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- Statistics | Pre-Health Dreamers
In 2025, PHD's Pathway Program served over 600 students , through individualized support, cohort style programming and trainings. Overview of our Pre-Health Dreamers student participants, Approximately 90% of participants are First-Generation: 16 % 5 % Over 60% identify as Latino Over 16% identify as Asian Over 75% identify as Female Over 5% identify as Black In 2024-2025, PHD: PHD is a national program. However, 50% of participants reside in California, including: Los Angeles San Bernardino Bay Area Central California Join and supported 4 CA and Nationwide Taskforces that elevate access and equity for undocumented individuals in health-related professional programs and careers. Reached 600 students and 1000 educators its programming. Met with 200 students through 1-on-1 advising; Undocu Launch Pad PHD piloted UndocuLaunch Pad in 2024. Entrepreneurship can be an option for scholars and professionals in the health workforce, as their immigration status will prevent them from applying for traditional employment. Dentists, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, and other health professionals can serve their communities and enjoy financial independence with their own businesses or contracts. Learn More A low number (5-10%) of undocumented students matriculating into professional programs Inequitable educational and health access of specialized support for this population PHDreamers 2 0 2 5 Annual Report Newsletter
- Resources | Pre-Health Dreamers
Undocumented students may be discouraged from pursuing their educational and professional ambitions if they face obstacles when pursuing health-related degrees. These tools can help you research as you begin the admissions process and seek assistance at your campus and professional program. For more resources, join our community and become active participants. Learn more Resources. Resources Educational Aid For our students and educators Obstacles while pursuing health-related programs can deter undocumented students from pursuing their educational and professional goals. These resources will support your research as you start your admission process and seek support at your campus. Health Care Access For everyone Find health access resources and updates for the undocumented and immigrant community. Learn about Medi-Cal access and find free clinics around your area. Remind politicians that healthcare is a human right! Financial Aid For our students and educators Learn about the financial opportunities such as scholarships, grants, and other funding resources that can be given to undocu-students.
- Resource: Post-Bac | Pre-Health Dreamers
Institutional Guidance: Post-Bacc Academic barriers, such as institutions refusing to admit students based on their immigration status, can present unnecessary stress and challenges to rising students. These guides provide information on how to apply for programs that consider undocumented applicants with temporary benefits, DACA, or other immigration statuses. Pursuing Post-Bacc Programs DACA, TPS, non-SSN This post-baccalaureate (post-bac) program guide was produced by Pre-Health Dreamers (PHD) to assist you in determining if a post-bac is the right choice for you. Students who wish to improve their Grade Point Average (GPA), have made the decision to change fields, or require extra assistance to bolster their graduate or medical application may find that post-bac programs are beneficial. It is possible to enroll in post-bac programs. However, PHD is aware from personal experience that students without documentation face challenges when enrolling in post-bac programs. Pre-Health Dreamers is available to assist undocumented students at every stage of their journey. This paper will go over strategies for reducing and overcoming typical roadblocks that students have when finishing a post-baccalaureate degree. 2019 Breaking More Barriers Report DACA, TPS, non-SSN “Specifically, the survey elucidates the demographics of undocumented students pursuing health and health-science careers, describes the barriers they face within educational settings (e.g. access to pre-health advisors and career advising, financial aid challenges, and peer support networks), provides insights to their lived experiences (e.g. key challenges they have faced due to their immigration status), and describes their career aspirations (e.g. which degree programs they are pursuing and if they wish to practice in underserved areas). The survey was designed to build on previous initiatives and be a collaborative project with continued input and guidance from PHD staff.” 2022 Guidance for Postbaccalaureate Programs on Considering Applicants with Undocumented Status DACA, TPS, non-SSN This document guides postbaccalaureate programs on considering undocumented applicants with temporary benefits or protections while in the United States and applicants without a Social Security Number (SSN). These temporary protections include Temporary Protective Status (TPS) or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). We want to encourage programs to strengthen the holistic support provided to undocumented students pursuing postbaccalaureate programs at their institutions.
