Note from the editor: This article was originally published on October 20, 2025 by Chelsea DeRoach in Spanish and was translated to English by Dieter Mouchkatine on October 17, 2025. 

Latinas in Medicine (LEM) will soon complete its first full academic year after being founded in February 2025. Throughout its growth, LEM has provided both social and professional support for Latina students at UT who are considering pursuing a career in healthcare. Founded by Nahomi García with the help of Ashley Ochoa Martínez, LEM has successfully created a diverse and united space with around 60 participants, according to Ochoa.

LEM aims to reduce the underrepresentation of Latinas in the healthcare field with its mission to “empower and inspire Latina students throughout their medical journey while promoting diversity and inclusivity in healthcare,” according to its website.

“(LEM) helps create a connection between the Latino community and healthcare,” Ochoa said.

García, president of LEM and a senior studying biology and health & society on the pre-Physician Assistant track (or pre-PA), was motivated by the desire to have an organization that is “professional, but definitely a social space without competitiveness… where girls feel they have a community and are not alone in the process of becoming healthcare professionals.”

Ochoa, LEM’s vice president and a third-year applied kinesiology major on the pre-PA track, said that when she found LEM’s Instagram page last fall, she immediately felt excited. From there, she helped Nahomi create a diverse leadership board made up of ten students.

According to Ochoa, LEM holds general meetings every two weeks, intentionally alternating between professional guest speakers and social events to strengthen member connections. According to their Instagram profile, the guest speakers come from various professions, as LEM focuses on supporting any healthcare-related career path. They also organize activities such as “Wampus Cleanup,” talks with medical students, photo sessions and cultural celebrations.

Ochoa also described the first meeting as special because of the immediate sense of belonging and excitement among members. In addition to the friendships formed, the connections extend into professional networking. “[We make sure] to be there for one another and to understand each other on a deeper level given the circumstances we face… having that community is so important,” Ochoa said.

For García and Ochoa, LEM is more than just an organization; it’s their way of fulfilling their dreams of uplifting and helping their community, directly inspired by their Latina identity.

“It’s very important to me to make sure patients feel comfortable in their most vulnerable moments,” García said, speaking about her desire to provide healthcare in Spanish after seeing how her parents struggle to communicate with medical staff.

Ochoa described that her motivation stems from childhood, when translating for her relatives during doctor’s visits often led to vital information being lost. This made her family feel that the medical system “isn’t made” for Latinos.

“Latinas in Medicine has truly reinforced the idea that together, we are capable of creating great change,” Ochoa said.