1. Tell us about yourself. I, Magaly Cabrera-Ortiz, am the proud daughter of naturalized citizens from El Salvador and Peru. Aside from my parents, I have two brothers and am the middle child. When I am not studying, I can be found working out at the gym or actively involved with sports including soccer (intramural, women, and coed team), lacrosse, boxing, cross country, etc. I used to swim, do gymnastics, and play the piano. I can still play the violin as I have played from preschool to high school/early college. I enjoy being outdoors and spending quality time with my family and dog. I have been volunteering at Inova Fairfax Hospital since senior year of high school from the gift shops, patient support services, to pediatrics (current). I am a translator and am also responsible for medical intake at the Arlington Free Clinic. I enjoy mentoring younger students with college preparation and navigating being a pre-professional health student. I work on an occasional basis as a babysitter or nanny, pet sitter, and do side jobs with my brother (lawn mowing, snow shoveling, yard work, etc). Aside from being self-employed, this is my second year at a high school where I work with high school students in developing college and life skills through AVID (Advanced Via Individual Determination) program.

While I am currently attending George Mason University, my journey began at James Madison University. As a transfer student, I have had the opportunity to expand my horizons, interact with different students, and seek different opportunities. Chemistry has been a challenging subject for me. At my first institution, I remember how frustrated I would get because I would put the time in to do the homework, understand the information, and attend lectures and review sessions. Through each frustration, I would call home and remember the countless times I was about to give up being pre-med and switch majors. However, I am thankful for a strong family support system, having volunteered at the hospital, and meeting mentors. Through my family and mentors, they continued encouraging and believing in me when I could not. Through volunteering at the hospital and travelling to the homeland of my parents, I found the motivation with why I want to become a doctor. These factors are what I remind myself with if I am ever questioning my decision to help me refocus.

At my current institution (GMU), I am majoring in Community Health with a concentration in Clinical Science (Pre-Med). I am excited to be staying an extra year as I am currently working on math pre-requisites to apply for a Bioengineering minor. This allows me the opportunity to take math classes with my younger brother. I am the president of Patriots for Health Assistance, an on-campus organization, and organize volunteer opportunities for students to better understand the healthcare disparities in the communities. One of our most successful events is making birthing kits for the women and midwives of Haiti for safer births.

I have participated the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) at Rutgers and conducted research at the University of Arizona through the Border Latino & American Indian Summer Exposure to Research (BLAISER).

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? In high school, my favorite teacher and mentor has been Michael Jeffry. He was my teacher for Baby Bio and AP Bio. When he attended JMU, he was on the pre-med track before deciding to become a teacher. Since I had him my 9th grade year, I was able to interact with Mr. Jeffry on a regular basis and he also knew that I wanted to become a doctor. However, in AP Biology, I wasn’t doing well on exams. I scored poorly because I would let me test anxiety become and obstacle. Through staying after school, Mr. Jeffry helped me learn testing strategies and really encouraged me that regardless of an 18% or whatever score on an exam, I was not a number. He really impacted my mentality that helps me in college. In addition, not only did he believe in me, I felt like he cared about my education. If I had questions on suggestions on the courses to take next semester or how to do well in college chemistry, he has always been there still to this day. Individuals that impact you are the ones to always remember of.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? In my early childhood, I would answer to individuals saying I wanted to become a doctor. However, I do not remember a specific moment in my life that has propelled me in my decision and desire to become a physician. Rather, I believe it has been a couple of events together. One of the initial events was the passing of my grandfather in El Salvador. Due to the distance from the ranch to medical care, my family and I relied on the services from the Red Cross in helping my grandfather. After taking him to the hospital, it still was not understood what was causing his alignment and he passed away back on our ranch with agony. Still not knowing why he was in so much pain drove me to want to attempt in finding answers. Additionally, I noticed healthcare disparities and differences in access to quality care in El Salvador compared to the United States.

It is through my own community that I have noticed the high need of bilingual physicians. I want my patients to feel comfortable talking to me and not have their words lost through a translation. Through cultural competency, I want to become that physician that they trust with in hopes of it improving their access to care and reducing language and cultural barriers. Therefore, I enjoy volunteering in the hospital and at the Arlington Free Clinic because I can ensure that their voices are being heard and hope to directly impact the community in the future.

As a close-knit family, I would always accompany my mother and brother to their appointments and vice versa. Through interactions with physicians, they would break down the information. I would always be curious and play with the bone model set of the knee, spine, or ankle at the orthopedic or chiropractic office. Last semester, I had the opportunity to shadow a specialty that I found of my interest. These different experiences affirm my decision in wanting to become a doctor that provides to the underserved communities, connects with her patients and community, and potentially become an Orthopedic Surgeon (Sports Medicine).