- Donate | Pre-Health Dreamers
Elevate future health professionals. Tax-deductible donations to Pre-Health Dreamers can be made through our fiscal sponsor, Community Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) public charity. Community Initiatives' Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 94-3255070. Donate
- Our Team | Pre-Health Dreamers
The Team Who We Are Yadira Ortiz Executive Director Flavia Negrete Project Coordinator Rocio Muñante Navarro Program Coordinator Maria Navarro PEEP Project Coordinator Yadi Ortiz Yadira Ortiz Executive Director For over a decade, Yadira has collaborated with students, families, staff and faculty in the educational system to advocate for procedural and institutional change. She has continuously been an advocate for students and works to ensure that students are empowered, engaged and encouraged. Yadira has also mentored students, student organizations and their allies in becoming agents of change for themselves and others. Witnessing the lack of assistance for undocumented students in higher education has pushed Yadira to research, create and establish resources, programming, emergency grants and trainings in the CSU and other educational systems. She has created workshops and presentations regarding the following topics: higher education, the needs of undocumented students, ally trainings, how to establish resource centers, the importance of networking and more. Yadira was fundamental in founding the Dream Success Center at California State University, San Bernardino and was recently the Assistant Director for Long Beach State’s Dream Success Center. Yadira has years of experience in community outreach, advising, and presenting at local and national conferences. She has also been a vocal representative during round table conversations with local consulates, immigration lawyers and counselors to discuss the needs of the community. Maria Navarro PEEP Project Manager Maria Navarro Nuñez holds a Bachelor of Science in Global Disease Biology and Public Health from the University of California, Davis. Maria grew up in California's San Joaquin Central Valley and is passionate about promoting equity and inclusion in healthcare and education, particularly for immigrant communities. Her professional experience includes work in both academic and clinical areas. She began her career as a Marketing and Outreach Specialist at San Joaquin Delta College, where she established programs to support undocumented students and played a key role in establishing the Dreamers Success Center. Maria later shifted her focus to clinical research and worked on several clinical studies funded by federal organizations such as the NIH and various academic grants. Additionally, she served as a clinical research coordinator at UCSF Mission Bay's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where she worked with the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE). Before joining PRHE, she also worked in Maternal-Fetal clinical research at Stanford University. Maria aspires to pursue a doctorate in public health with a focus on epidemiology and health policy, where she aims to raise awareness of the lived experiences of immigrant communities and promote equity in healthcare and education. She is enthusiastic about continuing her work towards improving population health in immigrant communities, focusing on advancing maternal and reproductive health and health policy. Rocio Muñante Navarro Program Coordinator Rocio Muñante Navarro recently joined Pre-Health Dreamers to pursue her passion for immigration justice and advocating for access to medical services to historically underserved communities. She has worked with various organizations centered around equity and diversity-focused in bringing resources to low-income, POC, and underserved communities. She immigrated from Perú at the age of four and was raised in the South Bay of Southern California. She began her undergraduate education at El Camino Community College and completed her Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of California, Riverside. She has researched COVID-19’s impact on migrant farming communities, which has been utilized to advise municipalities on public health education and decreasing vaccine hesitancy within Latinx communities. During the height of the pandemic, she contributed to bringing several testing sites, vaccination clinics, free clinics, and food distributions to some of the most vulnerable communities in the Eastern Coachella Valley. Her passion for pursuing medicine comes from the inequalities she faced growing up undocumented and uninsured. She aspires to become a Physician to provide culturally competent healthcare and advocate for equitable access to healthcare. She hopes to use her background and lived experiences as an undocumented individual to be a mentor for the next generations of undocumented aspiring healthcare professionals. Flavia Negrete, MS PEEP Coordinator Flavia Negrete just finished her graduate program and received her Master's of Science in Bioinformatics from the University of Maryland. Previously she graduated with a double B.S. degree in (1) Biochemistry and (2) Cell Physiology & Neurobiology. Throughout her work at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Flavia focused on engineering the first multi-faceted comparative genomic tool for high sequencing analysis for Cronbacter spp, a gram-negative bacteria affiliated with meningitis cases in neonates and the elderly. Flavia is very passionate about medical research and hopes that her background can help develop and propel projects where students from all immigration backgrounds can share their research. As Flavia continues to progress in her educational journey, she will be using her background in community outreach to lead the PEEP Cohort for this upcoming year. She plans to use various platforms to strengthen the PHD community through connection and fruitful networking. Email prehealthdreamers@gmail.com Follow
- Media | Pre-Health Dreamers
In the Media PHDreamers' Director, Yadira Ortiz gets interviewed during Gente Unidas's Podcast "Magnificent Mujer" August 31, 2020 Pre-Health Dreamers Response to Supreme Court DACA Decision June 18, 2020 Co-founder Denisse Rojas' interview with Senator Chuck Schumer May 4, 2020 Striking down DACA would eliminate thousands of health care workers, thwarting America's pandemic response May 1, 2020 DACA health workers risk their lives to fight COVID-19 while they await SCOTUS ruling April 30, 2020 WE ARE MEDICAL WORKERS AND DACA RECIPIENTS. IT IS OUR DUTY TO PROTECT AMERICA FROM COVID-19 April 23, 2020 Thousands of DACA health care workers fight coronavirus - and worry about their fate March 30, 2020 DACA workers on the health care front lines March 28, 2020
- Mentor Portal | PEEP | Pre-Health Dreamers
PEEP | Mentor Portal The introduction of lengthy and ongoing professional education programs has brought attention to the need for stronger institutional and municipal policy. This is the program to brainstorm and build innovative solutions with students from like minded environments. As a mentor of the PEEP Cohort you will be an essential guide for our students by providing feedback. Mentors are only required to contribute feedback to student during the "Mentor Check-In" session which tend to happen during the second half of the month. See PEEP Program Schedule for more information. Coming soon PEEP Scholar Program Schedule for Mentor Full program schedule, highlighted with mandatory, optional and workshop events. Mentor Resources Mentors will have access to specific resources provided by PhDreamers in order to help guide students through the project.
