Increasing the Visibility of Peruvian Women Physicians

Author: Jessica Rebaza

Keywords: diversity, first-generation, support, visibility, medical education, role models, mentorship

Like many first-generation students, I am the first in my family to attend medical school. Being the first means treading through uncharted territory, which can be intimidating and lonely. Stepping into spaces where there are not people who are similar to you often means you have limited, if any, role models. As a Latina of Peruvian and Puerto Rican descent, I have never met a woman physician of either descent. However, I did know of the legacy of outstanding Puerto Rican women physicians such as Drs. Antonia Novello and Helen Rodríguez Trías; to name a few. Learning about their contributions to medicine and their leadership has inspired me to know that I, too, can achieve great things in the field. But, where were the stories of Peruvian women physicians? Half of my identity seemed to be invisible in medicine. 

While the Latin community supports one another regardless of nationality, we are not a monolith. Thus, having sub-cultures represented in medicine can increase the drive for more women of various Latin descent to step into the medical field. In the United States, only 5.8% of physicians identify as Hispanic/Latino. A further breakdown shows that only 40% of Latin physicians are women (AAMC, 2018). Besides that, we don't know these women's cultures or backgrounds. Are they of Mexican, Ecuadorian or Cuban descent? Are they of mixed descent like me? 

With this curiosity of finding more Peruvian women physicians, I took to Twitter. I wrote, "Growing up half Peruvian, I have never met a Peruvian woman doctor. Please share your favorite Peruvian women physicians with me". In all honesty, I did not expect it to go anywhere. After all, I spent 28 years of life without ever meeting a single Peruvian physician, yet alone a Peruvian woman physician. But, to my surprise, my tweet blew up overnight with over a hundred likes and 42 responses from Peruvian women physicians from all over the country. I beamed with pride. All of the parts that make me who I am today- my language, foods, culture, music, and experiences, were finally coming together. I could now fully see myself represented holistically in medicine. 

Even being Latina, I had to search for others, which means there is not enough visibility for Latina physicians and less for Peruvian women physicians. However, I learned from that tweet that there are organizations that support this initiative, including the Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS) and the social-media based Peruvian Physicians Training in the US. In addition, I learned of Dr. Bertha Bouroncle, who discovered hairy cell leukemia in 1958 and who also happens to be from my family’s town. I also connected with Peruvian women physicians in all fields of medicine who have become my new role models for what a life in medicine looks like for someone of my cultural background.  To continue to increase the visibility, I've done my small part in becoming a member of PAMS and adding the Peruvian flag emoji to my social media profiles. That alone has inspired Peruvian women pre-medical students to reach out to say that they're motivated to continue their career in medicine because they know they're not alone. This visibility is not only important for Peruvian women but for women of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds. By sharing the stories and uplifting the voices of these women, we can help the next generation of women leaders in medicine. 

Here are some of the Twitter handles for the women I was able to connect with through that tweet: @camillewebb @Dr_GabyCordova @GPrutsky @analugguarniz @PamChMD @Bravo__MD @DrMalcriada88 @miluskamejia @AngieNishioMd @GPrutsky @NCapizzano @mialozada @CamilaMasias3 @camillewebb @FioLlanosMD @MarianaLanata @carodelaflor @GFalconi_MD @PalomaReinosoMD @CayetanoHeredia @Pattyjannet1 @aliqoschi_MD

About the Author: Jessica Rebaza, M.S., is a medical student, digital creator for The Medical Edit YouTube channel and podcast, and social media advisor for Women In Medicine. She is passionate about raising awareness about student mental health and advocating for the Latinx community. (Twitter: @themedicaledit)