Resilience, Advocacy and an Unwavering Commitment to Serving the Underserved

Medical student, José Vasquez shares his non-traditional path to medical school 

My earliest memory is of flashes of light streaking across the Salvadoran night sky. I always believed them to be shooting stars. I later learned they were the fiery remnants of a nation torn apart by civil war.

My path to medicine has been marked by resilience and the determination to turn hardship into purpose. I have been working since a young age to support myself and my family, which impacted my ability to focus on my education. That, paired with a lack of support, led me to drop out of high school.

Over the years, I lost close friends and family to preventable diseases, overdose, gang violence and suicide. However, it was the loss of my mother that became one of the most defining moments in my journey. Losing her underscored the gaps in health care that disproportionately affect underserved communities and left me with profound grief and a responsibility to make a difference. Driven by that renewed sense of purpose and the need to support my family, I returned to higher education in pursuit of a career that could heal and also encouraged a commitment to research in search of answers.

I lived in Watts and later moved to Inglewood, working multiple jobs while attending community college full-time at Compton College and El Camino College in Los Angeles. I pushed myself to catch up to my peers and eventually excel academically and personally. Among my many jobs, I served my community as a bilingual pharmacy technician for more than eight years. In this role, I became intimately aware of the multifaceted barriers that hinder access to quality health care. Coupled with poor medical coverage and limited English proficiency due to a predominantly immigrant population, I found myself not just dispensing medications but also serving as a translator and advocate for our patients. I made it my mission to ensure that our patients received the care they deserved, fostering trust in my community where health care disparities and pharmacy deserts prevail.

My passion for medicine was solidified through my two-year experience with Neighborhood M.E.D. (Medical Enrichment through Diversity) in Long Beach. I had the privilege of shadowing Dr. Reichman, the director of the program, who demonstrated dedication to inclusive health care educational experiences for minorities. I was grateful for the opportunity to counsel patients during the pandemic on critical health issues such as blood pressure and diabetes while addressing vaccine hesitancy. It was immensely gratifying to help people in the same city where I had witnessed a lack of support for minorities during my teenage years.

One thing I take pride in is the depth of my commitment to mentorship and leadership. Since I dropped out of high school, I was unprepared for the academic challenges on the road to medicine. My non-traditional path through higher education as someone from a disadvantaged background revealed daunting feelings of isolation and confusion. As a full-time student with multiple jobs, I persevered, overcame my dropout status and excelled in college. This motivated me to break down the barriers I faced by becoming a tutor and mentor to my disadvantaged peers at community college and UC Irvine.

Looking forward

Choosing UC San Diego School of Medicine was a deliberate decision. The university’s commitment to community engagement and research resonated deeply with me. I was particularly drawn to the diverse range and vast opportunities in student interest groups like the Student-Run Free Clinic Project, which provides a tangible way to apply my Spanish-speaking skills and cultural insights to directly serve a diverse, immigrant-rich population much like the one I grew up in. My recent experience with the outreach elective Doc-4-A-Day gave me a sense of immense fulfillment with the ability to provide outreach to high school students from predominantly underserved backgrounds bringing my mission full circle.

People might be surprised to learn that I am the oldest student in the incoming class of 2024. I am beginning medical school at the age of 32. Despite my non-traditional path, I am now pursuing the longest track offered by the School of Medicine, the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), with the goal of earning two degrees — an M.D. and Ph.D. This journey is a testament to resilience and the belief that it’s never too late to follow your passion. My interest in MSTP was sparked by my early exposure to the limitations of medical knowledge in addressing complex diseases affecting my community, such as addiction and mental health disorders. Contributing to studies that investigated neural circuitry and substance abuse reinforced my belief in the importance of research that is directly applicable to real-world problems.

Outside of school, you can often find me in the lab, connecting with others through mentorship, guiding and encouraging aspiring medical students who face their own unique challenges or volunteering at health fairs and participating in student-run organizations and interest groups which allows me to stay connected to my community and advocate for those who struggle to find their voice within the health care system. For fun, I enjoy exploring diverse cuisines, learning new languages and staying active, which helps me maintain balance and stay energized throughout the rigors of medical school.

 I aim to be a light in my community, a beacon of inspiration for aspiring physicians from similarly disadvantaged backgrounds, offering guidance and hope, by showing that transcendence is possible. As I embark on this profound journey into medicine, I carry with me the lessons of my past and the belief that, like the stars from my childhood, together we possess the capacity to illuminate the path to a brighter, healthier future.

If I were to share advice with those considering medical school, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds, it would be to embrace your unique story and let it fuel your drive. The road may be difficult, and you may face moments of isolation or self-doubt, but resilience and a clear sense of purpose will carry you forward. Your experiences, no matter how unconventional, are your greatest strength.

— José Vasquez, first-year medical student