Pre-Health Students Learn About Health Disparities in Denver
Walking down a crowded street in Denver, it's hard to know how many people may face obstacles in receiving health care and what sort of social determinants are at play.
Nancy Lorenzon, director of DU's Pre-Professional/Allied Health Advising Center and a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, wants her students to become more attuned to these realities.
"I've realized that many of our students have a gap in their knowledge when it comes to the social determinants of health disparities, in Denver in particular as well as more generally in the United States," Lorenzon says. "I wanted to address these concerns to better prepare our undergraduate students for their future careers."
The result is Health Disparities in Denver, a two-day immersion program for several dozen undergraduate pre-health students to learn about the social determinants of health and the obstacles that result in health disparities and compromised health outcomes. Lorenzon's goal is to help students gain a better understanding of the obstacles faced by those who live in resource-limited conditions, whether related to socioeconomic status, residential segregation, transportation options, language and literacy, social norms and attitudes, or access to health care services, education, and job opportunities.
