ePISODE 9: sima vazquez

February 22, 2021

My father escaped from Cuba when he was 24 and came to Miami. My mom is Colombian but grew up in the states and eventually ended up in Miami, where she met my father in a French class they were taking for fun.

Every year, as soon as school was out, my family would take a trip to France. We would go to Paris, and then explore other areas of the country, staying with friends along the way and exploring different museums. I think those experiences gave me a unique worldview more than most kids growing up, and made me want to be well rounded and open to new ways of life. All of the museums must have had an impact because my life wouldn’t feel complete without doing something in the arts. In college I majored in humanities and creative writing on a non-fiction track, so I was writing narrative memoirs of other people’s lives. My BA thesis was actually my mom’s life story, and I’m hoping to turn that into a book at some point.

My initial interest in medicine stems from when I had two brain surgeries; one when I was six and the other when I was thirteen. I have Arnold-Chiari malformation, which causes really bad headaches because of the backflow of spinal fluid. The surgeries go in from the neck and shave off parts of the skull and first vertebrae and put a patch into your dura to make more room--a brain decompression with duraplasty. I used to resist the idea that my surgeries made me want to go into medicine, but it’d be naïve to ignore the impression that my doctor had on me. I knew that I wanted to go down the pre-med track in high school, and I loved science. There were actually only two students in my high-school higher-level organic chemistry class: one other girl and me. I also did pre-med in college, but I had doubts. Medicine is its own bubble, and everyone tells you how hard it is to incorporate other things into your life as a medical professional. I was scared I would lose my hobbies if I went into medicine. I like to run a lot, and I did a lot of sports growing up in Miami. I played soccer and gymnastics as a young kid, and then played tennis and basketball in high school, and even swam for a little bit. I picked up running on my own and walked onto track and cross country teams my senior year of college. It’s really hard for me to just do something halfway. If I do something I always go all in.

I was always open to other career paths and thought a lot about writing or journalism, but I always knew in the back of my mind that I would end up in medical school. I realized my doubts were rooted in fear of not getting in, so I just told myself to try my hardest and put myself out there and see what happens. I took a gap year while applying, and did a Masters program at Columbia in Nutrition. I feel that nutrition isn’t taught enough in med school, so I wanted a background in that. Food is medicine! I don’t think people give nutrition enough credit in terms of how many things it can affect in a lifestyle for both physical and mental health. It’s also interesting because it’s incorporated in all of humanity. To me, it’s the intersection of medicine and humanity.

As a doctor, I think I want to go into surgery, but I’m not sure which path I want to take yet. I love the tangible aspect of surgery and I see it very much as an art form. I think at the end of the day, I just want to help people feel better. Ever since high school my biggest fear was feeling superior to others, and I think that plays a big role in the way I approach medicine. If that ever happens to me - if I ever feel like I’m better than someone else - then that tells me I've lost my sense of self. I will have fed into something I never wanted to and I would be losing who I am. The need to be condescending, I think, comes from a really deep place of insecurity.

In general I want so many things. I want to write books. I want to run ultra marathons because I think they’re awesome and I’m crazy. I want kids. I want to be a nice person. I would say that I have a growth mindset (yes I knew about this before coming to NYMC). I’m always open to growth and I always try to take everything as opportunities to practice ‘something’. A phrase I’ve been repeating to myself a lot recently whenever I think “Why?” is: For the sake of one person. All the work I’m putting in, everything we do in medical school and beyond is worth it for the sake of just one person. My goal has always been to make a difference in the lives of others and make them smile. When you reduce it to the most simple terms, it makes everything a lot clearer.

What are your 5 Most Recently Played Artists on Spotify?
Taylor Swift’s new album. Sorry but it’s true. I also listen to mellow cello. I grew up playing the piano, but the cello is such a beautiful instrument. I want to learn how to play it someday.

If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose?
I think stopping time. Just to have still time to breathe and chill so I can be completely present when the time comes back.

Pick something or someone from NYMC to give a shout-out to!
Everyone from Humans! Everyone’s putting in such hard effort into sharing each other’s stories and I think that’s commendable!

If someone wanted to talk to you, they should lead with:
Anything! “Hi” is usually good. I’ll always respond.