"I am so proud of the community we have created here and what we've been able to accomplish."
Mariam Torres Soto, 2024 MD candidate, was born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico, before moving to Middletown, Connecticut to attend Wesleyan University. She pursued a degree in chemistry, molecular biology, and biochemistry at Wesleyan, graduating in 2016 with a certificate in molecular biophysics and later receiving her master's degree in biochemical and molecular biology. Mariam worked in clinical research at the infectious disease department for Mass General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, before starting medical school at Emory School of Medicine.
She chose Emory because of the “opportunities to serve and learn from diverse, marginalized, and historically underserved patient populations and their commitment to provide their community with high-quality medical care.” She started medical school during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She quickly wanted to create community with her peers, so she began hosting virtual cooking classes highlighting Puerto Rican recipes and sponsored by the School of Medicine’s Office of Multicultural Affairs.
The momentum generated by her cooking classes helped amplify the importance of the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) among her peers at Emory. Mariam helped cultivate the longevity of LMSA by organizing cooking classes, salsa classes, and social gatherings. As a result of Mariam’s work, LMSA has become a supportive, sustainable community with a framework that will ensure it will thrive for many years to come.
While at Emory, the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) asked Mariam to join the Learners Stakeholder Group. This group helped advise leaders on the School of Medicine culture, helping to create a climate in which all can thrive and achieve their full potential.
Although Mariam has had many impressive experiences at Emory, she is most proud of reviving Portal de Salud. Portal de Salud is a student-run clinic that provides free health screenings and health education geared towards the Spanish-speaking population in the greater Atlanta area. “I am so proud of the community we have created here and what we've been able to accomplish,” she adds.
Ophthalmology participates in an early match announced in February. She received the life-changing news on her wedding day. Mariam is excited to be matched in the inaugural residency class of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. “I was drawn to their mission of expanding access to quality vision care in a community that has one of the highest needs for vision health providers in the nation.”
She summarizes, “I am honored to have been selected to work with faculty that is willing to put their trust in me and my fellow co-residents to help steer and grow this program while helping us become competent and well-rounded ophthalmologists.”