During the summer of 2019, I acquired a job with an orthopedic surgeon as a medical assistant. The doctor is a Qualified Medical Evaluator and my duty was to take the patients’ medical history on site or via phone. I assisted with patients from diverse backgrounds, the most prominent groups being underserved communities. As a Mexican American that lived for fourteen years in Mexico, I understood firsthand the medical necessity of minorities and their frustration with a lack of fluency in the English language. Working with marginalized groups was heartbreaking, because their language barrier impeded them from acquiring the proper medical care they needed. Injuries became chronic, their body overcompensated and pain aggravated not because they refused medical evaluations but because their language barrier, lack of resources and background discouraged them from seeking medical attention. When I first moved to the United States, I had to learn English and overcome social and cultural barriers. I can still feel the social anxiety trickling down my body while having to speak the language. Then, college started, and I had to master the language in another respect: the technical language of science. In many instances, I did not know how to ask for help or I was not even aware how I could be helped. Luckily, professors and mentors in the medical field ran that extra mile and reached out. This directly translated to when I worked as a medical assistant. I felt the anxiety and frustration of patients trying to fill out the medical forms. Prior to their appointment, patients had to fill out a 30 page questionnaire besides the verbal medical history; otherwise, they could not be evaluated. Appointments would be delayed, cancelled or poorly conveyed, because the patient did not have an interpreter on site. If their claim was not accurately addressed, the patient would sometimes lose the case and would not undergo the recommended surgery, attain any benefits nor receive the proper treatment post their injury. Seeing their frustration while knowing their exacerbating pain in multiple body parts motivated me to find a way to facilitate the process for them. I saw myself as a tool for them. I wanted to learn for them. Furthermore, I decided to enroll in a Medical Interpretation program. I was concomitantly taking my fall quarter classes while taking the Medical Interpretation courses. Taking these courses helped me compute patients’ medical histories more efficiently and even translate the 30 page questionnaire. The process became more comfortable to the patients to open up and provide a more detailed medical history. Running the extra mile for underserved communities made me realize that working in healthcare is not just providing general care for patients without catering to their specific needs. It is also about recognizing the disparities within different communities and becoming a facilitator to convey equity among groups with different backgrounds and therefore, provide the best care possible. I envision myself as a mentor to facilitate care to my patients and educate them in every way possible by building a strong rapport with them. Moreover, I am aware of the importance of medical social justice. I believe that is crucial to approach medicine with an anthropological/sociological lens in order to understand the root of inequity and thus ameliorate it. Physicians are the attorneys of life, so as a future physician I would like to utilize my medical jurisdiction to advocate to city councils and establish permanent medical institutions that will embody the needs of these underserved communities to therefore acquire essential human care.

In 2019, I applied to become part of a program called Healing Hearts Across the Border (HHAB). I was instantly drawn to the program because I was raised in Tijuana and lived there for fourteen years. Therefore, I knew how significant programs such as HHAB were for my homeland due to the great necessity for medical assistance. The thought of becoming a physician inspired me to move to the United States. I recognized that my country was very limited in resources and in order to create a bigger impact on my community I wanted to pursue better academic opportunities abroad. HHAB became the first opening to the realm of possibilities that I have experienced to not just give back, but to also instill a sense of hope in my community and thus myself. This sense of hope instilled by broadening their understanding about their underlying conditions would ignite their motivation to create long-lasting changes to their healthcare. HHAB reminded me of the reason why I decided at the age of 14 to leave my parents to not just dream, but accomplish that dream of becoming a physician. When I started college, reality hit me. I had to start working full-time to pay rent, transportation and school expenses. I had to balance work, school and family while learning how to become an adult and how to become a successful student. I lost hope, and I stopped believing in myself. My dream of becoming a physician was slowly fading before my eyes. However, when I first heard that I was accepted into the HHAB program, a light of hope sparked within me. The opportunity to provide free medical services to my hometown warmed my soul. From first-hand experience, I had seen and felt the hunger of my people for medical treatments. My first clinic day was a pivotal moment for my career decision, because I realized how much of an impact medical assistance had on underserved communities. It is not just about giving to the people but instilling hope in the patients. It is the type of longing that will motivate them to create a long-lasting impact on their health. It is an opened door for disease prevention, treatment, and health management that positively contributes to the overall well-being of the patient. While at the clinic, I was one of the few that spoke Spanish which allowed me to create a strong rapport with the patients that I once proudly knew as my community. I remember translating for a lady named Cecilia that was accompanied by her grandson, and I instantly had a flashback to when I was younger and used to accompany my grandmother to the hospital IMSS (The Mexican Institute of Social Security). Also, Cecilia did not know how to read, so Dr. Mia recommended to make up a system for her by drawing a sun for the medication that she needed to take in the morning and by drawing a moon for the medication she needed to take at night. I understood Cecilia’s needs for medical resources, but I also learned to understand how intrinsically beneficial the explanation and the aforementioned system was for her. Covering the community’s medical needs is essential to their health, but educating the patients by simplifying medical procedures, understanding their background and personal deficiencies, is what creates the change. Cecilia comprehended the basis of her underlying condition. This instilled a sense of concern that created a motive for her to take the initiative to continue forward with her treatment. Immediately, a burst of joy radiated through my body when her sense of hope was reflected through her watery eyes and her smile. Providing medical services and participating in similar organizations like HHAB have broadened my sense of empathy, and thus have ignited my motor to continue pursuing a career in healthcare. These organizations have inspired me to push forward despite numerous obstacles, because I started perceiving my knowledge as a tool for people; a toolbox that will serve them and will grow by striving for a higher education. Obtaining this opportunity to strive for a higher education in the United States made me aware of the responsibility I held as a Mexican American for underserved populations not just in Tijuana but also all around the United States. Therefore, the needs of the people have become the gas to my motor in order to pursue a career in healthcare.

