We are thrilled to announce that John Paul Sánchez, MD, MPH, Dean of Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine, will serve as the MD Class Day Speaker for our upcoming ceremony on May 11, 2024.
Dr. Sánchez is a nationally respected academic physician and leader with distinguished contributions in education, research, clinical care, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and community engagement.
Formerly the Acting Vice President of the Office for DEI at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Sánchez has spearheaded initiatives to promote DEI throughout the academic system, focusing on capacity building and sustainable program development. Notably, he played a pivotal role in launching the first formal medical Spanish program at the university's medical school and co-created a Health & Health Sciences-wide Inclusive Excellence Council.
With 25 years of dedication to diversifying clinical and academic medicine workforces and ensuring educational equity, Dr. Sánchez has received funding from prestigious organizations such as the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, CDC, HRSA, and NIH. He has authored more than 75 journal articles and book chapters and is an Associate Editor for MedEdPORTAL, where he has significantly contributed to advancing DEI curricula content.
As Executive Director of the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA), Dr. Sánchez has worked tirelessly to strengthen a national network of chapters at medical schools across the country, advocating for educational equity for Latina/o/x/e, Hispanic, or of Spanish Origin+ (LHS+) learners. He is also the President of Building the Next Generation of Academic Physicians (BNGAP), dedicated to advancing diversity in academia.
A native of the Bronx, of Puerto Rican heritage, and gay-identified, Dr. Sánchez holds an MPH from the Yale School of Public Health and an MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Jacobi/Montefiore Medical Centers.
Defying academic trends, just 11 years after residency he achieved the rank of full professor with tenure and 13 years after residency he was selected as Dean of Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine (UCC SOM) in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. He assumed his role as Dean for UCC SOM November 2023.
We are honored to have Dr. Sánchez as our Class Day Speaker, and we look forward to his inspiring words as we celebrate the achievements of our graduating class. We will arrange opportunities for Dr. Sánchez to meet with members of the Classes of 2025, 2026 and 2026 during his visit, with details to come. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Sánchez to Geisel!