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While in college, Vidal-Phelan experienced, for the first time, what
it means to be a minority. With a thick accent and a limited mastery
of the English language, she faced entirely new challenges upon
moving to Boston. She knew she wanted to attend medical school,
but also understood that she would be competing with excellent
students who had the opportunity to take advanced classes during
high school that were not available to her. Vidal-Phelan realized
immediately that she would need to excel in classes taught in her
second language; communicate effectively through reading, writing
and speaking in English; and rapidly adapt to a very different culture.
She vividly remembers when a professor told her that she should
not apply to medical school because her English "was not good
enough." The challenges of these years made
Vidal-Phelan even more passionate and
committed to a career in medicine, and she
didn't mind the sacrifices required to excel
academically.
Early in her college years, Vidal-Phelan
had the opportunity to work with Dr. Dennis
Smith, her histology professor and second
mentor. Smith witnessed her dedication and
hard work and quickly supported her dream
of becoming a physician. Smith took the
time to become Vidal-Phelan's mentor in
college, sponsoring her senior honors thesis
and encouraging her to pursue research as
part of her pre-med activities. Smith attended
Vidal-Phelan's thesis dissertation and proudly
wrote her a letter of recommendation as part
of her medical school application process.
Smith's mentorship, along with timely encouragement, support, and guidance, helped give
Vidal-Phelan the hope and self-confidence
she needed to continue the fight to realize
her dream of attending medical school.
Vidal-Phelan applied to and was accepted by several medical
schools. She chose to attend Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
in New Jersey because of the strength of their primary care program.
After beginning medical school, Vidal-Phelan quickly realized she
was one of the few selected medical students of Latino descent.
Still determined to be a physician, Vidal-Phelan was committed to
navigate the intricacies and challenges of medical school successfully.

While working at Brenner's office, Vidal-Phelan began to hone her
clinical skills under the watchful eye of a gifted mentor. When the
time came to develop a list of potential residency programs, Brenner
encouraged Vidal-Phelan to consider the University of Washington's
Pediatric Program at Seattle Children's Hospital. Brenner had trained
at a Seattle-based family medicine program and knew the excellent
reputation of the University of Washington's pediatric program. On
the advice of her mentor, Vidal-Phelan participated in a fourth-year
medical school sub-internship rotation at Seattle Children's and fell
in love with the academic program. After a successful first-choice
match, Vidal-Phelan moved to the Pacific Northwest to begin her
training as a pediatrician.
In Seattle, Vidal-Phelan became one of
two Latino residents in her program. While
living there for almost seven years, she enjoyed
every opportunity to educate her patients,
peers and attendings about Puerto Rico, a
commonwealth of the U.S. In Seattle, it
was common for Vidal-Phelan to be asked
questions regarding her accent, whether she
needed a Visa or Green Card to work in the
U.S., and why someone raised on a sunny
tropical island would want to do her training
in the often overcast Pacific Northwest.
As with the early primary care experiences
in Camden, Vidal-Phelan undertook her
pediatric continuity clinic in an area of Seattle
with significant social determinants of health.
It was here that she continued to learn from
the immigrant families of Africa, Southeast
Asia and Central America. Vidal-Phelan
was mentored by several attendings during
her pediatric training in Seattle, but it was
Dr. Lenna Liu at her continuity clinic who
made the most lasting impact.
Liu was an inspirational leader and mentor, demonstrating daily
that pediatric patients, and their respective families, need compassion
and kindness. In moments when Vidal-Phelan experienced self-doubt,
it was Liu who took time from her busy schedule to encourage her
never to give up, believe in her skills and continue to fight for her
dream of becoming a pediatrician. Vidal-Phelan remains forever
grateful for the mentorship she received as a pediatric resident.

To her surprise, many of the patients in her third- and fourthAs an attending, Vidal-Phelan returned to the East Coast to be
year rotations were of Latino descent. Her ability to relate to her closer to her family. It was at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that
patients, understand their culture and fluently communicate in her Vidal-Phelan had the opportunity to work with Dr. Esther Martinez,
native Spanish proved to be a welcome advantage. Vidal-Phelan's a medical director originally from Cuba, who is well regarded in the
bilingual fluency also allowed her to assist, on numerous occasions, Latino community. Martinez took Vidal-Phelan under her wing
as a translator and to provide insightful support in complex medical and challenged her to continue growing as a general pediatrician.
cases. It was during the third year of medical school, on her family Martinez remains a powerful example to Vidal-Phelan of clinical
medicine rotation, that Vidal-Phelan met her next mentor, Dr. acumen, resilience and tenacity, advocating not only for her patients
Jeffrey Brenner. Brenner worked as a family physician in Camden, but for fellow members of our own profession.
N.J., and he devoted countless hours to mentoring medical students
in primary care.
24 Philadelphia Medicine : Fall 2020

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Philadelphia Medicine Fall 2020

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