During the summer of 2019, I acquired a job with an orthopedic surgeon as a medical assistant. The doctor is a Qualified Medical Evaluator and my duty was to take the patients’ medical history on site or via phone. I assisted with patients from diverse backgrounds, the most prominent groups being underserved communities. As a Mexican American that lived for fourteen years in Mexico, I understood firsthand the medical necessity of minorities and their frustration with a lack of fluency in the English language. Working with marginalized groups was heartbreaking, because their language barrier impeded them from acquiring the proper medical care they needed. Injuries became chronic, their body overcompensated and pain aggravated not because they refused medical evaluations but because their language barrier, lack of resources and background discouraged them from seeking medical attention. When I first moved to the United States, I had to learn English and overcome social and cultural barriers. I can still feel the social anxiety trickling down my body while having to speak the language. Then, college started, and I had to master the language in another respect: the technical language of science. In many instances, I did not know how to ask for help or I was not even aware how I could be helped. Luckily, professors and mentors in the medical field ran that extra mile and reached out. This directly translated to when I worked as a medical assistant. I felt the anxiety and frustration of patients trying to fill out the medical forms. Prior to their appointment, patients had to fill out a 30 page questionnaire besides the verbal medical history; otherwise, they could not be evaluated. Appointments would be delayed, cancelled or poorly conveyed, because the patient did not have an interpreter on site. If their claim was not accurately addressed, the patient would sometimes lose the case and would not undergo the recommended surgery, attain any benefits nor receive the proper treatment post their injury. Seeing their frustration while knowing their exacerbating pain in multiple body parts motivated me to find a way to facilitate the process for them. I saw myself as a tool for them. I wanted to learn for them. Furthermore, I decided to enroll in a Medical Interpretation program. I was concomitantly taking my fall quarter classes while taking the Medical Interpretation courses. Taking these courses helped me compute patients’ medical histories more efficiently and even translate the 30 page questionnaire. The process became more comfortable to the patients to open up and provide a more detailed medical history. Running the extra mile for underserved communities made me realize that working in healthcare is not just providing general care for patients without catering to their specific needs. It is also about recognizing the disparities within different communities and becoming a facilitator to convey equity among groups with different backgrounds and therefore, provide the best care possible. I envision myself as a mentor to facilitate care to my patients and educate them in every way possible by building a strong rapport with them. Moreover, I am aware of the importance of medical social justice. I believe that is crucial to approach medicine with an anthropological/sociological lens in order to understand the root of inequity and thus ameliorate it. Physicians are the attorneys of life, so as a future physician I would like to utilize my medical jurisdiction to advocate to city councils and establish permanent medical institutions that will embody the needs of these underserved communities to therefore acquire essential human care.

