1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. 
My name is Albert Aguilera. I was born in Mexico and migrated to California as a child. I grew up the Central Valley, an area predominantly agricultural in a town with around 60,000 residents. During an “Introduction into Health” lower division course, I became aware of “health care disparities” and this intrigued me because I had experienced them myself. I then began exploring careers in health and became passionate about pursuing a career in medicine. I graduated with a B.S. in Health Science. With encouragement from my mentors, I entered graduate school. I earned an M.P.H. and a Ph.D in Nutritional Biology from University of California, Davis. My research focused on nutrition assessment using noninvasive skin carotenoid measurement and nutrition interventions in a rural, agricultural community in California. I am now a postdoctoral scholar at UC Davis.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? 
Dr. Farver, my professor for advanced biostatistics during my first quarter of graduate school. Biostatistics was a difficult subject for me. It was one of the first classes I had “failed” earning a C, which did not meet minimum B grade requirement. Although I was discouraged, Dr. Farver provided countless hours tutoring and guidance along my studies. His encouragement and persistence was vital for me earning an “A” the second time I took the course. Although I had despised biostatistics, I grew fond of my nemesis and turned it into my minor during graduate school. I thank Dr. Farver for his support and believing in my abilities, even when other faculty told me “…maybe graduate school is not for you.”

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? 
After being intrigued about health during one of my classes, I began being involved with the health professions club on campus. This provided me with opportunities to volunteer at events and network with others. The first event, I got to participate in through the club was a free healthcare clinic being held at a local community center. They day of the event, I recall the long line of people waiting for the clinic to open. This was a reminder of the health disparities that millions in the U.S. are experiencing. Since I am fluent in Spanish, I was given the role health interpreter. I got to help ease the communication between the physician and patients. It was during my first interactions that I realized that barriers also went beyond the economic. After reflecting on this experience later, I felt that I could contribute to the solution that I had observed that day. This was just a piece of the story that helped me decide to pursue medicine, but it was the first one that had a major impact.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in?
I am interested in pediatrics. I had the pleasure of volunteering at an emergency pediatrics department. Here I witnessed the challenges a pediatrician has when explaining medical advice to a fearful parent, but also the joy of working with children who have an amazing ability to make everyone smile. My experience in graduate school focused on addressing nutrition challenges that young children face, particularly related to obesity. I believe that with rising costs of health care, it will be imperative to establish healthy life patterns early in life. This is particularly true in populations who are most at-risk. As a pediatrician, I see myself helping provide guidance to parents and caretakers, but also contributing to research that may influence policy. I have had the privilege of being part of a research project that includes physicians who are clinicians, researchers, and teachers. They demonstrate to me the value of being a physician who uses their expertise to impact health outside of the patient room.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey?
As a health educator for the Diabetes Interest Group (DIG) at Clinica Tepati (UC Davis health clinic), I have worked with providing health and nutrition education for diabetes patients. Clinica Tepati is a free clinic that serves a predominantly Latino population; many are bilingual, but most are more comfortable speaking Spanish. Therefore, DIG sessions were conducted in Spanish, which led me to educate myself more about particular Medical terminology in Spanish. During one discussion on fiber, the group had asked me why fiber was so important, more specifically, the biology behind it. In order to provide a culturally- and linguistically- appropriate presentation on this topic, I needed to pull out my entire tool kit. My nutrition expertise, training in cultural adaptation/presentation and my own experiences with Latino community all came together in order to present medical and scientific jargon of fiber in what I thought was a simple and clear manner. I first I thought I failed to communicate well, but to my surprise the group was very responsive and positive. One patient mentioned that they always heard “fiber is good for you” but actually understanding why it was good for you made her want to follow through with this advice from her physician. This was indeed a cool experience for me since it reminded me why I am passionate for medicine.

6. What is your favorite book? 
“The Good War” by Studs Terkel. As a self-proclaimed WWII history buff, I enjoy reading just about anything surrounding the topic. However, what made this book stand out was its presentation. Most history books paint WWII as an event that consumed the world in its chaos. However, “The Good War” brings forward the hidden experiences of people from different parts of the world and their perceptions of the war. What makes the book enjoyable is each chapter provides a lens into history in short bursts. I was fascinated to hear that many people accepted the environment of war and still managed to live their daily lives.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. 
I started my undergraduate career wanting to be an architect/structural engineer. However, being naïve as I was then, I selected my undergraduate school because of the sports program, particularly to try out for collegiate football. On the orientation day, a few weeks before the semester started, I went to my counselor and told them I wanted to do architecture. To my surprise, I learned that the school did not have an architecture program. Although I chose my university for the opportunity to play football and do architecture, I ended up doing neither.

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? 
I would continue being involved in health and nutrition, but without certain letters at the end of my name. The degree gives you a level of credibility and authority, but I know that I would be able to continue doing the activities that I do now outside the patient room.

9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you (or are you) overcome it? 
As a Mexican immigrant from a low-income, single parent household, many challenges arose. I held two jobs while attending school full-time for the majority of my undergraduate career. I struggled with “imposter syndrome” many times, believing I did not belong at the collegiate level. I endured the mourning of relatives who passed away. These are obstacles that I think many students experience.

However, the most challenging obstacle was learning to take care of myself. With the ever-growing expectations for premed students, the mounting pressure to fill up your application with leadership, clinic, extracurricular activities, research, and every other credential can be overwhelming. At one point, I felt like I was just a walking application. I stretched myself to be involved in everything while maintaining strong academic record. I reached the point of exhaustion many times. However, I felt I could not complain and it was just part of being premed. It was not until my senior year in undergrad that I opened up to others about this stress. I felt relieved when others expressed the same sentiment. From this, all encouraged me to take time to do other activities. I changed my viewpoint and accepted that it is ok to take time for myself, that this was not being selfish, but necessary to ultimately meet my goals. I think that medicine attracts many who are very passionate and unselfish, but we need to remind ourselves that we cannot take care of the world, if we do not first take care of ourselves.

10. What do you like most about PreMed STAR?
Having the opportunity to share your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge with peers and mentors is what I like most about PreMED STAR. We are all going to be colleagues in the future, so I think establishing relationships now will not only benefit ourselves, but our future work. From meeting others I have learned new ideas and different perspectives. I value this greatly and appreciate outlets like PreMED STAR that allow me to interact with people who share interests and goals.

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