The Aspiring Surgeon Taking a Stand for Latino Communities

Meet Jose Segura-Bermudez

Medical student Jose Segura-Bermudez came to the United States from Oaxaca, Mexico at the age of 6. 

He and his family faced significant challenges: learning English, adapting to an unfamiliar culture, and accessing essential healthcare, to name just a few. 

During high school chemistry, Jose found his stride. 

"I fell in love with science," he says. "Finding answers became my biggest high-school intrigue." 

Science led Jose to the Ohio State University. During his time there, he volunteered at La Clinica Latina, translating patient concerns for non-Spanish speaking physicians. 

The experience revealed how he could leverage science to help Latino communities like his own access quality medical care. 

Many patients he connected with reminded him of his family and friends and their struggles. Helping them get the care they needed felt rewarding and healing. 

"Connecting to and talking with the patients inspired me to go into medicine," Jose says.

Now, as a student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM), Jose has narrowed his focus within medicine to surgery. 

"I love working with my hands, and I believe that surgery is one of the scariest things for patients to face," he says.

"I want to be there for them and comfort them when they're feeling vulnerable and scared."

Fun Fact: Jose loves all sports and soccer most of all. He plays on UCLA's intramural team, and has even served as captain. 

Serving Latino Communities from Multiple Angles 

Jose's desire to serve Latino patient populations made DGSOM stand out from other med schools. 

"I wanted to come to Los Angeles for its Latino communities. Those are the patients I want to serve." 

People of Hispanic/Latino origin make up around 48% of L.A.'s population, according to recent United States census data. 

Jose seized an opportunity to serve those communities before his first year in med school ended. During UCLA's Health Equity Challenge, he worked alongside collaborators, including Dr. Ronald Brooks and Dr. Hrishikesh Belani, to submit a proposal for improving H.I.V. testing accessibility in predominantly Latino communities. 

He also championed his own niche community of aspiring surgeons. He founded an organization called Latinos in Surgery to help empower Latino medical students to pursue surgical specialties. 

According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), only about 6.5% of active physicians identify as Hispanic or Latino. The percentage of active surgeons within this group is even lower, potentially 4% according to some studies. 

Acutely aware of those numbers, Jose hoped Latinos in Surgery would fulfill his yearning to see surgeons who looked like him—a yearning he knew other medical students shared. 

After just one year, Latinos in Surgery had more than fulfilled Jose's hopes. The organization hosted well-attended events, where Jose and his fellow students connected with surgeons who looked like them. 

One especially memorable event showcased research opportunities available in different specialties. Student attendees walked away feeling not only more welcome in the field of surgery but also more inspired to pursue opportunities. 

Thriving Within a Community of Change-Makers 

Envisioning his future career, Jose sees himself performing reconstructive plastic surgery, which involves rebuilding tissues and areas of the body that have been damaged—by cancer or burns, for example. 

He feels incredibly grateful to have worked with so many mentors in surgery, including Dr. Justine Lee, Dr. Ginger Slack, Dr. Juan J. Andino, and Dr. Andrew C. Vivas, and to have developed rewarding relationships with other surgeons, including Dr. Andrew L. Da Lio, Dr. George H. Rudkin, and Dr. Christopher A. Crisera. 

"My mentors have shown me many different sides of plastic surgery, a field that offers myriad opportunities for both practice and innovation." 

By shadowing his mentors, Jose gets first-hand exposure to complex plastic surgeries, including facial and breast reconstruction. 

Jose's fulfilling mentorship experience echoes his broader experience with the UCLA community as a whole. The community, he says, is his favorite part of life as a DGSOM med student. 

"UCLA brings together so many amazing, motivated, high-achieving people. It's inspiring to see my classmates achieving their dreams." 

Jose, who was elected Alumni Representative for his class, loves being surrounded daily by so many people who share his motivation to continuously learn, grow, and strive to create meaningful change.