STONY BROOK, N.Y. - Emilio Quevedo, a men's soccer alumnus and current pre-med student in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University through the SWAG (Student-Athletes with Academic Goals) Initiative and the AMSNY Diversity in Medicine MAP to Success Program, said that finding a balance between athletics and academics, while being led by personal experiences guided him towards primary care and having the opportunity to serve his community.
NEW BEGINNINGS
I loved playing soccer and that's what I was doing abroad, training in Ecuador and I had the realization that I wasn't going to be a professional soccer player, but I loved it, and I understood what it was going to take at that level. I then decided to take a step back and try my hand at something else and I had a lot of interest in the medical field and felt I was more naturally suited for it.
I wanted to go somewhere where I could still play [soccer] and have a great education and Stony Brook provided that base foundation for everything.
JOURNEY
The big reason why I'm here is because of the SWAG Initiative and MAP to Success. The SWAG Initiative in collaboration with the MAP to Success Program, a pilot Medical Application Preparation (MAP) program of the Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY), is a pathway program which allows student athletes from socioeconomic disadvantaged backgrounds to leverage skills they've learned through sport, and create academic opportunities in medicine for them.
Through additional academic preparation and mentorship, the initiative aims to attract athletes who are not already in medical school, but have an interest. The notion behind this program came about due to the disproportionate numbers of underrepresented groups in medicine.
The program, sponsored by The Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) came to Stony Brook Athletics by way of Dr. Brian Cruickshank, Stony Brook Athletics Medical Director, and past President of AMSNY, Jo Wiederhorn.
"This incredible opportunity, thanks to the leadership of Dr. Brateil Badal, VP for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Jonathan Teyan, President and CEO at AMSNY, the Renaissance School of Medicine, and Director of the MS in Biomedical Sciences, Dr. Inefta Reid, has afforded our student-athletes an avenue they may not have had otherwise. We are truly grateful to be able to impact present and future Seawolves, Emilio being the first" Kate Velys, Assistant AD for Academics, said. "I'd also be remiss not to thank the wonderful people who work with and mentor SWAG program students everyday, like Dr. Reginald Miller."
Emilio was the first Stony Brook student-athlete identified to join the SWAG Initiative, and never looked back, taking advantage of the program to positively impact the lives of others.
It was March of my senior year when I was approached by Kate Velys, one of my academic advisors, and she had said that they were looking for student-athletes from underrepresented backgrounds in medicine, either Latino or African American students, to join a pathway program to get into medical school.
Upon acceptance into the MAP to Success Program, students first enroll in the Master of Science (MS) program within the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, where they will engage in a rigorous, two-year course-based curriculum preparing students to later apply to RSOM if they achieve a RSOM specified score on their MCAT. Students receive stipends while in the program as well, to finance tuition costs. "MAP to Success is part of a larger initiative called the AMSNY Diversity in Medicine Program. MAP offers a unique opportunity for students who have a demonstrated drive for excellence stemming from their experiences as athletes as well as their commitment to becoming physicians and impacting healthcare," said Dr. Brateil Badal.
"Emilio's story exemplifies the very essence of this program's intent."
OPPORTUNITY
I knew I wanted to go back to school. The SWAG Initiative and Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences offered through Stony Brook with a conditional acceptance to medical school, you just can't imagine the opportunity given to you. Stony Brook is an amazing school, it's a great place and I can't sing its praises enough.
"Simply speaking, Emilio is a dynamo. He is bright, resilient, forthright, and driven. It was a pleasure to work with him, but also to have a first hand seat at his growth during his enrollment in the master's program and now onto medical school," Dr. Inefta Reid, Emilio's mentor through the MS program, said. "Emilio went from being a student to a teacher. His time in our program demonstrated not only his academic abilities but also his unwavering commitment to helping others succeed. For example, as a Teaching Assistant, Emilio demonstrated not only his academic abilities but also his unwavering commitment to fostering a collaborative learning environment. Emilio is a true team player, always ready to step up, support his peers, and work toward collective success. His empathy, innovative thinking, and dedication to helping others thrive set him apart. I am confident he will continue to thrive in the medical community and I look forward to his continual growth as he embarks on this new chapter in life of becoming a physician."
This time has been invaluable to me, the mentorship opportunities and the medical research I've conducted… I feel more self-assured and confident in the work that I'm doing, the conversations that I have with my peers, and even reading articles about the materials we're learning.
PASSION
I'll say a lot of where my interest arises from is being in the MAP to Success Program. It's always been important to me, and it's always been very apparent to me that there is a lack of representation within the [medical] field and for people that come from a cultural background.
I've always been very interested in learning about my culture and history, and that's always been like a passion of mine…trying to make sure that there's a voice for people within medicine and having a robust representation from the side of the provider in medicine.
Recently, I've had the opportunity to work in the city and a lot of the patients that would come into the clinic were from a Latino background. Aside from myself, the clinic would not have anyone on staff who could communicate with these patients, and I think that these patients deserve a lot more. It's known and it's been proven in countless studies that patient outcomes are better when there are providers who are from similar backgrounds to the patients and those who can communicate in a way that makes the patient comfortable. It's very important that there are more providers who can provide that for patients.
SERVICE
My heart lies in primary care and what's always going to be at the forefront of my mind is how I can service people in the community, that's what I care about the most. That is why I was given this opportunity through the MAP to Success Program and the SWAG Initiative to be here in the first place. I want to be a leader within my community by improving outcomes for patients and making sure they have every opportunity to receive medical care.
Both of my parents are teachers and so I always loved getting opportunities where I can teach and communicate. It comes very naturally, and I get a lot of satisfaction out of that. This field is going to do exactly that for me, it's been really rewarding thus far serving as a translator whenever I can and building that level of comfort with a patient to help bridge the gap between doctor and patient.
"Fortunately for Emilio, after he finishes medical school, he will have the unique opportunity to serve the exact community he wants to impact, as graduates from the program work for two years in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area," Velys stated.
ADVICE
I would say it's going to be different for everyone, right? I was fortunate enough to have a program that's like a pipeline, but that's not going to be the case for everybody. Best piece of advice is to not rush yourself in any way, make sure that you're doing the things that make you feel prepared and that you're confident to speak about the experiences you have had, whether that's shadowing or working as a scribe or doing research, get meaningful experiences out of it. Also, making connections and building confidence in yourself.
SKILLS
Communication and teamwork are very important. Most athletes that play sports can work and collaborate with others but also use initiative and ask questions. You need to be comfortable putting yourself in situations where you're going to be wrong and make mistakes, that's the best way to learn.
EMILIO'S MESSAGE
I'm thankful and grateful for the opportunity and the support and I hope programs can continue to be expanded and see more representation in the medical field.
"Ultimately, AMSNY and The Renaissance SOM have shown their commitment to increasing opportunity for underrepresented groups in medicine. We as an athletics department are fortunate to be a part of that and certainly look forward to our continued joint partnership with these incredible programs who have invested their time, energy, and resources to positively impact the lives of future Seawolves," stated Velys.
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