Becoming part of the pathway

By Shaidy Moronta, DO

I march along to different appointments with my elderly grandparents—a normal routine for first-generation non-English speaking immigrants. We prefer to serve as the primary interpreters for our family. In many cases, this is our first introduction to the medical field. In other cases, it is where we find our life’s calling. I recall a particular appointment with my Abuelita for a colonoscopy screening. The doctor, an African American man who led a very pleasant appointment, tried to explain the plan in Spanish as best he could. My Abuelita began to weep immediately. She was in this country for less than a year and was navigating the foreign world of medicine in a language she could not comprehend. This was the first physician who tried to speak to her in her language. At that moment I realized just how important it was to feel seen, to be heard, and to be able to communicate with your doctor. It was the impetus to fortify my Spanish skills and aid in increased patient satisfaction and outcomes.

I started the arduous task of pursuing a career in surgery at a young age. I shadowed in different hospitals and joined a dedicated high school track for careers in healthcare. It granted me the opportunity to meet healthcare providers from several disciplines within the field. I quickly learned that none of them looked like me. They didn’t share my background, or my customs, and most of them had a relative already engendered in the field. People of Hispanic/Latinx descent are the fastest-growing population in the United States making up 18.7% of the U.S. population according to the 2020 census. Unfortunately, that increase has not been paralleled within the physician workforce where only 5.8% identified as Hispanic/Latinx. The further I ventured into the field, that diminutive figure was starkly sensed. I felt isolated. I knew this was the field for me but time and again, I questioned whether it would love me back, whether I was truly meant to break away from my town’s negative expectations, and whether I would even be given a chance to further my prospects.

Those feelings changed when I got accepted for an internship at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons under the SMDEP program. The program prepares students of underrepresented backgrounds for a career in medicine by providing shadowing opportunities, accelerated courses, and mentorship. I left that summer inspired and supported by a community I never knew existed. I realized I had many misconceptions, yet no one was close enough to correct them or inquire. Thankfully, SMDEP illustrated how important it is to reach out to underrepresented youths, to dispel the myths, and to connect them to mentors in the field. A qualitative study detected these themes amongst African American and Latinx surgeons in creating a path to medicine. Even with our varied backgrounds, it is important for us to identify aspirational figures early in our careers.

It would be years later that I would meet a Latinx surgeon. During my final year of medical school, I met two Latinx residents during an external sub-internship. That feeling of belonging was once again instituted and served as much-needed hope during the chaotic residency application cycle. In 2022, I matched into a general surgery residency in Danbury, CT. I connected immediately with Dr. Vargas-Pinto. She is a spectacular endocrine surgeon who shares an extraordinarily similar background as me. In moving to Connecticut, I found comfort in being closer to home and my heritage. There is a sizable Portuguese and Latino community in Connecticut, so I get to utilize my native tongue on an almost daily basis. I continually see myself shifting in my role as I progress further in the profession. I am no longer the child who was told I would never make it and to “find an easier job”. I am here now and have gathered the tools necessary to help those coming after me. It is a daunting responsibility but one I cherish. Going back to my community and hosting events at local high schools is my way of giving back further to the pipeline. I want to see more Latinas in medicine. I want more Abuelitas to have full conversations and disclosures with their doctors. I want my family to see me in the providers attending to their health. I want to see us as a community that continues to succeed, and I am elated to be part of the revolution.

Dr. Shaidy Moronta, DO is a general surgery resident completing her training at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, CT. She is originally from Hazleton, PA, and attended medical school at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, VA. Her current interests include endocrine and head and neck surgery. When not in the hospital, she enjoys creative and thrilling ventures such as singing, art, skydiving, and rollercoasters.