The Somos Hermanos program has helped me connect with every Spanish-speaking patient that I have encountered in a way that would have been impossible before. Beyond the language competency, I feel that I've gained an appreciation for cultural understanding that has helped me better relate to all patients. And, not easy to forget, the program has inspired me to dedicate my time and energy to under-served medicine and serving neglected communities.

- Mojdeh Toomarian, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Fall 2007 participant

As the main goal of the Somos Hermanos Student Immersion Program is to address the disparity in health care access and quality for Latino patients in the U.S., implementation in the U.S. after the Guatemalan portion of the program is a crucial aspect of achieving this objective. Somos Hermanos works with health care centers in the U.S. that target underserved Latino populations in order to place our participants in a volunteer environment where they can keep their language skills sharp and put these skills to use while they continue their education as health care providers. After our participants return to the U.S., they are required to volunteer in such clinics to help bridge the language barrier and culture gap that often exists between patient and health care provider.