Each summer, the department of medicine sponsors a medical student elective, led by Dr. Alyson Myers, that is open to visiting students as well as those from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. As part of K619: Navigating Care for Marginalized Patients, Populations & Providers, medical students learn about health disparities, experience sub-specialty care in both the inpatient and outpatient setting, and receive leadership training and exposure to different career pathways in medicine.

Visiting students also get firsthand exposure to the Montefiore Einstein community. Students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine are especially encouraged to participate, and in addition to providing a great learning experience, the elective can also spark an interest in applying to our residency programs.

That was the case for both Taylor Yahamoto, a native of Hawaii who is attending Northeast Ohio Medical University, and Daniel Del Toro Pedrosa, from San Juan, Puerto Rico, a student at Universidad Central Del Caribe. “I didn't realize how diverse the Bronx population is, which I've been really, really enjoying,” Yahamoto said on our campus in August. “Hawaii is very diverse and it reminded me of people I grew up with, family members and friends. Paradoxically it kind of feels like home.”

She continued, “The patients I interact with on the endocrinology service at Moses Hospital have either recently immigrated or their parents or grandparents are immigrants. No matter where you come from, I think that experience really shapes how you view and interact with healthcare. When patients don’t feel comfortable with the healthcare system, they may not seek care until things are really bad, and this can have a big impact on their outcomes. That’s why institutions like Montefiore Einstein that offer culturally sensitive care to underserved populations are so important.”

She appreciated the exposure the elective gave her to career options she hadn’t previously considered. Through a panel organized by Dr. Myers, she heard about opportunities to pursue different types of research, from the lab to more population-based studies. “I hadn’t realized how much you could tailor your career in academic medicine to focus on either research or patient care or a combination of both,” she said, adding, “Everyone I've worked with during my three weeks here has been so welcoming, so kind, and very invested in teaching me and in my learning.”

Pedrosa was drawn here in part because he felt his skills as a native Spanish speaker were especially of value. “The demographic here is really similar to back home,” he said. “A majority of people in the Bronx are Hispanic. I feel like I can really make an impact.”

Growing up in Puerto Rico has also made him acutely aware of health disparities. “There's a big physician shortage,” he said. “Hospital and emergency room wait times are really high, as is the wait to see a sub-specialist. If Puerto Rico was a state, the poverty rate would be the highest in the country.”

He looks forward to making a difference wherever he ends up training and later practicing. Residents here from Hispanic or Latino backgrounds told him their clinic appointments are always full. “They said, ‘Whenever patients see a Hispanic name, especially a double last name, they will do anything they can to come to that clinic.’ I found that really interesting. That just goes to say that patients really trust providers that they feel comfortable with. Speaking their language and having someone they feel they can relate to is a big part of that.”