With a Little Help from Mis Amigos

I still recall the front of my first Spanish textbook in high school: “Descubre.” At age 14, little did I know when my professor explained to me the word’s literal meaning, just what that experience would mean for me. I fell in love with Spanish, later pursuing a major in college, and living in Santiago, Chile, for half a year as I studied abroad. In Chile, I met a community that was friendly, warm, and welcoming; it was a life-changing experience.

Upon my return to the USA, I knew I had to share my experiences with others. I began as a volunteer Spanish interpreter and eventually worked as a medical assistant at Casa de Salud (CDS) Clinic in St. Louis. These roles sprung from a desire to combine my two passions, Spanish and medicine, and soon matured into a dream of improving care for Hispanic individuals through culturally humble and linguistically concordant medicine.

At Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM), I discovered the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) and Amigos Médicos Clinic (AMC). Here, I found a group of like-minded individuals. Seeing a need for primary care in Southwest Detroit, a predominantly Hispanic community, we recruited Dr. Eliezer Gomez, a local family medicine physician, and together we made our dream a reality. With fellow students Rafael Ramos, Nevil Khurana, Rene Andino-Galva and more, we converted AMC from a screening clinic to a source of primary care with an emphasis on primary prevention for the Detroit Hispanic and Spanish-speaking communities.

Throughout the way we have encountered difficulties. Our original clinic site closed, forcing us to find a replacement. Our replacement then developed limited availability, again leading us to seek a new site. Our funding was exhausted after about one year of work. Yet, despite these challenges, we have persisted. Grounded in a foundation of teamwork and solidarity, we sought new and exciting ways to pursue our dream. In the process we have forged relationships with local community partners. We have applied for additional funding to expand our services. We have conducted research to understand the needs of our patients and improve our efforts. We expanded the AMC Student Board from 3 students to
12+. Our LMSA Chapter also grew as Dr. Gomez took on the role of LMSA Faculty Mentor, later being recognized as the LMSA Midwest Mentor of the Year.

From when I took the advice, “Descubre,” to when I ventured to Chile, to my recent experience in LMSA, the Latino community has been a family for me. Thanks to LMSA and AMC, I have learned the value of being an amigo médico. It means not asking what the cost, what the risk, or how difficult. Rather, it means constantly striving for something greater and more important. Medicine is difficult. Being a medical student is challenging, especially when alone. Yet, with a little help from mis amigos, I am always reminded of the beauty of medicine. It is a group effort to pursue something greater than oneself: this is the dream that led us to the field, and it is the one that keeps us going. Thank you, LMSA and AMC, for being a true amigo médico.