I am Kristyna Lopez, an OMS-II at the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine. I was born and raised in Hereford, Texas, where I witnessed many health disparities in our small rural community that disproportionately affected minorities. The significant factors in these disparities involved distrust of the providers who were not reflective of our community and providers who could not provide comprehensive care for my community because of their limited access to resources. In my own family, this led to many preventable conditions and health complications that were overlooked.
Primary care, in the form of family medicine, will allow me to build relationships and rapport with my patients. In particular, I have a passion for working with Hispanic populations. I can gain their trust through our shared backgrounds and culture, with an end goal of increasing treatment adherence with preventative measures and decreasing adverse outcomes overall. I look forward to the day when I can be a confidant for my patients, someone they are unafraid to share their daily struggles with or ask questions they would otherwise feel embarrassed to ask. I want to be someone nonjudgmental and willing to work with my patients where they are, not where I wish they were.
As an osteopathic student, OMM has given me a way to build relationships by relieving musculoskeletal pain. This pain is very common in blue-collar workers and debilitates their everyday lives, as I’ve seen in Hereford. I use OMM almost every day with my family and plan to use it in my practice.
Family medicine can be many things, but to me, it is a way to rebuild trust between the healthcare system and our minority populations across the United States.
Call for Spotlights
We are looking to highlight students and their perspectives as they pertain to DEI regularly. We encourage students to share their experiences and perspectives or enjoy having their own spotlight. Plus, it’s a great CV boost!
If interested, please reach out to jcwang@student.uiwtx.edu with a short post (300-500 words) about who you are and why you are interested in osteopathic family medicine!
