UCLA medical students conquer huge odds to become doctors

Some 200 students in the Class of 2016 will receive their medical degrees June 3 during the Hippocratic Oath Ceremony for the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Earning an M.D. requires grueling hours, demanding classes and unwavering focus. The following students hurdled enormous obstacles to achieve that goal, making their accomplishments all the more remarkable. Teen mother overcomes lifetime of abuse to achieve M.D. Rebecca Lopez, 37, from Covina in the San Gabriel Valley, survived childhood abuse, became a mother at age 14 and endured a violent marriage, but never surrendered her dream of becoming a doctor. At 27, she returned to college at UCLA and was chosen for a prestigious Albert Schweitzer Fellowship in medical school. Her project helped pregnant girls in East Los Angeles prepare for motherhood, and drew heavily on her experience as a teen parent and survivor of domestic violence. After completing a residency in family medicine, Lopez said her goal is to inspire teen girls to follow their dreams, no matter the obstacles. Her daughters, ages 13, 18 and 22, have taken her message to heart. Her middle child, Emiko, graduates high school three days later. She will continue her education at UC Riverside and plans to become a physician, just like her mom. Farmworkers’ daughter encourages immigrant kids to pursue medical career Luz Corona Gomez, 30, from Fresno, was born to migrant farmworkers and helped her parents pick grapes as a child during sweltering sum...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news