Meet a Medical Student Paying It Forward
December 22, 2022
For second-year medical student Adam Carl, MS, community and mentorship is key to empowering the next generation of Native American physicians.
Author: Adam Carl, M.S.
As both an undergraduate and graduate student at the University of Arizona, I found a support system of Native American physicians, including Darren Vicenti, MD, (Hopi) and Patricia Nez Henderson, MD, MPH, (Diné) from my Tribal communities.
I also found programs throughout the University of Arizona Health Sciences that supported Native students pursuing medicine. A big part of that was my involvement with Arizona Indians into Medicine (AZ INMED), a program focused on helping Native American students thrive and succeed in health professions.
With Native Americans representing less than 0.5% of physicians in the United States, it’s important that we connect and support each other through our medical school experiences.
When I began medical school at the College of Medicine – Tucson, I wanted to pay it forward – all of the support and mentorship I had received as a younger student.
