Fri Apr 4, 2025: Breaking Barriers: UCSD First-Gen Medical Students Share Their Journey to Medicine

Vanessa Natera is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and MS1 at the UC San Diego School of Medicine’s PRIME Health Equity dual-degree MD-Master’s program. As a first-generation college student, her journey began at Cypress Community College, where she discovered her passion for medicine and health equity.

Her early involvement with UCLA’s MEDPEP (Medicos, Enfermeros, y Dentistas para el Pueblo) provided her with invaluable mentorship, empowering her to transfer to UCLA, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology. At UCLA, she became a dedicated advocate for underserved communities, working with Latinos/Chicanos for Community Medicine to spark an interest in science among children in Santa Ana. She also volunteered with the UCLA Mobile Clinic Project, connecting with the houseless community providing vital primary care and social support.

After graduating, Vanessa continued her commitment to equitable healthcare as an OBGYN scribe in East LA and ophthalmology scribe in Long Beach, where she helped undocumented and low-income women receive essential prenatal care. Now in medical school, she is a passionate advocate for culturally competent, patient-centered care and is actively involved in organizations dedicated to mentorship and health equity.

Vanessa brings a powerful perspective on breaking barriers in medicine, championing diversity, advocacy, and community-driven care. She is excited to share her insights on creating a healthcare system that truly serves all.

José Vasquez is proud to serve as LMSA’s Mentorship Co-Chair. He was born in El Salvador and raised in Los Ángeles, where he witnessed firsthand how systemic barriers impact healthcare access. As an immigrant and former high school dropout, his path to medicine has been non-traditional, but mentorship and community have been key to his success. Now, as an MD/PhD student at UCSD, he is committed to bridging medicine and research to address health disparities, particularly in addiction neuroscience and public health. He envisions a career as a physician-scientist, where he not only cares for patients but also drives research that informs policy and improves healthcare for underserved communities. Through LMSA, he strives to uplift and support future Latino physicians, knowing that representation and advocacy are essential for meaningful change. In his free time, he stays active through physical activity and enjoys reading, always seeking new perspectives that shape his approach to medicine and leadership.

Alejandro Dauguet is honored to serve as UCSD LMSA’s Co-Mentorship chair. Originally from Argentina, he has taken an unconventional path towards where he is today, restarting his academics at community college in the Bay Area before transferring to UCSD and finishing up degrees in neuroscience and linguistics. Along the way, he became deeply immersed in the world of frontier neurological therapies such as TMS, trained to serve as a Spanish Interpreter at the UCSD Free Clinic, and contributed towards building up the Medical Spanish Elective at UCSD SOM. None of these would have been possible without the continuous mentorship and support of many individuals. As a current medical student at UCSD, he is in eager pursuit of a career in neurology, intertwining novel therapies in psychedelic medicine with local health initiatives to bolster underserved communities’ access to neurological/mental care. At the heart of his efforts is a desire to return the favor through mentorship and advocacy of future Latino physicians, focusing on representation in all sectors of healthcare and strong network building so as to build collective efforts towards transforming patients’ lives. In his free time, he enjoys weightlifting, soccer, hiking, and meditation, finding a balance between body and mind that can allow him to give his best self towards his purpose.