One of the qualities I value the most would be the empathy I feel for people. I have assisted with patients from diverse backgrounds, the most prominent groups being underserved communities. As a Mexican American that lived for fourteen years in Mexico, I understood firsthand the medical necessity of minorities and their frustration with a lack of fluency in the English language. Working with marginalized groups was heartbreaking, because their language barrier impeded them from acquiring the proper medical care they needed. Injuries became chronic, their body overcompensated and pain aggravated not because they refused medical evaluations but because their language barrier, lack of resources and background discouraged them from seeking medical attention. When I first moved to the United States, I had to learn English and overcome social and cultural barriers. I can still feel the social anxiety trickling down my body while having to speak the language. Then, college started, and I had to master the language in another respect: the technical language of science. In many instances, I did not know how to ask for help or I was not even aware how I could be helped. Luckily, professors and mentors in the medical field ran that extra mile and reached out. This directly translated to when I worked as a medical assistant. I felt the anxiety and frustration of patients trying to fill out the medical forms. Prior to their appointment, patients had to fill out a 30 page questionnaire besides the verbal medical history; otherwise, they could not be evaluated. Appointments would be delayed, cancelled or poorly conveyed, because the patient did not have an interpreter on site. If their claim was not accurately addressed, the patient would sometimes lose the case and would not undergo the recommended surgery, attain any benefits nor receive the proper treatment post their injury. Seeing their frustration while knowing their exacerbating pain in multiple body parts motivated me to find a way to facilitate the process for them. I saw myself as a tool for them. I wanted to learn for them. Furthermore, I decided to enroll in a Medical Interpretation program. I was concomitantly taking my fall quarter classes while taking the Medical Interpretation courses. Taking these courses helped me compute patients’ medical histories more efficiently and even translate the 30 page questionnaire. The process became more comfortable to the patients to open up and provide a more detailed medical history. Running the extra mile for underserved communities made me realize that working in healthcare is not just providing general care for patients without catering to their specific needs. It is also about recognizing the disparities within different communities and becoming a facilitator to convey equity among groups with different backgrounds and therefore, provide the best care possible. I envision myself as a mentor to facilitate care to my patients and educate them in every way possible by building a strong rapport with them. Moreover, I am aware of the importance of medical social justice. I believe that is crucial to approach medicine with an anthropological/sociological lens in order to understand the root of inequity and thus ameliorate it. Physicians are the attorneys of life, so as a future physician I would like to utilize my medical jurisdiction to advocate to city councils and establish permanent medical institutions that will embody the needs of these underserved communities to therefore acquire essential human care.

During the summer of 2019, I acquired a job with an orthopedic surgeon as a medical assistant. The doctor is a Qualified Medical Evaluator and my duty was to take the patients’ medical history on site or via phone. I assisted with patients from diverse backgrounds, the most prominent groups being underserved communities. As a Mexican American that lived for fourteen years in Mexico, I understood firsthand the medical necessity of minorities and their frustration with a lack of fluency in the English language. Working with marginalized groups was heartbreaking, because their language barrier impeded them from acquiring the proper medical care they needed. Injuries became chronic, their body overcompensated and pain aggravated not because they refused medical evaluations but because their language barrier, lack of resources and background discouraged them from seeking medical attention. When I first moved to the United States, I had to learn English and overcome social and cultural barriers. I can still feel the social anxiety trickling down my body while having to speak the language. Then, college started, and I had to master the language in another respect: the technical language of science. In many instances, I did not know how to ask for help or I was not even aware how I could be helped. Luckily, professors and mentors in the medical field ran that extra mile and reached out. This directly translated to when I worked as a medical assistant. I felt the anxiety and frustration of patients trying to fill out the medical forms. Prior to their appointment, patients had to fill out a 30 page questionnaire besides the verbal medical history; otherwise, they could not be evaluated. Appointments would be delayed, cancelled or poorly conveyed, because the patient did not have an interpreter on site. If their claim was not accurately addressed, the patient would sometimes lose the case and would not undergo the recommended surgery, attain any benefits nor receive the proper treatment post their injury. Seeing their frustration while knowing their exacerbating pain in multiple body parts motivated me to find a way to facilitate the process for them. I saw myself as a tool for them. I wanted to learn for them. Furthermore, I decided to enroll in a Medical Interpretation program. I was concomitantly taking my fall quarter classes while taking the Medical Interpretation courses. Taking these courses helped me compute patients’ medical histories more efficiently and even translate the 30 page questionnaire. The process became more comfortable to the patients to open up and provide a more detailed medical history. Running the extra mile for underserved communities made me realize that working in healthcare is not just providing general care for patients without catering to their specific needs. It is also about recognizing the disparities within different communities and becoming a facilitator to convey equity among groups with different backgrounds and therefore, provide the best care possible. I envision myself as a mentor to facilitate care to my patients and educate them in every way possible by building a strong rapport with them. Moreover, I am aware of the importance of medical social justice. I believe that is crucial to approach medicine with an anthropological/sociological lens in order to understand the root of inequity and thus ameliorate it. Physicians are the attorneys of life, so as a future physician I would like to utilize my medical jurisdiction to advocate to city councils and establish permanent medical institutions that will embody the needs of these underserved communities to therefore acquire essential human care.

