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Alexis Alemán and Irvin Garcia created the Instagram account @foosinmedicine to share their experiences as first-generation Latino medical students and inspire others from similar backgrounds. Their content has amassed over 350,000 followers and has had such an impact that students have said they pursued professional degrees because of it. This is significant because only 6% of physicians in the US are Latino, despite Latinos making up 20% of the country’s population.
Instagram Account @foosinmedicine Inspires Latino Students to Pursue Medical Careers
When Alexis Alemán and Irvin Garcia launched the Instagram account @foosinmedicine, they never imagined they would garner over 350,000 followers. This Instagram account has encouraged many to pursue professional degrees. Alemán, graduating this spring with a master’s degree in social science, and Garcia, a graduate of the David Geffen School of Medicine, started ‘Foos in Medicine’ four years ago with the aim of inspiring other first-generation Latino students to enter medicine.
The term “Foo” is a colloquial term in Latino communities referring to a friend. Despite Latinos comprising 20% of the U.S. population, the Association of American Medical Colleges reveals that only about 6% of physicians in the US are Latinos. “If it’s going to inspire one person, that’s all I want,” Alemán said.
Edwyn Lozano, a UCLA law student, attributes his confidence to start a TikTok account @thefooinlaw, where he advises low-income students applying to law school, to the influence of Foos in Medicine. Alemán and Lozano, both raised in South Central Los Angeles, understand the lack of faith many students from their neighborhood felt. Alemán’s family expected him to start working right after high school, instead of pursuing college.
It was not until Alemán’s acceptance into the Pre-Medical Enrichment Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine, a program catered to lower-income students, that he started to believe in his potential to enter medicine. Alemán’s desire to give back to his South Central LA community fueled his perseverance.
With a shortage of Latino representation in medicine, Alemán believes his background and content are valuable. He aims to make Spanish-speaking patients more comfortable in the hospital with his understanding of their language and culture.
In one of his Instagram videos, Garcia shares how serving patients who reminded him of his family members motivated him during long hours in emergency medicine. Garcia, who helped his migrant worker parents in Oregon, expresses the beauty in comforting patients on their toughest days.
Latinos, like Erica Garcia, a third-year psychobiology student, are inspired by Alemán and Irvin Garcia’s journey to overcome language barriers and educational resource difficulties. ‘Foos in Medicine’ also offers advice and mentorship to Latinos pursuing medicine at campus events. This details are provided by Fiorella Garcia Rodas, who is part of Latinxs/Chicanxs for Community Medicine, supporting Latino UCLA students in healthcare. “I love that I’m helping others in some way,” Alemán said.
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