The story of María Angélica Urbina Manco is an example of effort and perseverance. From a very young age, she discovered her passion for medicine thanks to her grandfather, Hector, who was a laboratory technician in the district of Langa, province of Huarochirí, Lima.
Being a person who was always willing to help his patients, he generated a close relationship with them, which is why he was the most requested health personnel in the town. This aroused admiration in Angélica, who decided to become a doctor to help people’s health, as her grandfather did.
So, when she finished school, the young woman, who was always an academically outstanding student thanks to her desire to study and the learning that her teaching parents gave her, prepared to enter the Human Medicine career at the National University of San Marcos (UNMSM); However, her path began to get complicated, to the point that she thought of giving up and not applying for the career of her dreams.
“I mightn’t get into UNMSM, I got nervous in the exams and I thought I shouldn’t try anymore,” says the young talent, who, lacking many financial resources, had few options to become a professional. In 2020, while Angélica continued her application process, another unfortunate news seemed to end her goals: her grandfather, Héctor, passed away from COVID-19.
Angelica took all that sadness and frustration and turned it into her motivation to not give up. “Being a doctor has always been my dream, but also that of my grandparents. So I tried it one more time and entered the Medicine career, ”says the young woman, who achieved her goal on the fourth attempt to apply.
After that episode, the triumphs continued for Angélica, because she applied for the Scholarship of Academic Excellence for Children of Teachers 2022 contest of the National Program of Scholarships and Educational Credit (Pronabec) of the Ministry of Education and managed to be the winner, with one of the highest scores thus obtaining second place. This achievement will help her pursue her career without having to worry regarding food expenses, local mobility, academic costs, among other benefits.
“My goal is to graduate as a doctor and attend to the most remote towns, located in various regions of the country, where there is only one doctor for hundreds of patients. I know that there I will be able to replicate my grandfather’s teachings and save many lives,” says Angélica, 19, who does not rule out that doctor-patient care can also be optimized in the capital’s large hospitals.
The San Marcos woman has advice for young people who, faced with some bad experience, have thought of giving up and setting aside their goals: “Why do you choose a career? In my case, I want to help patients closely. And that’s what I’ve remembered when I’ve felt bad. The most important thing is to always remember our motivation. If they keep it in mind, they will see that with effort all their goals will be fulfilled”, she points out.
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