Assistant Professor, California, United States
I have the experience, commitment, leadership and passion needed to carry out this proposed research project. I have a strong background in mentorship and outreach with historically excluded students in medicine. As a first generation to medicine and Latina in medicine I have the lived experience needed to personally connect to this project and lead it to success and completion. My commitment and expertise in diversity, equity and inclusion is demonstrated through my leadership in our departments DEI committee, Patient Advisory Council with a focus on mono-lingual Spanish speaking patients and youth, and the development of our departments first long-term pipeline program for URiM students to address increasing diversity in our work force.
I have also been heavily involved in community outreach and education. During this current pandemic many of us as EM providers witnessed first-hand how COVID-19 disproportionately affected Black and Brown communities. As a result, I became involved with UCSF’s Latino Center of Excellence COVID-19 Vaccine Speaker Group. I led numerous discussions with Spanish speaking essential workers around topics of COVID-19 and the vaccine. The goal was to provide a space for essential workers to have a talk with physicians that are representative of their communities. I am also the co-director of “ask a doctor” program which trains BiPOC physicians on topics around COVID-19 and brings them to community events, vaccines sites and food hubs to answer any questions about COVID-19 vaccine. I blended my experience with youth and COVID-19 outreach and served as a speaker and mentor MAX the VAX in Sand Francisco a student lead organization that aims to address vaccine misinformation in Black and Brown communities in San Francisco.
I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.