LOS ANGELES — In California, Latinos represent 40% of the population, yet only make 11% of medical school graduates. Spanish-speaking physicians are scarce, despite Spanish being the second-most used language in the U.S.
Latinas are just 2.4% of all physicians in the U.S., whereas Latinos make up 18% of the total population. Latina physicians tend to be younger — almost half are under 40.
Irvin Garcia and Alexis Aleman are two medical students at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Both are first-generation college students, with Garcia being a Mexican migrant who is also a DACA beneficiary.
Amid the rigourous, challenging and demanding schedules of both students, Garcia and Aleman started @foosinmedicine, an Instagram/TikTok account where they create original content geared towards highlighting and uplifting Latinos in medical school — while also documenting their journey to become doctors.