A Giant Discovery

Angel D. Chavez Rivera

MS2, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine

Pursuing my dreams required commitment and determination.

The sacrifices of my family and community to help me achieve a better education.

Beginning my first year of medical school was a new journey for me to embark.

A giant of knowledge for me to slay and leave my mark.

After a couple of months, I began to adapt and figure things out.

Yet, what I did not realize was that a stronger giant was lurking about.

I was forced to spend most of my days in bed feeling frustrated and in severe pain.

Many around me did not understand my situation despite my best efforts to explain.

My body debilitated as days and nights of severe discomfort made the most of their stay.

Ineffective months of conservative treatments followed and left surgery as the only way.

Time did not stop and my journey in medicine remained on course.

Through the grace of God, I was able to persevere through both giants with great force.

The day of my procedure finally arrived and mixed feelings lead to a deep introspection.

A nurturing reflection that solidified during my recovery to provide me with great strength and direction.

The giant was neither the rigors of medical school nor my draining medical state.

Instead, the real giant was my unrelenting resolve to succeed and help my community become great.

About the Artist: Angel D. Chavez Rivera attends San Juan Bautista School of Medicine. He graduated from Georgetown University with a Master’s of Science in Physiology. He was born in Peru and grew up in Florida. He is the Vice President of the Internal Medicine Interest Group, Surgery Interest Group, and Association of Women Surgeons. So far, he helped different communities in Puerto Rico through multiple initiatives. Angel petitioned to the governor of PR to proclaim March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. He also advocates for health equity on the island through means of education and health policy for HIV prevention. He is involved in research focusing on the prevalence of Parkinson Disease, colon cancer rates in PR, and wrote chapters in a Translational Surgery Handbook with Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital. Angel was a finalist in the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2021 History of Surgery Poster Session. He received the Diversity Equity & Inclusion Conference Award. In April, he will travel to California to participate in the PREPPED Program, a national program sponsored by the Plastic Surgery Foundation, American Council of Academic Plastic Surgery, ConnectMed International, Arthur L. Garnes Society, and University of California San Diego Division of Plastic Surgery.