Major: Molecular Biology; minor: Media Studies
Hometown: Dorado, Puerto Rico
Destination: Yale School of Medicine, MD-PhD Program
Why did you choose to be an MD/PhD?
I liken medicine to one of my first passions: films. I was always fascinated with how films combined empathy and problem-solving to expand the viewer’s understanding of the human condition. Conflicted between pursuing a career in film or medicine, I noted that both involve exercises of empathy, but medicine involves a direct impact on the person you are empathizing with. This distinction between passive and actionable empathy led me to finding the stories in each patient and in the biology underlying their morbidities. In these stories, I could have an influential role through medicine.
Why MD/PhD specifically? That relates to what I call the macro and micro levels of medicine. I’m drawn to medicine because it provides a wonderful opportunity to have a lasting positive impact on people’s lives. As a physician, I can offer individualized aid to patients on a one-to-one basis—the micro level—while also delving into cutting-edge medical research as a scientist to enhance understanding of specific pathologies and develop new treatments for broader patient populations—the macro level. Both roles are complementary to each other like a feedback loop in which treating patients and obtaining samples from them feed the research. The science then leads to findings that eventually benefit the patients, and the cycle goes on, hopefully improving many lives along the way.
How did you get there?
Coming into Pomona, I knew I had interests in medicine and in becoming a physician, but I had no idea about what a physician-scientist was or that you could even get both an MD and a PhD in one program. I quickly learned about this interesting possibility from peers in my Pomona Science Scholars (PSS) cohort. I was encouraged by my academic advisor, Prof. Len Seligman, to try out research over the summer after my first year at Pomona. This led to my first research experience with Aaron Ring MD PhD as part of Yale’s BioMed Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program. That experience was the first domino to fall in the chain reaction, leading to my fascination with academic medicine and my ongoing pursuit of becoming a physician-scientist. Eager to learn more about what that entailed, I did some translational research with Leo Wang MD PhD at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center. Then, after graduating from Pomona, I returned to Yale to do further translational research with Aaron Ring MD PhD and Noah Palm PhD for two years. In that time, I learned new research techniques, discovered new scientific interests, and gained a better sense of what type of physician-scientist I want to become. In the end, experiential learning, hard work, and impactful mentors were crucial in my trajectory.
How did Pomona prepare you?
Pomona was an instrumental part of my personal and professional development. Pomona encourages learning about life from all angles in a community full of lifelong learners. There, the scientific courses taught me about what is necessary to sustain life while the humanities courses from my Media Studies minor taught me about what makes life worth living and its many complexities*. I’ve found this combination to be absolutely essential for understanding how to practice holistic medicine.
Pomona’s small class sizes also allow for more one-on-one time with potential mentors that can help guide you in the right direction like my own did for me. After discovering my new goal of becoming a physician-scientist, I sought advice from Pomona alumni in MD/PhD programs all over the nation. These former Sagehens were incredibly insightful, and I still consider one of them, Jason Xu ’18, to be my mentor to this day. It was also important for me to pay forward the mentorship I had received, so I got involved with extracurriculars such as being a Pomona Prehealth Liaison and a Speaking Partner at the Center for Speaking, Writing, and the Image (formerly known as the Writing Center). From mentors in class to those thousands of miles away, Pomona provided a network that I could use to find the guidance I needed to accomplish my goals.
*It’s important to me that I credit Dead Poets Society (1989) for paraphrasing this line from that film.
Any advice for current or prospective Pomona students?
Avoid comparing yourself to others. Everyone has their own journey! At Pomona and other academic institutions, there are very accomplished individuals, but the only person you should compare yourself to is yourself in the past. If you’re growing and learning, then that’s the progress that counts, and it’s what matters most for accomplishing your goals.
With that in mind, pursue your interests and make the most of your liberal arts education! Medicine and science are intertwined with the humanities in more ways than one would think. You would benefit as a doctor, scientist, and person overall to have as broadened of a perspective as possible. That’s what Pomona’s interdisciplinary education did for me, and I’ve seen its benefits firsthand in my interactions with patients and colleagues. Life and college will provide many learning opportunities that are often disguised as challenging circumstances or obstacles. Take those opportunities to not only learn about how to overcome similar challenges in the future, but also to learn about yourself. In doing this, I’ve been able to grow on so many different levels and hope to continue to do so in the long career path that lies ahead.