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Born in Los Angeles to a Guatemalan mom and Mexican father, Josue Diaz-Melendez grew up in a vibrant Latino neighborhood, formed by heritage and group.
From a younger age, Diaz-Melendez had a transparent mission—to assist his individuals and all individuals.
That drive led him to pursue dentistry, the place he might assist individuals obtain more healthy smiles.
However he quickly noticed an opportunity to rework lives past the dentist’s chair.
Making a Change
Diaz-Melendez labored laborious to earn his bachelor’s in biology on the College of Southern California (USC) and later his doctorate in dental surgical procedure at Columbia College.
He moved to Philadelphia and started working as a dentist at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, fulfilling his objective of serving to individuals.
Nonetheless, as Diaz-Melendez began working to enhance oral well being, he seen that lots of his sufferers wanted assist with extra advanced well being wants.
“I wished to be that supplier for them. That’s form of what impressed me. I would like to have the ability to do extra than simply enamel. I would like to have the ability to handle the particular person as an entire,” Diaz-Melendez mentioned.
So, he determined to change into a health care provider.
Right now, Diaz-Melendez is a third-year medical scholar at Sidney Kimmel Medial College at Thomas Jefferson University, the place he’s studying to change into a healthcare skilled who can contribute to the well-being of his sufferers and communities, together with an infection prevention and management.
Dealing with Challenges Alongside the Manner
Altering your profession and going again to high school can drive concern of failure and add stress to show your self another time.
It was a “scary determination,” Diaz-Melendez mentioned.
However, for him, he had already realized resiliency within the face of a problem.
For instance, he was a first-generation scholar in greater training.
“I’m the primary one in my household to go to varsity, so [being a first-generation student] was an impediment that I needed to form of determine generally,” Diaz-Melendez mentioned.
He needed to begin off with no mentors, both.
“Once you’re going to the subsequent step, like grad faculty, having that form of mentorship is so vital. As a result of, I imply, I can’t ask my mother, ‘How do I am going to med faculty?’”
Fortunately whereas in undergrad at USC, Diaz-Melendez discovered school mentors when he participated in a analysis summer time program.
His mentors have him encouragement when deciding to change to concentrate on medication.
“The mentors I had mentioned, ‘You will have a life-time forward of you. It’s a really lengthy profession, and I wish to just be sure you’re comfortable. So, if it means you need to swap, I encourage you to do it.’ I simply wanted that little push, you understand,” Diaz-Melendez mentioned.
Discovering Help and Encouragement
Much like the recommendation that he obtained when making his personal selections, Diaz-Melendez urges individuals to consider their influence as they pursue their training in medication.
“Simply take into consideration the place you wish to be on the finish of the tunnel and what you may convey to the desk to assist your loved ones and group, particularly, being Latino,” Diaz-Melendez mentioned.
With Diaz-Melendez residing in Philadelphia whereas his household is in California, he additionally emphasised the significance of help system.
“Having a extremely nice pal help group is the most effective factor ever. I imply, all my household reside in California, so right here in Philly, I don’t have my siblings or my cousins, however having these buddies that you can simply, like, exit to dinner with, or go to the films,” Diaz-Melendez mentioned.
The Significance of An infection Management Sources
Diaz-Melendez is on his approach to turning into a health care provider and serving to individuals.
An enormous a part of life as a health care provider is studying an infection prevention and management, which may shield each sufferers and frontline healthcare employees from spreading ailments.
That’s the reason the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) launched Project Firstline, a coaching and training collaborative designed to make sure all healthcare employees, regardless of their function or instructional background, have the an infection management data and understanding they want and deserve to guard themselves, their sufferers, and their coworkers.
Diaz-Melendez appreciates the CDC Challenge Firstline instructional supplies, from hand hygiene to carrying PPE to cleaning and disinfection.
“Having these [Project Firstline] assets are vital as a result of being like, on Tik Tok or Instagram, generally there’s loads of [incorrect information] that form of simply unfold in every single place that will not essentially be true and that might truly be harmful,” Diaz-Melendez mentioned.
Diaz-Melendez additionally highlighted how the tutorial instruments and assets from Challenge Firstline can help all healthcare professionals, together with medical college students from completely different backgrounds.
“Having that form of coaching will permit you to have the ability to reply these [patient] questions. Simply usually, anybody that has a query [on infection control], it makes you an individual with credibility,” Diaz-Melendez mentioned.
Selling An infection Management in Your Healthcare Setting
The place can healthcare employees and aspiring medical professionals discover instructional instruments and assets on an infection management and prevention?
You possibly can assist preserve your self, your colleagues, and your sufferers secure from infectious illness threats by constructing your an infection management data!
To point out your dedication, sign this pledge to finish an an infection management coaching or exercise by CDC’s Challenge Firstline!
You can too share an infection management coaching alternatives with healthcare colleagues by way of LinkedIn with our Project Firstline social media toolkit.
You possibly can entry extra details about an infection prevention and management in healthcare by visiting resources from CDC Project Firstline.
Salud America! at UT Well being San Antonio is working with the Nationwide Hispanic Medical Affiliation to convey Project Firstline an infection management instructional content material to healthcare employees, so they’re geared up with the data they should shield themselves, their services, and their sufferers (Latinos and all communities) from infectious illness threats in healthcare settings.
Take a look at a number of the articles from this partnership:
Take a look at a number of the Latino healthcare employees who’re heroes for an infection management:
Learn More about Project Firstline!
Editor’s Observe: This text is a part of a collaboration between Salud America!, the Nationwide Hispanic Medical Affiliation, and the CDC’s Challenge Firstline. To seek out assets coaching supplies, and different instruments to bolster data and follow of an infection management, go to Challenge Firstline and look at Salud America!’s an infection management content material.