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? Orthopedic Surgeon (Sports Medicine). I have shadowed several specialties and I thoroughly enjoyed shadowing in this field from being in the OR to the office. As an athlete, I understand how the body moves and the mechanisms of knee, shoulder movement, etc. This field allowed me to interact with a diverse population and when dealing with athletes, I understood the sense of urgency in helping them recover so that they can return to performing at their level. I also enjoyed this specialty because I was better able to understand the decisions of physicians when it came to bones and surgery because I had my own injury (shoulder dislocation and ligamentous laxity) and my mother had a broken finger and arthritis. I was better able to understand the rationale of physicians and see injuries I have not heard of before and realized that it’s more than just seeing patients with a finger or just foot injuries.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? I think one of the coolest experiences so far has been putting myself out of my comfort zone when applying to summer programs. I have been born and raised on the east coast. However, this past summer, I came across a research opportunity at the University of Arizona. Before this program, I had never been in this state and was able to experience the “dry heat” Arizona is known for. I believe this summer program has been one of the coolest experiences because part of the program consisted of only Arizona specific opportunities, I would have not had the chance to do elsewhere. I had the opportunity to partake and assist with a door to door survey in Nogales, Arizona. Most importantly, I was able to visit a tribal reservation, learn about health and customs, and learn about the culture. While in Arizona, other memorable events included travelling with classmates to go hiking and seeing lizards crawling around Arizona.

I found a great mentor that I had the opportunity to shadow before his retirement. Through Dr. Samuel Hawken, I was able to witness a total knee replacement and the procedure in which they only replace the cushion between the already replaced knee. Being in the office, I was able to see and learn about injuries I had not known about such as a Listanc fractures and its history.

6. What is your favorite book? The PACT because of how the young boys overcame adversity and become who the doctors they are today.

Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam because of how it the book had a dog and allowed me to appreciate the military and further my interest in wanting to be part of the military.

Code Talker because of how it allowed me to expand my cultural competency and appreciation for the Navajo.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know.

-Broke clavicle as a baby through birth. Am double jointed.

-Want to be pursue medicine through HPSP or transition into the military for the air force or army.

-I was placed in ESOL classes in second grade despite being born and raised in Fairfax, since I learned Spanish first.

-My long-term goals are to build up enough mileage and run a marathon.

-My bucket list includes travelling, sky diving, skiing, and jet skiing.

-My dog, Thumper, is my best friend/brother.

-On my grandparents’ ranch in El Salvador, I have milked and herded the cows. I have fed the pigs. I have used long bamboo sticks to whack my mangos down from the trees.

-Even though I stopped doing gymnastics since I was in 5th/6th grade, I can still do a round off backhand spring (Summer 2019).

-My middle name is “Lucero” and means shining star.

-I know how to drive a manual car.

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? I still have trouble with this answer since I could come up with multiple answers. First, I believe I could potentially be a good physical therapist due to my background in sports. Another option could be becoming a biomedical engineer. I enjoy the team aspect and problem solving. I found this interest through take an introduction to bioengineering course where during the semester, it was my group and I’s task to make a prosthetic hand. Our final design included wood, fishing wire, garden glove, and string. Through any path option I take, I would want to ensure I find a way to continue tutoring or mentoring students. This is something I have been doing and it is amazing being part their journey in helping them understand information.

9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you (or are you) overcome it? As mentioned in my introduction, the biggest obstacle as a pre-med has been the journey itself. In chemistry courses, my grades are not the best reflection of the time I spend studying or of who I am as a person or prospective medical school applicant. This is a big obstacle more of in the long run when I apply to medical schools. I have been overcoming the mindset of “not being strong enough of an applicant” by remembering that I am more than a test score, grade, or being a cookie cutter applicant. I overcome this mentality by having goals that are specific to myself and learning along the process. I continue remaining positive. I also continue finding mentors, individuals, and opportunities that interest me and help me become who I am meant to become.

10. What do you like most about Diverse Medicine? I am fortunate to have across Diverse Medicine as I received a flyer about the Pre-Med talks while at SHPEP. I enjoy how engaging the platform is with real people and how willing people are to help each other or share their perspective. Thank you to Dr. Dale and to others! The webinars also assist me with gaining greater knowledge that I might not already be aware of such as medical schools, scribing, etc. 

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1. Tell us about yourself. Hello! I’m a senior at the University of Arkansas majoring in Biology. I came to Arkansas as a child and have been here ever since! I like to binge watch Netflix, go to different coffee ships and go hiking often!

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? My favorite teacher has to be my Bioethics professor Warren Herold. Professor Herold had the unusual rule of no phones and/or laptops out. That meant the 30 of us present were forced to listen to him, and honestly I ‘m so glad he did. Professor Herold taught bioethics in a way that was broadly applicable but very nuanced at the same time.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? As a child, it was apparent to me the privileged life I lived as I visited my grandparents in their rural village in India. Every day I played with kids who came from mud and thatched houses. Kids my age worked in the farm and others went to the city as child laborers to support their family. One day, one of my friends didn’t meet me at the cricket field like we’d planned. On inquiry, we found out that he was bedridden with a fever and his parents couldn’t afford a doctor. There was no health center in the village. Hearing this, my parents and I rushed over. I saw them lay him down in the back of the mud house. Noticing his body shaking uncontrollably, my parents gave him some Tylenol to bring his fever down. Of course, as a child, I didn’t understand how the Tylenol brought the fever down but that instantly sparked my interest in medicine.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? I want to be a primary care physician after medical school. Every trip to India, my grandfather would take me to his doctor friend that ran a primary health care clinic in a nearby rural town. It was that doctor who taught me how to use a stethoscope, allowed me to watch his diagnosis of patients and explained to me the art of medical practice. Watching the pain and suffering of children in rural villages and interaction with my grandpa’s doctor friend ignited my passion to be in medicine and to serve those communities that are underprivileged and underrepresented.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? My coolest experience in my pre-medical journey is definitely being able to 3-D print different objects! I currently with the Cardiovascular Biomechanics Lab on campus, and very frequently do I have to use SolidWorks and MATLAB to help design the equipment needed. So being able to design something and then just click a button to make it was so cool!