I assisted with patients from diverse backgrounds, the most prominent groups being underserved communities. As a Mexican American that lived for fourteen years in Mexico, I understood firsthand the medical necessity of minorities and their frustration with a lack of fluency in the English language. Working with marginalized groups was heartbreaking, because their language barrier impeded them from acquiring the proper medical care they needed. I felt the anxiety and frustration of patients trying to fill out the medical forms. Prior to their appointment, patients had to fill out a 30 page questionnaire besides the verbal medical history; otherwise, they could not be evaluated. Seeing their frustration while knowing their exacerbating pain in multiple body parts motivated me to find a way to facilitate the process for them. I saw myself as a tool for them. I wanted to learn for them. Furthermore, I decided to enroll in a Medical Interpretation program. Taking these courses helped me compute patients’ medical histories more efficiently and even translate the 30 page questionnaire. The process became more comfortable to the patients to provide a more detailed medical history. Running the extra mile for underserved communities made me realize that working in healthcare is not just providing general care for patients without catering to their specific needs. Moreover, I am aware of the importance of medical social justice. I believe that is crucial to approach medicine with an anthropological/sociological lens in order to understand the root of inequity and thus ameliorate it. Physicians are the attorneys of life, so as a future physician I would like to utilize my medical jurisdiction to advocate to city councils and establish permanent medical institutions that will embody the needs of these underserved communities to therefore acquire essential human care.

I assisted with patients from diverse backgrounds, the most prominent groups being underserved communities. As a Mexican American that lived for fourteen years in Mexico, I understood firsthand the medical necessity of minorities and their frustration with the language; their language barrier impeded them from acquiring the proper medical care. When I first moved to the United States, I learned English and overcame social and cultural barriers. I can still feel the social anxiety trickling down my body while having to speak English. Then, college started, and I had to master the language in another respect: the technical language of science. In many instances, I did not know how to ask for help. Luckily, professors helped me. This directly translated to when I worked as a medical assistant. I felt the anxiety and frustration of patients trying to fill out the medical forms. Prior to their appointment, patients had to fill out a 30 page questionnaire besides the verbal medical history; otherwise, they could not be evaluated. Seeing their frustration while knowing their exacerbating pain in multiple body parts motivated me to find a way to facilitate the process for them. I saw myself as a tool for them. I wanted to learn for them. Furthermore, I decided to enroll in a Medical Interpretation program. Computing medical histories became more comfortable to the patients to provide a more detailed medical history. I believe that is crucial to approach medicine with an anthropological/sociological lens in order to understand the root of inequity and thus ameliorate it. Physicians are the attorneys of life, so as a future physician I would like to utilize my medical jurisdiction to advocate to city councils and establish permanent medical institutions that will embody the needs of these underserved communities to therefore acquire essential human care.

During the summer of 2019, I acquired a job with an orthopedic surgeon as a medical assistant. The doctor is a Qualified Medical Evaluator and my duty was to take the patients’ medical history on site or via phone. I assisted with patients from diverse backgrounds, the most prominent groups being underserved communities. As a Mexican American that lived for fourteen years in Mexico, I understood firsthand the medical necessity of minorities and their frustration with a lack of fluency in the English language. Working with marginalized groups was heartbreaking, because their language barrier impeded them from acquiring the proper medical care they needed. Injuries became chronic, their body overcompensated and pain aggravated not because they refused medical evaluations but because their language barrier, lack of resources and background discouraged them from seeking medical attention. When I first moved to the United States, I had to learn English and overcome social and cultural barriers. I can still feel the social anxiety trickling down my body while having to speak the language. Then, college started, and I had to master the language in another respect: the technical language of science. In many instances, I did not know how to ask for help or I was not even aware how I could be helped. Luckily, professors and mentors in the medical field ran that extra mile and reached out. This directly translated to when I worked as a medical assistant. I felt the anxiety and frustration of patients trying to fill out the medical forms. Prior to their appointment, patients had to fill out a 30 page questionnaire besides the verbal medical history; otherwise, they could not be evaluated. Appointments would be delayed, cancelled or poorly conveyed, because the patient did not have an interpreter on site. If their claim was not accurately addressed, the patient would sometimes lose the case and would not undergo the recommended surgery, attain any benefits nor receive the proper treatment post their injury. Seeing their frustration while knowing their exacerbating pain in multiple body parts motivated me to find a way to facilitate the process for them. I saw myself as a tool for them. I wanted to learn for them. Furthermore, I decided to enroll in a Medical Interpretation program. I was concomitantly taking my fall quarter classes while taking the Medical Interpretation courses. Taking these courses helped me compute patients’ medical histories more efficiently and even translate the 30 page questionnaire. The process became more comfortable to the patients to open up and provide a more detailed medical history. Running the extra mile for underserved communities made me realize that working in healthcare is not just providing general care for patients without catering to their specific needs. It is also about recognizing the disparities within different communities and becoming a facilitator to convey equity among groups with different backgrounds and therefore, provide the best care possible. I envision myself as a mentor to facilitate care to my patients and educate them in every way possible by building a strong rapport with them. Moreover, I am aware of the importance of medical social justice. I believe that is crucial to approach medicine with an anthropological/sociological lens in order to understand the root of inequity and thus ameliorate it. Physicians are the attorneys of life, so as a future physician I would like to utilize my medical jurisdiction to advocate to city councils and establish permanent medical institutions that will embody the needs of these underserved communities to therefore acquire essential human care.

