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MEDICAL STUDENT

PERSPECTIVES

WHEN I CAME TO MEDICAL SCHOOL

By Alejandra Morfin Rodriguez

When I came to medical school, I stared at my White Coat in disbelief. Like many other
first-generation students, I felt the weight of my family’s sacrifices in every thread of the
white coat.

When I came to medical school, I reflected on how my story began 1,500 miles and a world
away in Jalisco, Mexico. My mother brought my sister and me to this country with the Amer-
ican dream in her heart, ready to undertake the challenge of raising two girls alone.

When I came to medical school, I thought about Pasadena, Texas — a place full of culture,
family, and poverty. My first home in the United States. The city that gave me a firsthand view
of the social determinants of health at work. I witnessed desperation in the eyes of my neigh-
bors as they continued pursuing a normal life while their families, friends, and acquaintances
fell ill due to the pollution of the hundreds of surrounding chemical plants and refineries.

When I came to medical school, with tears in my eyes I was sworn in as a naturalized citizen of the United States of America. Never
forgetting the long 18 years of living in fear as an undocumented immigrant that led to that fateful day. Never forgetting the words of
those that I represented when they told me “Mija, you are our voice now.”

When I came to medical school, I was told “that I was not like the other Mexicans,” a phrase I heard too often. A phrase that exposed
the attitude that my accolades were seen as an anomaly rather than an accurate representation of the hardworking Latino community.

When I came to medical school, I felt like I was crossing another border. Not a geographical one that existed on maps but rather a
border that was drawn with income, education levels, and connections to resources.

When I came to medical school, I quickly realized that the warnings I had received about not being the typical medical student were
true. I noticed that it was common for my classmates to have private school educations, and physician parents along with all the other
workings of a well-educated, elite family. I realized that I still did not have a firm conceptual understanding of what having a career
really meant while my peers seemed to “have it all figured out”. I felt inadequate and alone.

When I came to medical school, I encountered implicit assumptions insinuating that medical students all come from a high socioe-
conomic background. These implicit assumptions reaffirmed my belief that medicine is inaccessible — not only to the patient but also
to the underprivileged student who has to finance the astronomically expensive medical school application process from start to finish.

When I came to medical school, I chose to bridge the gap between the two worlds that I now live in. Determined to wear my roots
on my sleeve in an effort to increase understanding of the plight of immigrants and to advocate for the poor.

When I came to medical school, according to the AAMC, “Hispanic or Latino only” females only made up 3 percent of all the ma-
triculating medical students.

When I came to medical school, I felt like I was immigrating yet again to another land, one where I struggled to fit the “mold.” As
time passed, I realized “fitting a mold” should have never been one of my concerns.

When I leave medical school, I will have two new letters at the end of my name. Each obstacle that I have faced along the way will
serve as part of my training to become a physician advocate. A physician that can truly empathize with some of the most vulnerable
of patients.

Alejandra Morfin Rodriguez is a second year medical student and a member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2016.

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