Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1501973
Q A Reniell Iniguez is a fourth-year medical student at the College of Medicine. We talked with Iniguez about his experience at the College and his future plans. Why did you apply to medical school? As a first-generation college student and son of Mexican immigrants, I am proud and passionate about preserving my Latino heritage and Spanish-speaking ability. With Spanish-speaking parents, I often provided ad hoc interpretation during doctor visits. Seeing the suboptimal and language-discordant care my mom continuously received motivated me to pursue a career in medicine to serve vulnerable populations. I was specifically drawn to the College of Medicine for its Hispanic Center of Excellence, which celebrates, supports and recognizes the uniqueness of Latinx students. Why did you develop an interest in internal medicine? I was drawn to internal medicine for its wide clinical variety and strong emphasis on personalized patient care. During my sub-intern rotation in internal medicine at UI Health, I had the privilege of caring for many Spanish-speaking patients who initially came through the emergency room and did not regularly follow up with physicians. I found that relating to many of them both linguistically and culturally was useful in establishing them with follow-up care once they left the hospital. I realized that there was a great need for Spanish-speaking primary-care doctors. Is there someone who influenced your future plans? What do you hope to do with your career? I was selected as a research scholar through the Medical Organization for Latino Advancement, where I was introduced to my first-ever Hispanic/Latina mentor, Dr. Pilar Ortega (emergency medicine and medical Spanish faculty). She transcended the meaning of what it means to advocate for the Latino community and taught me that my Latino heritage is valuable in academic medicine. Because of her, I hope to become a physician- scientist who investigates language equity, healthcare disparities and medical Spanish education. How did being a College of Medicine student impact you on a personal level? UI COM makes medicine personal, both by bringing together a diverse student body that is passionate about social justice and by supporting student-led initiatives and projects. I was grateful to have received university credit for my published picture book called Aurora la Doctora. I worked with the author, Dr. Paola Mina-Osorio, and created all of the illustrations. The book follows the true story of a young Mexican girl who wants to become a physician. The goal of this project is to have Latinx children recognize that their heritage and Spanish-speaking abilities are needed in medicine. What makes you most proud to be a UI COM graduate? The Urban Medicine program: a longitudinal track that provides a cohort of students with an extended curriculum on advocacy, social justice and healthcare disparities to prepare them to serve minority communities. UMed partners students with community sites to exercise what we learn. I was fortunate to be partnered with the Medicina Apprenticeship Academy program, where I served as a mentor and science instructor for a cohort of largely Latinx high school students interested in medicine. The UMed program empowered my colleagues and me to be agents of change. There are few medical schools that provide such a wholesome experience; UI COM is unique in this way. 5 QUESTIONS 1 2 3 4 5 40 | Summer 2023 P H O T O : D I A N E S M U T N Y