- Share your Story! | Pre-Health Dreamers
Share your story We want to hear from you and your experience. Pre-Health Dreamers provides services to students and institutions of higher education nationwide. We are interested in hearing your stories. Have you utilized Pre-Health Dreamers' resources? Have you received advice, advocacy support, guidance, or training from the PHD team? We want to hear about your experience. How were we able to support you? How can we do better? Your story could end up on our website, in newsletters, in one of our digital publications, or social media, but we will contact you first. What's Your Story? First Name Last Name Email Submit you story Submit Thanks for submitting!
- Get Involved | Pre-Health Dreamers
Become a member of our community Comprehensive Guidance For Educators For Students
- Pre-Health Dreamers' Response to Supreme | Pre-Health Dreamers
Pre-Health Dreamers' Response to Supreme Court DACA Decision Dear PHD family, We did it!! We had a huge win this morning when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the DACA program. We are elated that many members from the PHDreamers’ community and beyond, were able to take a sigh of relief and celebrate this moment. The DACA program supports nearly 700,000 individuals nationally and impacts even more families and communities across the country. This moment can bring mixed emotions. Many members in the PHD community are not eligible for DACA or have family members and loved ones who were left behind by this immigration policy. We also acknowledge that DACA was never a permanent solution and it does not provide a pathway to citizenship. We firmly believe in the need for a comprehensive immigration reform that benefits all undocumented immigrants in this country. Today’s victory is a battle won from a much larger war that still needs to be fought. We hope to help answer some questions on what today’s decision means. According to the Immigration Legal Resource Center (ILRC) , today’s decision means that the court sided with DACA recipients in acknowledging that the way the program was rescinded was unlawful. Even though the program has been reinstated, it is important to note that the administration can still try to end the program. What the decision means for the time being is that the program will continue with the following benefits: Current DACA recipients can continue to submit renewal applications. Individuals who meet eligibility for DACA will be able to submit new applications. All eligible individuals should consult with a legal representative prior to submitting a DACA application for the first time. Advanced Parole may open in the future, but it is unclear what this will look like given the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions. For those seeking financial assistance for DACA, please visit this website by RAICES! It is important that everyone in the community take the time to process their emotions regardless of what they may be. However, PHD recognizes that we must continue to advocate for more progressive institutional policies for the undocumented community. We strongly believe that no piece of paper or status defines who you are. We will continue to shape our own futures regardless of what may come and not let restrictive and discriminatory policies hold us down. PHD wants to thank all the undocumented individuals that advocated for DACA to stay and consistently consistently advocates for the rights of all immigrants. For years, many individuals have tirelessly shared their stories to politicians and to the media including hundreds of individuals in the PHD community. Every single individual who was also so brave to share their story to their peers, teachers, counselors, admission officers and others, we thank you as well. Thank you to all who marched and protested in support of all undocumented immigrants. Your courageous work as undocumented young people and adults has been a powerful one and never forget that this victory came with your work. WE earned it. We would also like to thank the organizations and institutions that filed against the administration when DACA was rescinded in 2017. Pre-Health Dreamers joined the Association of American Medical Colleges and 31 other organizations in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court filed in September 2019 where we detailed why the DACA program was vital to health care professionals. We included results from our 2019 Breaking More Barriers report (shout out to all who completed the survey!). Our very own co-founder New Latthivongskorn was a plaintiff in the first lawsuit filed against the Trump Administration for rescinding DACA. And Denisse Rojas, also co-founder of PHD, was the sole witness to the DACA program in the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing a month after the program was rescinded. Our PHD community was instrumental in this fight. We’d like to share other recent media featuring our PHD community! Including Dr. Veronica Velasquez (Doctor of Physical Therapy), Dr. Dalia Larios, MD , Dr. Cesar Andrade, Drs Andino and Barnal , and Krissia Rivera (medical student at Brown). Today’s news will continue to benefit an estimated 699,350 active DACA recipients residing in the United States. However, advocacy must continue for all undocumented and TPS individuals. Families deserve to stay together. In this fight with you - today and always. Yours truly, Yadira Ortiz, Executive Director Pre-Health Dreamers || Denisse Rojas Marquez, Co-founder, Pre-Health Dreamers || Dr. New Latthivongskorn, Co-founder, Pre-Health Dreamers ||