6. What is your favorite book? I’m a total geek so I don’t have just one favorite book, but I have to go cliché and say the Harry Potter series.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. I was actually a “priest-in training” at one point in my life! I attended a religious and service oriented boarding school in India, and one time I was approached asking if I wanted to enter finish that program. Unfortunately, a year later I moved back to the U.S., but it was still an amazing spiritual experience.

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do?

Definitely somewhere in the public health field. I was very involved in policy debate throughout high school and college and working the public health topic showed me the many gaps within the state’s and nation’s healthcare system. Being in public health would allow me to be a part of the change and allow me an inside perspective into the failures and success of public health policy.

9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you (or are you) overcome it?

My biggest obstacle has honestly been myself. Being a pre-medical student is very hard and being surrounded by other pre-medical students who are doing so much better than you is even harder. There were many times I thought someone had to be super smart and perfect to be a “Pre-Med”, but I couldn’t have been farther from the truth. It’s my senior year now, and as I’ve been applying to medical schools, I’ve talked to so many other applicants who’re in similar situations. Everyone sees the perfect, ideal self they could be and that puts a lot of emotional and mental pressure on students. The only thing you can do is to calm yourself down, focus on the things that need to be done and find an amazing support group. For me it’s my best friends I’ve known in high school and in college. Without their support and my self-realization that I’m not in this alone, I wouldn’t have been able to handle the life of pre-med student.

10. What do you like most about Diverse Medicine?

I like Diverse Medicine because it’s actually one of a kind. I don’t know of any other site or organization online that is actively there to support pre-medical students. Like literally students are able to connect with different MD’s, PhD’s and various students all over the country to share their experiences and get advice from people who know the actual process very well.

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1. Tell us about yourself. I’m a senior at Ohio University, majoring in Biological Sciences. In my free time I love to read, work-out and try new food. My main extracurriculars are my volunteer positions with a food bank/soup kitchen and hospice care. Due to growing up in similar conditions, I plan to serve underserved and disadvantaged communities as a physician, so volunteering in such settings is important to me. I am currently on the road to becoming the first physician in my family.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you?  My favorite teacher was my high school sophomore English teacher, Mrs. Repko. Her confidence in me as a student and as a person, allowed me to be more confident as well. She taught me how to articulate and defend my positions and she always said, “When I see you, I see a leader. I can’t wait until you see the same in yourself.”

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why?Like many other pre-med students, diseases and illnesses experienced by myself and my family members highlighted the impact of medicine on our daily lives. More specifically, my father’s rare disorder piqued my interest in the field of medicine. As a middle-school student, I researched my father’s condition, and was fascinated by the intricacies of the human body that I had been introduced to; The newfound fascination coupled with my desire to improve the lives of others, especially through their health, showed me that medicine would be my career of choice.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in?  I am interested in specializing in pediatrics, family medicine, or psychiatry. These specialties are know for having significant continuity of care so the long-term relationship cultivated with each patient is why these three specialties resonate with me.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey?  The coolest experience I’ve had so far was working in a psychology research lab on a study that involved experiments with human participants (IRB approved of course). Working in a research setting that involved people was much different, and in my opinion, more rewarding, than the science bench research that other pre-meds around me have described. As a physician, I expect to regularly speak with patients and recognize medical issues, which is similar to the experimental exercises that I’ve done with research participants.

6. What is your favorite book? My favorite book is Graceling. I love fantasy and dystopian genres, and this book is definitely the best that I’ve ever read.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. One interesting thing about me that most people don’t know is that I am bilingual; I speak English and Yoruba, a West African language.

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do?  If I could not be a doctor, I would probably be a teacher. I enjoy the sharing of knowledge and assisting others in their understanding of topics.

9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you (or are you) overcome it?  My biggest obstacle as a pre-med has been with experiencing imposter syndrome. Attending a PWI, and not seeing many people who looked like me on a similar path to medical school, made me question my abilities and sense of belonging. To combat these feelings, I searched for and found African-American mentors, who are in various stages of medical training. Their presence, advice and encouragement have made a world of a difference.

10. What do you like most about Diverse Medicine?  The community feel of Diverse Medicine is my favorite aspect of the website. Every user willingly uplifts another and offers advice for the betterment of fellow users. It is a positive space that explores our journeys as pre-meds and prepares us for what lies ahead.

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