January 6, 2024
Maria Ruiz Social Media Takeover
To invigorate Social Mission Alliance’s social media presence with student perspectives on issues related to social mission in health professional education, on the first Friday of each month, one Health Justice initiative member gets the opportunity to posts about themselves, activities they’re involved in, and their interests relative to social mission across SMA’s social media platforms (Instagram and LinkedIn).
See below for the social media takeover by Maria Ruiz on January 5, 2024.
Hello! My name is Maria Ruiz and I am a fourth year medical student at UChicago. I intend to be an general internist who delivers outstanding clinical care to underserved populations and a physician advocate for language concordant care, reproductive rights, and overall equity.
Who do you want to become?
I grew up in Honduras. Honduras is a country that is rich in culture, languages, and biodiversity. Colonization and interventionism have robbed the country of its riches and led to political instability and social inequities.
From an early age, it was evident to me that many of the opportunities we have in life depend on the conditions we are born into.
When I moved to the US, I learned how social forces like xenophobia and racism can and do impact social inclusion and health. I also learned the “imperative resilience, or a necessary resistance to oppression,” of migrants in the U.S. (Term coined by Dr. Jessica Cerdeña)
I attended Washington University in St. Louis. Through my studies, the Rodriguez Scholars Program & the Civic Scholars Program, I developed my critical consciousness, dedication to social justice, and my commitment to a career in health equity.
I am now a medical student at the UChicago. One of the reasons why I chose UChicago is because I felt belonging. I saw myself in their students, leaders, and physician-advocates who voiced a commitment to social justice in a time when that was unconventional.
I want to be a physician who provides outstanding, language-concordant care. For people with non-English language preference, access to quality health care may be dependent on translation and interpreter services. You can read a report I collaborated on about the importance of language concordant care.
While in medical school, it became more apparent to me that the health complications people present with in clinical settings reflect societal problems. I often had the political will, but not always the toolkit to do something about it. I decided to pursue a Master in Public Health degree to learn about health policy and gain exposure to managing problems at a systemic level.
Social Mission Alliance has been another sponsor that has helped me grow as a health justice advocate. We had an op-ed workshop to learn how to communicate my ideas effectively. Right now, I am working on an op-ed about language concordant care and the power in carries in ensuring patient safety, informed consent, and dignified care.
Thank you for reading along! I will graduate medical school in May and join an internal medicine residency this summer to continue my journey as a clinician and leader in health equity.
What will you do when you have a seat at the table?
