Alejandro Aviña-Cadena’s childhood recollections may sound acquainted to fellow youngsters of immigrants. The L.A. native recollects translating for his Mexican-born dad and mom at medical appointments and feeling self-conscious explaining their therapeutic use of herbs and topical ointments to docs and nurses. On the time, it felt like an isolating expertise. Later, he realized that it was shared by many first-generation Individuals. This impressed Aviña-Cadena to pursue a profession in public well being and drugs. “I considered the folks in white coats as healers and position fashions,” he says.
The journey to public well being advocacy and medical faculty wasn’t easy. Aviña-Cadena struggled in highschool however gained confidence in group faculty. He transferred to UCI, the place he earned a bachelor’s diploma in organic sciences. Shadowing docs within the emergency division ignited his ardour for public well being. “Numerous societal failures are current within the ER,” Aviña-Cadena says. “I noticed how issues like meals insecurity and never with the ability to afford drugs exacerbated continual sicknesses like coronary heart illness and diabetes. Public well being interventions can alleviate these inequalities.”
He used his public well being coaching to create a curriculum on the social determinants of public well being for the UCI College of Medication. It requires practitioners to dig deeper into their sufferers’ well being historical past and challenges to acquiring care. “Being a physician and public well being advocate aren’t mutually unique. You are able to do each,” Aviña-Cadena says. With a twin grasp’s in public well being and medical diploma from UCI, he’s effectively on his solution to attaining this. This summer time he begins his residency in emergency drugs at Boston Medical Heart.
What’s your favourite reminiscence at UCI?
Strolling round Ring Street ingesting $2 boba.
The place do you see your self in 5 years?
Pursuing a post-residency fellowship at Harvard.
“Alejandro is the one that exhibits up and offers one hundred pc (plus) to every thing he commits to. Even when the duty is hard, he sees it by means of. … Alejandro goes to alter drugs; he’s going to be concerned locally; he’s going to be concerned within the training of medical college students, residents and college; he’s going to show; and he’s going to mentor and make so many constructive waves. He’s the one that will bounce in with one hundred pc – and accomplish that with kindness, with grit and with all of the constructive power.”
– Dr. Alisa Wray, assistant scientific professor of emergency drugs
Who was your greatest affect at UCI?
My mentors and the assist system I’ve constructed right here. I couldn’t have made it so far with out them.
What are you aware now that you simply want you had recognized earlier than coming to UCI?
Issues will proceed to problem you, however you possibly can’t cease working towards your desires. It gained’t at all times be straightforward, however you are able to do it so long as you don’t hand over. Moreover, keep in mind that life by no means stops. Don’t neglect to stay your life, and don’t wait to take pleasure in life till you end faculty. In any other case, your pleasure will at all times be on maintain.
Do you could have any hobbies or pursuits that you simply pursue in your free time?
Mountain climbing, tenting and backpacking.
