Im going to Medical School! April 18, 2017

This dream that I have set out to make a reality is finally coming true. The seeds of knowledge, of resilience, of community and healing were planted and I am ready to harvest and tend to them.

Few words can express the vindication and accomplishment I feel today. My dream of becoming a doctor is being realized…my dream of being able to serve my community through medicine is coming true.

One thing that has not waivered is my commitment to my vision, my passion, and my calling. Even when life happens, many of us push through. I share this because many of us struggle not in believing in ourselves but in convincing those in power that we are worth it, that we can make it, that we will be great leaders, that numbers do not represent who I am. I graduated UCLA undergrad with a 2.57. Some see this as a failure; but I know that with all the chaos around me, I stood still and completed my BA. I have had to take extra steps in order to be able to apply. I took the MCAT twice. I applied twice to medical school. Some of us will not have linear paths. That is what makes our life colorful and dynamic. All I can hope for is that my openness and my journey remind others to listen to the voice inside them, to believe in their story, to find their voice and to defiantly not give up on yourself.

There is something powerful and liberating that happens when you discover your voice. For me, it is a deep sense of knowing that my story cannot be erased and that my perspective matters. It is one way of honoring those that have held me up and witnessed my failures and struggles and never failed to believe in me. It is a reclaiming of my flaws and not feeling ashamed of my struggles and imperfections.

This is for my mother: my guardian, inspiration, mi ejemplo de ser humano.

This is for my father who has showed me a person can grow from their mistakes.

This is for my sisters who teach me everday to be selfless

This is for my partner who loves me unconditionally

This is for all my friends and loved ones who always encouraged me

This is for all those people who have been told their numbers are not enough.

This if for those that have been told to “rethink” an easier career

This is for all those queer students that feel they must hide their identity

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, thank you for believing in me.

Mi sangre es maya y mi sangre es española. Soy de las montañas y los muelles de Guatemala. Soy hijo de la tierra. I am the image of one who has seen, felt, and perpetuated oppression. I am a product of mestizaje and a representation of globalization. I am a student learning from books, art, life and mistakes. I am a Joto, Queer, Guatemalan living in the Interstitial Space

#queeringmedicine #sisepuede #semillas #medicina