- Innovativation Challenge | PEEP | Pre-Health Dreamers
Overview Program Details Checkout our 2023 PEEP Innovation Challenge Projects Over the last couple of months, our student's worked hard to tackle some of the most challenging issues within the immigrant and health care systems. View our three favorite winning projects from the top submissions. 1/7 Problem Pitching Jan - Feb During the dates of January 25th - February 15th, teams will meet at least once to discuss possible problems that they would want their group to tackle. Problems can stem from any three branches: 1) educational challenges for immigrant youth, 2) healthcare discrepancies for immigrant communities, 3) any other immigrant issues you faced as an undocumented student. Inspiration for problem can stem from personal experiences faced as an undocumented student. Brainstorming Feb - March Teams will enter the "Brainstorming" phase after a problem has been identified that has to be resolved. During this time, teams will gather to create and construct solutions. In order to create and construct solutions, may use pre-existing models presented by academic literature and provide their own twist. Poster Exhibition July 13th Los Angeles, California Teams will be presenting their projects via their posters at the annual conference for PhDreamers held this year in-person at Los Angeles, California. After the last team has pitched, judges will deliberate, and winners will be announced at the end of the event. Solution: Building your poster March - June After receiving and incorporating mentor comments, teams start composing a poster that summarizes their process for coming up with an inventive solution. On Scholar Teaching Day, poster templates will be made available at the commencement of the program. Posters will include an introduction, an issue explanation, and a solution. PROGRAM TIMELINE
- PEEP | Pre-Health Dreamers
Pre Health Dreamers Peep Engagement Enrichment (PEEP) Cohort 2022-2023 Peer Engagement Enrichment Program Application Deadline Location New Application Cycle starts this Fall! Virtual Year 2023-2024 Share PHD's Peer Engagement and Enrichment Program (PEEP) is a graduate pipeline program for undocumented students pursuing health professions. The program's design supports students with complex immigration statuses such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protective Status. Participants pursue health-related programs such as medical school, physical therapy, nursing, etc. Each profession has barriers: background checks, restrictive admission requirements, and inequitable support in schools. PEEP shapes and trains competitive applicants to break barriers that undocumented students face. Our program focuses on empowerment, self-advocacy, story sharing, and professional skills. P E E P Innovation Challenge 2024 “If you look at history, innovation does not come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect,” says Steven Johnson, a popular American science author. Traditionally, the responsibility of coming up with innovative products, services, and business models was assigned only to a handful of people within institutions. Pre-existing institutions have not provided a reliable concept for undocumented youth to pursue their education or choose eligible healthcare. Here at PhDreamers, we are trying to motivate students to tackle these issues first hand. We will strive to tackle issues they have faced by working in diverse teams and developing and building solutions. This year, PhDreamer's Peer Engagement and Enrichment Program will provide a research component to our students by using the program as a platform for students to build and develop a solution to an existing pressing issue amongst immigrant communities. We are currently working on our PEEP Cohort for this upcoming academic year. Coming Soon Student Apply today to be a part of the 2023 PEEP Scholar Program. Learn more Mentor Share your knowledge and experience with PEEP scholars as they break down problems and transform ideas into solutions. Learn more
- Resource: Medicine | Pre-Health Dreamers
Institutional Guidance: Medicine Academic barriers, such as institutions refusing to admit students based on their immigration status, can present unnecessary stress and challenges to rising students. These guides provide information on how to apply for programs that consider undocumented applicants with temporary benefits, DACA, or other immigration statuses. California Risks Losing an Entire Generation of Physicians: What Higher Education Institutions Can Do to Remove Barriers for Undocumented Medical Students DACA and non-SSN This briefing document describes the opportunities for and barriers to expanding medical professions to undocumented physicians and provides recommendations about what stakeholders can do to ensure that this dedicated group of professionals continues meeting healthcare needs nationwide. Medical School Q&A: Undocumented Students Pursuing Medicine DACA, TPS, or non-SSN “After conversations with many medical school officials, supportive allies, current and graduated undocumented medical students, we created this document to answer questions that may come up when considering your path into medicine and hope this can answer your questions.” 