How MMA and Mother’s Diagnosis Inspired Medical Student to Pursue Path as a Physician
My Journey to Medical School Video Series features Angela Abarquez, MS-3 at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.
Angela Abarquez, MS-3
Hometown: Alamo, California
Why do you want to be a doctor?
“The first thing that I can think of that planted the seed in my head to be a doctor was finding out that my mom struggled with fertility. She had endometriosis. As I got older, my mom shared with me about how alone she felt in her diagnosis. Just knowing how she was feeling throughout that, it made me want to do better for other people who are receiving these hard diagnoses and having to make these big life changes.”
Why did you choose the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU?
“This school has a very innovative curriculum, and they really emphasize physician communication. We also learn how to be an Empathetic Scholar® and go beyond just practicing medicine to connect with people. That along with the curriculum really drew me.”
What’s one thing your classmates don’t know about you?
“I do Muay Thai kickboxing weekly and it’s a really good way to destress from medical school. I feel like it’s helped me a lot when dealing with clinics. There are a lot of skills there that I feel like have transferred over to medical school.”
What’s next for you in your medical journey?
“It’s exciting to be in rotations that are more align with your specific interest. I am very interested in Gastroenterology, so I’ll also be applying Internal Medicine for residency and I’m hoping to stay within DFW. My hope is to one day be a Gastroenterologist.”