Raised in Miami, Valeria attended Florida International University, majoring in Biological Sciences. She was involved in several research projects before entering medical school. As a medical student, she was very involved in her community and advocating for students who are underrepresented in medicine. She served on the school’s admissions committee and selection committee for the Dean of Student Affairs. In addition, she was the vice president of the QU Chapter for the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) and served on the national LMSA board as the Mentorship Vice-Chair. Her capstone project highlighted disparities in stressors among students underrepresented in medicine; research that was presented at LMSA and SNMA conferences. She and two classmates paired with a local theater company for “Netter Crossroads,” a presentation to amplify underrepresented voices.
Get to Know Valeria
- Hometown: Miami, FL
- Professional Interests: Underserved/immigrant populations, Latinx mental health, community psychiatry, harm reduction and forensic psychiatry
- Future Plans: Open to all potential psychiatry paths, but at the moment hoping to complete fellowship in either community/public psychiatry or forensic psychiatry
- Hobbies: Travel, plants, vinyl records and film photography
Education
- MD, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, 2023
- BS, Florida International University, 2016