look like you in positions of leadership.”
According to Williams, the mission of the club is not only to foster community but also to give minority students resources for applying to professional programs and schools. Williams said the club has a mentorship program with Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine in which students can connect with physicians who are Hispanic, Black, Asian and Native American.
Williams said the club also has group discussions to talk about their experiences as minorities at Baylor.
“It’s like a safe space circle where we’ll all sit down and discuss different things,” Williams said.
Klausmeyer said Minorities in Medicine is not taking members away from any other organization, but rather helping improve their chances of entering the medical profession by offering mentoring, volunteering and leadership opportunities.
“Our ultimate goal is to not be underrepresented anymore,” Klausmeyer said.
Williams said the club is open to all students, although it is designed for minority students. Currently, there are three African American students, two Hispanic students and one Asian student in the organization.
“We really want people who looked like us, who represented what we do, but there’s more than just minorities,” Williams said. “There’s people who are not considered minorities in the club as well, because we accept everyone. We’re about inclusivity, and so everyone is pretty much accepted, but our club is geared toward minorities because it helps them to get the resources which they don’t usually have access to.”
