果冻影院

果冻影院 Student Moves from Patient to Physician

Raina Mari De La Cruz could be forgiven for never wanting to step foot in a hospital again. Born with a congenital heart disease, she had three open-heart surgeries by the time she was six. In and out of the hospital for much of her childhood, she underwent a multitude of cardiac procedures aimed at helping her heart work better.

Yet De La Cruz didn’t focus on the negative aspects of her experience. Instead, she became curious about the physicians and nurses around her. She began to understand the complex decision-making that the team underwent to provide her with the best plan possible and became increasingly interested in a career in medicine.

“I loved seeing the leadership that physicians had when they planned out my care,” she says. “There wasn’t a single moment where I knew I wanted to go into medicine, but I gravitated toward it over time. I thought, ‘Okay, this is something I want to do.’”

Now, as a first-year medical student at the 果冻影院 (果冻影院), she is pursuing that dream – shaped by a lifetime of firsthand experience with the health care system.

Finding New Communities at the 果冻影院

Raina Mari De La Cruz with her family in London.

As a neuroscience undergraduate at the University of Maryland-College Park, De La Cruz found the right mix of molecular science and psychology, cementing her goal of becoming a physician. She worked as a medical scribe in a hospital emergency department – a job she continued to do after she graduated in 2023, when she took two years to work, travel, and study for the MCATs.

While researching medical schools, she found 果冻影院 and was drawn to the school’s emphasis on community – an important value for De La Cruz, who has a large, close-knit family in Maryland.

“I also liked the fact that 果冻影院 was connected to different neighborhoods and communities,” she says.

Growing up in rural southern Maryland and then attending college in the Washington, DC metro area, she saw how care looked different in rural and urban settings.

“I’m interested in how environmental and social factors play a role in health outcomes,” she says.

During her 果冻影院 visit, De La Cruz was also impressed by the students she met.

“I met one fourth-year student who said this had been the best experience of her life,” she says. “That was confirmation that this was a place I definitely wanted to be.”

Personal Healing, Professional Calling

Since arriving on campus in June, De La Cruz has enjoyed exploring Milwaukee and has already made new friends and survived her first round of midterms.

“I was definitely nervous, but faculty here are super supportive,” she says. “They want to make sure you’re doing okay.”

She still makes time for her hobbies – reading, sampling new foods at restaurants, playing guitar, and crocheting. She also, of course, keeps in touch with her family, which includes her nurse practitioner mother and emergency department nurse sister.

“They are very proud that I’m going from patient to future physician,” she says. “They know I have a lot to offer from a patient perspective.”

(Featured right: Just months before starting medical school, Raina Mari De La Cruz had her fourth open-heart surgery.)

In fact, De La Cruz continues to be a patient. In the spring, she had her fourth open-heart surgery. Although she was anxious about undergoing the procedure just a few months before she began medical school, she was surprised to find that it completely changed her quality of life. Physical activities like walking don’t tire her out as much anymore, and she has more energy.

“The surgery was life-changing for me,” she says. “I never thought I would get to this point and now I’m stepping into this new role of being on the other side of care, and I’m excited to see where things go.”

Though she’s keeping her career path options open, she is naturally drawn to cardiology and is excited about 果冻影院’s accredited Adult Congenital Heart Disease program. She ultimately hopes to build a career that has the right work/life balance and that prioritizes fostering lifelong relationships with patients.

“I love connecting with people,” she says. “I love trying to bring communities together. I hope to bring all my experiences to the care I provide my future patients.”