At the age of 14 years old, my desire to pursue medicine in the United States sparked through series of life events. Since a young age, my grandparents were my primary caregivers, mentors and paternal figures. As I became older, I started noticing that their spark in their eyes was not the same, their gait became slower and their explicit memory became a bit more challenging to maintain. I remember accompanying my grandparents to their monthly doctor's visit. I would sometimes say more than I was supposed to when the doctor asked them if they had taken their medications on time or when they were asked about their eating habits. I would just get this look from them and then the doctor's smile. Every visit was normal, until one day during my grandmother's doctor's appointment, everything got quiet. I truly was unaware of what was going on... "diabetes what? gluco what?". My grandmother was diagnosed with Type II diabetes alongside with hypertension, fibromyalgia, hydrocephalus and depressive disorders. Occasionally, she would forget to take her medication or would fall asleep through her alarm. But then, it became more often. I gave myself the task to read and ask the doctors for a simplified version of what my grandmother had in order to begin understanding her conditions. Slowly, I learned how to read the glucometer, how to use the lancets and how to come up with techniques to help my grandmother remember whether to take her pills during the day or at night. Later on, when I began college, I began to attend to free clinics in Mexico. While at the clinic, I was one of the few that spoke Spanish which allowed me to create a strong rapport with the patients that I once proudly knew as my community. I remember translating for a lady named Cecilia that was accompanied by her grandson, and I instantly had a flashback to when I was younger and used to accompany my grandmother to the hospital IMSS (The Mexican Institute of Social Security). Also, Cecilia did not know how to read, so Dr. Mia recommended to make up a system for her by drawing a sun for the medication that she needed to take in the morning and by drawing a moon for the medication she needed to take at night. I understood Cecilia’s needs for medical resources, but I also learned to understand how intrinsically beneficial the explanation and the aforementioned system was for her. Covering the community’s medical needs is essential to their health, but educating the patients by simplifying medical procedures, understanding their background and personal deficiencies, is what creates the change. Cecilia comprehended the basis of her underlying condition. This instilled a sense of concern that created a motive for her to take the initiative to continue forward with her treatment. Immediately, a burst of joy radiated through my body when her sense of hope was reflected through her watery eyes and her smile. Medicine is more than just prescribing medication, but it is also the rapport one builds with the patient to instill aspiration for a healthier lifestyle. These experiences motivated me, because I started perceiving my knowledge as a tool for people; a toolbox that will serve them and will grow by striving for a higher education. Obtaining this opportunity to strive for a higher education in the United States made me aware of the responsibility I held as a Mexican American for underserved populations. Therefore, the needs of the people have become the gas to my motor in order to pursue a career in healthcare.

At the age of 12 years old, I setup my mind to explore personal investment opportunities in regards to my academic career. Academically, my bucket list included attending to a prestigious university in the United States, attend to medical school and become CEO of a non-profit organization. Currently, I have fulfilled my dream of graduating from UCSD and I am currently in the process of applying to Medical School and becoming the CEO of a non-profit organization, Celestial Mission. Furthermore, other bucket list activities I had included on my list has been flying in a hot air balloon, skydiving, skiing, snorkeling in the underwater museum in Cancun and running a marathon. So far, I have been able to fly in hot air balloon and skiing.