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WOMEN IN
MEDICINE

WHY DID I

DECIDE TO

BECOME A

PHYSICIAN?

A lifelong passion for

healing is fulfilled

By Dr. Ana I. Rodriguez, from MacGregor Medical Center

I was exposed to the medical field early in life. My to care for my sisters and me. She was the driving force to move

mother was a high school science teacher and my fa-
to the states and finish my college years and then continue my
ther was a general and pediatric surgeon. While shad-
owing my father during summers I loved the interaction I medical education here. As an immigrant from Puerto Rico it was
very difficult to adjust and find my niche. Opposite from Dr. Rosa
observed with the patients and realized I wanted to do more than Vizcarra’s experience, I remember to this day when I met with the
just surgery. I wanted to follow up and assist with their healthcare pre-med advisor who told me that it would be very difficult to be
over time. My passion was later reinforced when my mother de- accepted into medical school in this country and to seek an alter-
cided to go to medical school and she would take me to the nate career. I went home and I cried out of anger and told myself:
anatomy labs. I found it fascinating how the human body worked “I am going to prove him wrong.” In the process, I met my future
and how a doctor could help heal it. husband and we both applied to college and moved away from El
Being a single parent, my mother had to quit her medical career Paso, him to pursue his business degree and me to go to medical

24 San Antonio Medicine • March 2019