EPISODE 25: BESSIE MAYLING ROCA

June 30, 2020

I was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and moved to New Jersey at seven years old with my family. My parents moved around a lot to climb the socioeconomic ladder and give my brother and I better opportunities. After high school, I went back to Ecuador to pursue medicine, but after getting robbed at 17 my parents decided to bring me back to the states.
 
I was six years old when I saw an amputated man walking on his arms without a wheelchair or any resources. The inequities are so much worse in Ecuador. I thought, “no one deserves to live that way and not be treated human. It shouldn’t be so hard to get healthcare access”. I remember asking my parents for coins to give him and if there was any way we could help him. “You could become a doctor”, was their response.
 
After returning back from Ecuador, I was told about the Air Force by my parents’ friends and decided to become a medic. Unfortunately, I was picked to train in finance based on the military’s needs. I did that for four years active duty and got my bachelor’s degree in psychology, but I was never deterred from wanting to be in medicine.
 
After working as a clinical research coordinator and a scribe, I got my EMT license and worked for the Air Force reserves as a medic for two years. I was able to see how each specialty works from the bottom up; how the team interacts. Learning to be in a fast-paced environment keeps you on your toes, you have to think on the spot, seconds can mean life or death.
 
To be honest, the times we are living in now echo health inequities. My partner is African American and as a mom to be, I think about how everything going on will impact my son. The Black Lives Matter movement hits home. I am hopeful though, even in all this, because there are more people speaking up than ever before. The racial disparities are being brought to light. It’s happening in clinics and hospitals. Despite the tragedies, the truth is in the light and we can hopefully adjust and get solutions in place. There are people standing up for what’s right in humanity and not letting power take precedence. We are holding people accountable. We may not think we have a voice, but we do. Collectively as a community we can vote, convince officials to make change and demilitarize police, and reallocate funds to lower income communities.

In general, applicants to medical school are older because of career changes. A lot of them are women and want to have families. Unintentionally, women are scared to pursue a family while in medicine because they feel there may be a bias, or they may not be as available as others. They think they will be seen as “too busy” even if that may not be the case. It’s important to keep an open mind.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was afraid I would be asked to take time off. To my surprise, I was told NYMC would work with me. It’s a lot but it shouldn’t deter you. “You’re a mom, you’ll be too busy, you should rethink your career choice”, some might say and have said. Instead, I think we should be asking women in my position, “What can we do to support you?”. Just because you have a child, shouldn’t stop you from wanting to help others to the best of your ability.

Students who have families should connect so they can share resources and have comradery. It takes a village to raise a child. With support, it wouldn’t feel as daunting or overwhelming. I just want to be clear that there is a stigma about women in medicine. Especially those who are mothers. I want to say to women like me: You are NOT less than. As a woman, the pay in practice will be different. We may be asked in residency interviews about our children as if it’s a determining factor to be a resident. But It doesn’t determine whether or not you’ll be a good resident just because you have other responsibilities.

Is it what you are called to do, are you qualified? THAT’S what counts. If we look at people with families as having time restrictions, others can’t be blessed with them being their physicians. I would say there are not enough women or mothers in medicine. Inclusivity is an action, not just something you say.
I want to end by saying everyone deserves to be loved and cared for, no matter who you are, what you’ve been through or are going through.

What are your 5 Most Recently Played Artists on Spotify? 
Hillsong, Drake, Beyonce, Bethel music, Urban latino

If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose?
To read people’s minds so I can serve people better in any capacity. Some people just don’t know how to express themselves with words.

Pick something or someone from NYMC to give a shout-out to!
Everyone for staying strong during this time! For being so resilient throughout this crazy year.

If someone wants to talk to you, they should lead with:
Just say hi!