Foos in Medicine: How 2 Students are Motivating Latinos to Become Doctors
October 19, 2023
Two Latino med students are taking social media by storm to let the world know that anything is possible.
Med students Irvin Garcia and Alexis Aleman from Los Angeles stopped by “The Jennifer Hudson Show” to discuss how they’ve helped motivate other people of Hispanic heritage to pursue a career in medicine.
Last year, Irvin and Alexis started a social media page called “Foos in Medicine” where they highlight what it’s like being a Latino medical student. Their videos have gone viral with over 15 million views!
Irvin and Alexis told Jennifer Hudson that they hope to inspire Latino youth to pursue medical school, as only 6% of physicians in the U.S. identify as Latino. They’ve already received many positive messages from other Latinos who were inspired to pursue a medical career because of their videos.
Alexis and Irvin said that growing up, the possibility of becoming a doctor was unheard of for them because they never saw anyone like them pursue higher education. Both are the first in their family to graduate from college.
Irvin, who moved to the U.S. from Mexico when he was 2, almost dropped out of high school because of his undocumented status. He spoke at his high school graduation about becoming a doctor, but he didn’t think it was possible because DACA recipients don’t qualify for federal loans. He went on to receive a full-ride scholarship to attend UCLA.
Irvin said he and his family never saw a doctor or had access to health care because of their status. He said he wanted to become an ER doctor to serve immigrant communities and help families like his.
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Alexis, meanwhile, pursued a career in medicine based on his experiences seeing his younger brothers frequenting hospitals because of their chronic blood condition. Alexis would act as a translator between the doctors and his family. He said that experience made him realize he wanted to be a doctor to help immigrant families. He hopes to become an eye surgeon.
Follow Irvin and Alexis’s journey through med school on TikTok at @foosinmedicine.
“The Jennifer Hudson Show” airs weekdays. Here’s when to watch in your area.
