About Us

Our Vision: 

MPSO envisions a time when pharmacists and other healthcare providers are equipped with the skills and knowledge to compassionately serve diverse patients to eliminate the health care disparities among them.

Our Mission:

a. To educate all members of the Academic Health Center about underserved populations, help them be more culturally competent health care providers, and effectively advocate for the elimination of health care disparities.

b. To empower underserved populations to take greater control of their health

c. To celebrate diversity by serving as a gathering place for all pharmacy students

Our History:

In 2004, MPSO was first formed in the Duluth campus as a gathering place for students of diversity. In Spring of 2008, MPSO was formed in Twin Cities campus to bridge the gap between Duluth and Twin Cities and to be an independent organization with its own executive board. The main focus of MPSO was on health disparities and cultural competencies. Through out the years, MPSO has educated communities about health insurances and students about different cultures and communities. In 2009, Lunch Lecture Series were created to bring health care practitioners from different communities to the Academic Health Center to educate students about health disparities. Within the pat two year, three new initiatives were created: Bone Marrow Drive, Loaves and Fishes and Phestival of Nations. We continue to envision new ways to get involved in the community through community outreach programs and new partnerships.

MPSO's principle activities, events, or programs:

The Lunch Lecture Series - "Bridging the Gap: Communities Educating Professionals"

Come join the MPSO Lunch Lecture Series, a group of lectures and discussions where we as health professionals learn from community members on how to provide the most optimal care for all of our patients. Each featured speaker will provide the history, cultural barriers to providing healthcare and how we as practitioners can over come those barriers. Typically, our speakers are health care professionals and is a member of the highlighted community. Each semester will have three lunch lecture series (about once a month). In the past, we have heard from Hmong, Nigeria, Native American, and deaf communities. 

Phestival of Nations / International Student Day Celebration

Each spring, MPSO partners with IPSF to celebrate the diversity in College of Pharmacy. Come join us for appetizers and presentations about pharmacy practices around the world, followed by international musical acts, performances and fashion show. Help plan this year’s Phestival of Nations by joining MPSO!

Community Outreach

MPSO has been reaching out to the community in numerous ways, such as teaching health insurance information to underserved communities, serving food at community center and recruit people to be in the bone marrow registry. This year, MPSO will be working with Loaves and fishes again to serve ice cream in the Creekside Community Center. We will also be hosting the Bone Marrow Drive again in the spring. There is also a new Community-University Health Care Center volunteer opportunity and our role will be to manage medication room provide patient education to diverse populations. Furthermore, we will also be providing flu Vaccinations in Hmong Community. Get involved with MPSO by joining one of these awesome outreach events.

How to get involved:

Our members will primarily be pharmacy students, however the information we will provide pertains to all of the public. Also, events that we promote will be open to anyone to attend. If additional information is requested one can email <mpso> at umn.edu or our FB page at MPSOumn