Use of Health Care Among Undocumented Latino Immigrants

As I mentioned during our introductions, I started this public health program looking for a fresh perspective. During my third year of medical school, I was introduced to a world that I had been waiting my whole life to be a part of...Medicine. The life of a student physician. It was exciting to work in partnership with my patients, residents, physicians, and professors because it afforded me the opportunity to flex all of the life skills and clinical knowledge in a job I loved. Because I trained at the buzzling Inland Empire County institutions, Riverside and San Bernadino, the majority of the patient population was indigent and uneducated. I thrived in this atmosphere because this is exactly the population I had been wanting to work in. I thought everyone that worked there felt that way. Yet, I was mistaken. I began to hear degrading comments from my superiors, as well as fellow medical students, about the vast numbers of Spanish-speaking patients we were treating on a daily basis. At first, I tried to not let these remarks hurt me. I identified with the poor Latino population of these areas because I too, am Mexican American, and grew up in similar circumstances. Slowly, however, the remarks of many of my colleagues began to chip away at my enthusiasm and my self-esteem. I would hear that "undocumented immigrants are a drain to hard-working tax-payer money," and that "these people never take care of themselves." I knew, deep inside, that this was not the case, and it was easy for many ignorant, over-worked healthcare providers to make such blanket statements because the simply did not know the facts.

I decided to become a physician because I want to alleviate the need for culturally competent, Latino doctors within California. On July 4, 2001, 50% of all births in California are Latino. Yet, the number of health care providers that are equipped with the knowledge to adequately care for this population is shamefully low. I often wonder how physicians can compassionately deliver care to Latinos when many feel these very patients are abusing our health system. Thus, this disparity is what keeps me going during late call nights and as I sit for board exams. Now, trying to educate my fellow health care professionals about the realities of Latino immigration trends in the US is a personal goal of mine. I enrolled in the MPH program to equip myself with the proper, evidenced-based research and know-how to breakdown the stereotypes that exist in hospitals and clinics in this state. This class is affording me with the opportunities to do this.

I chose this article, "The Use of Health Care Among Undocumented Latino Immigrants," in order to share knowledge to our future generation of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, etc. At first, I was apprehensive to present it, because I remember the humiliating experiences of trying to defend my people without the knowledge to adequately do so. However, I have come to the realization that knowledge is power, and I take solace in that. Thankfully, there is a plethora of research that disproves many scornful, ignorant attitudes of the contributions of undocumented immigrants and their place in this country.

The purpose of this article and my oral presentation is NOT to argue the immigration issue, but to present the realities of the local globalization occurring right here in America. The Latino community, documented or not, is rapidly growing and as health care providers, we need to develop infrastructure to properly care for this population. I look forward to Thursday, and I hope to see you there!