What inspired you to want to pursue a career in medicine?
My inspiration for medicine started from a young age. Seeing Latina representation in medicine through my pediatrician sparked the hope that this path was possible for someone like me. This initial inspiration continued to grow through my experiences with the healthcare system. As the daughter of immigrant parents, I have had to continually translate symptoms, diagnoses, and prescriptions for loved ones due to the lack of bilingual doctors in our community. This provided me with personal insight into the negative impacts that cultural barriers in medicine have on a family. These impacts include confusion and misguidance on how to properly go about healing an illness. Knowing that I have the capacity to create a more comforting and inclusive healthcare experience for people of different cultures has continued to push me down this path.
Why did you choose McGovern Medical School?
I chose McGovern because the culture at this school is highly collaborative. There are many support systems in place to help students succeed that you will never feel like you are making this journey alone. As a first-generation student, this is a really important quality for a school to have because the path to becoming a physician can be long and confusing. Knowing that I am surrounded by a helpful community will minimize my stress during my 4 years here.
What motivates you?
As motivation, I look back to times where my bilingual skills provided a positive healthcare experience for others. Specifically, when I shadowed a pediatrician who was seeing a Latino patient who spoke minimal English. A concerned father brought his daughter in to be seen and tried to speak broken English to communicate his concerns. I offered to translate and his concerned expression suddenly eased away as he was finally able to communicate his concerns to the full extent. Seeing the huge relief that I was able to bring to a patient that day, reminds me how many people I can positively impact as a future physician.
Who is your hero?
My heroes are my siblings. Being the youngest sister of two older siblings, I was provided with the best built-in role models and support system. Their resilience and determination in their work serve as a constant reminder of what I am capable of. Despite not always being able to give back to them, they continually provide me with tools that have played a huge role in many of my successes.
What is your ultimate goal for your career in medicine?
My ultimate goal in medicine is to be able to provide a safe space for patients of all backgrounds. No matter the specialty I end up choosing, I want to be known as a physician that patients can trust. I want my patients to leave the office feeling a sense of relief because all their concerns were addressed and the next steps were properly communicated.
What kind of emotions do you feel as you’re beginning medical school?
As the beginning of school approaches, I feel a rising sense of excitement to be able to begin putting all the pieces together. Everything that I have worked hard for is coming together now and I am grateful to be here at McGovern to continue my education.
What are you looking forward to most about medical school?
I am most looking forward to getting to grow alongside my classmates and interact with the physicians and staff at McGovern. All the people I have met have been so encouraging and welcoming. I can tell I am going to learn a lot about my role in medicine from the people here and that is very exciting to me.
If you had to pick a medical specialty right now, what would it be and why?
As I enter medical school, I am very open to a variety of specialties, but if I had to pick one right now, it would be psychiatry. Mental health plays a big role in many peoples’ lives and is still highly stigmatized. I want to be able to break down the barriers cross-culturally and socially to make the treatment process easier for patients.
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