2021 Guidance for Residency Programs DACA, TPS, or non-SSN This guide encourages residency programs to consider applicants with DACA for residency slots as they would consider any other applicant. Upon review of applications, you are sure to find that these candidates have substantial accomplishments and a breadth of life experiences, cultural agility, linguistic expertise, and unique perspectives to bring to patient care. Often, individuals with DACA know how to navigate systems in underserved communities that can be an asset to a cohort of trainees. Health Career Pathway Chart for Pre-Health Students in California DACA, TPS, or non-SSN “The information below is based on the most updated research done by Pre-Health Dreamers (PHD). Please note that this information is subject to change. We recommend that you use this document as a starting point to begin your journey in researching professional programs. This document was created to help support individuals who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protective Status (TPS), or who do not have a Social Security Number (SSN).” 2020 Guidance for Residency Programs on Considering Applicants with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals DACA “This brief communication provides updated guidance to residency programs on considering applicants with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In 2015, we authored a guide that provides comprehensive information on this topic and was subsequently published in Academic Medicine in 2017.1 This update provides supplemental information given changes since 2017 in the legal and political landscape.” Residency for Undocumented Students DACA “PHD is committed to facilitating the application process to residency programs for undocumented applicants by working with undocumented medical students, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and community and legal organizations. Thus far, we have worked on the following initiatives to support this work…”
- LaunchPad | Educator | Pre-Health Dreamers
This bootcamp offered in the spring allows one to open their own business to work in the healthcare career of their choosing. LaunchPad: Educator's Edition (EDULaunchPad) Application Deadline Feb 5th, 2025 Dates Location Virtual Price Feb 11- March 18 2025 $750 LaunchPad: Educators Edition is a 6-week boot camp that provides professional development by guiding educators, career counselors, pre-health advisors, dream center coordinators, and others in supporting their students through their journey as entrepreneurs in health professions. This boot camp will enhance advisors' knowledge as they serve students pursuing health careers regardless of their students' immigration status, especially if the student does not have employment authorization. This boot camp will elevate educators' knowledge when serving undocumented students who may not know how to use their professional health-related degree and license, especially if they do not have employment authorization or a social security number. Returning Educator Login What is LaunchPad for educators? EDULaunchPad provides educators with information, guidance resources, and skillsets that can develop or strengthen their advising skills when working with undocumented students. This boot camp will be even more supportive if you are an advisor to an undocumented student seeking a health-related professional program, such as nursing, medicine, dentistry, research, and more. This boot camp will elevate educators' knowledge when serving undocumented students who do not know how to use their professional health-related degree and license, especially if they do not have employment authorization or a social security number. Do I need to have any prior experience? The EDULaunch Pad bootcamp is designed for educators at all levels, including those new to advising undocumented students. The program provides foundational knowledge and resources to help you effectively support students in navigating entrepreneurship and building their own businesses, even as they work toward their degrees. How is this course offered? The EDULaunch Pad bootcamp is an online 6-week bootcamp that is hosted by our Pre-Health Dreamers team. If you would like to sign up, please follow the link above for more information as to how to register. For any questions, please contact flavia@phdreamers.org . When are the classes offered? See our schedule below for the upcoming Spring Term. Feb 11: Live Q&A Panel Feb 18: Transferable Skills & First Steps to Business Feb 25: Building Your Student's Roadmap To Success Mar 4: The LLC Paper Mill Mar 11: Financial Responsibilities: Taxes and Invoice Contracts Mar 18: Insurance, SEED Grants & Closing Ceremony IMAGINE Brainstorm with students creative ways to launch their health centered business LEAD Lead your students on the steps they will need to start their business in healthcare STRATEGIZE Guide your students on how to market their business and find clients LAUNCH Launch your students into a successful start in healthcare.

