A delegation from Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo (UNASP) in Brazil visited the Loma Linda University (LLU) campus September 16–18, 2025. The main purpose of their visit was to observe LLU’s model of medical education and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
The group included Ricardo Alves da Costa, Dean of the School of Medical Sciences; Allan Macedo de Novaes, Vice President for Research and Institutional Development; Everton Padilha Gomes, Medical Program Coordinator; Fabio Marcon Alfieri, Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Health Promotion; Lucas Davis Braun Azevedo, Director of Internationalization; and Anna Cristina Pascual Ramos, Chief Assistant Officer.
UNASP is the most recent Seventh-day Adventist university to start a School of Medicine. The first class of medical students, comprised of 56 students, launched this year at UNASP’s Hortolândia campus. The six-year degree program in medicine spans 7,640 hours of full-time study, preparing physicians to serve with excellence, ethics, and compassion. The curriculum emphasizes whole-person care and equips students with skills for health promotion, disease prevention, recovery, and rehabilitation.
“Our mission is to bring to people ways of combating disease, and also ways of living healthier lives, physically, mentally, and spiritually—seeing the person as a whole and in their community,” said Gomes. The delegation noted that UNASP and LLU share similar traditions of mission-driven health education, with both universities emphasizing spirituality, ethics, and community engagement.
During their visit, the delegation met with Loma Linda University Health President Richard Hart, MD, DrPH, and LLU School of Medicine Dean Tammi Thomas, MD. Dr. Thomas welcomed the delegation and ensured they met with the most relevant faculty and programs, guiding them toward the resources and connections that would best support their goals for future collaboration.
The delegation found LLU’s Life Communities program particularly impactful. “This model inspired us,” said de Novaes. “We look forward to adapting these ideas for our students in Brazil so they can experience belonging, mission, and holistic education.” They also met with Brazilian medical students currently studying at LLU, who affirmed the value of Life Communities in encouraging engagement, spirituality, and service.
Other highlights included discussions with faculty across multiple schools and departments, where the UNASP team explored research collaborations, student and faculty exchanges, and joint mission projects. “Every department we visited was open to collaboration,” said Gomes. “Not only can our students come here, but LLU students and faculty can also engage with our programs in Brazil. We want to create meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships.”
The visit reinforced a shared commitment to training physicians who serve communities with excellence and compassion, reflecting a unified mission of education, research, and service. “We were very well received, and every conversation showed us that we share the same purpose: not to be served, but to serve,” Gomes said. “We look forward to welcoming LLU faculty and students to Brazil, just as we have been welcomed here.”