Start Year: 2021
Basics
Hometown
Miami, FL
Where did you attend college/university?
University of Central Florida
Where did you attend medical school?
Duke University School of Medicine
Reflections on the Duke program
What were you looking for in a residency program?
I wanted a medium-sized program that wasn’t so big where I would get forgotten or left behind but big enough to easily share the workload amongst the resident cohorts. The Duke Peds program offers me the opportunity to learn how to manage high acuity patients and also take care of healthy children. Durham has a racially diverse patient population and working at Duke allows me to care for the growing Latino community. Most importantly to me, I wanted a program that would support me as a resident but also support me as a mom. The Peds residency program offers a newborn elective to help with maternity/paternity leave. Attendings, my co-residents and staff have also been genuinely supportive of my desire to breastfeed which helps reduce the stress of balancing intern year while trying to also pump.
About Duke and Durham
What’s best about living in Durham and the Triangle?
I moved to Durham in 2012 for graduate school and have actively chosen to stay here. Durham offers the best of both worlds, big city living with a small town feel. There are so many restaurants, breweries, museums and outdoor parks to keep you entertained. And! everything is about a 15 minute drive away with minimal traffic (coming from Miami this is huge!). Cost of living is also nice, and it’s very doable to own a house and live comfortably within our residency salary. Best of all, the Triangle is such a family friendly place for both human kids and the furry four legged kind!
What is something surprising/interesting about you?
Prior to going to medical school, I did a PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. I ultimately decided I wanted to do patient care and have a more active role in the Latino community but would still love to incorporate research into my medical career. At Duke there are extensive research opportunities that span several topics in the realm of basic science, clinical and population health research. There is also the Duke Pediatric Research Scholars program that offers the necessary support to help incorporate research into your residency career.