For Maria Isabelle Avenido – otherwise known as Isa – medical school was never an if but a when. She always had an inkling of wanting to do medicine and being heavily involved in the Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada (VMSN) has only reinforced the idea that medicine is exactly what she wants to do.
VMSN is a nonprofit health organization that has been providing care to the community, especially to community members that do not have access to health insurance, since 2010.
“I've been involved with the organization ever since 2020, and I just love the vision that they've sustained throughout the years that they've been a nonprofit here in Las Vegas,” says Avenido. “The role of the clinic and what it stands for in the community is something that I'm really passionate about. You get to see providers, you get to see specialists, you get to see dentists for free, you get medications for free, you get labs for free – and they don't have health insurance. So without the clinic, they won't be able to get these basic necessities in a financially accessible way.”
Born in the Philippines, Avenido moved to the United States when she was 18 years old and began attending UNLV for her undergraduate degree in psychology soon after, but she still remained closely in touch with her family and her life in the Philippines. In 2023, a nationwide survey in the Philippines revealed that 59% of Filipinos lack private medical insurance. Seeing the lack of access to health services in her home country has fueled a want for change.
“Seeing how important equitable access to care was back home was heartbreaking, but also it inspired me to pursue a type of medicine where the emphasis is for equitable access,” Avenido says. “So now that I'm here in the U.S., being involved with Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada, that's just kept me going to pursue this career.”
Avenido’s determination and her passion for caring for others is what ultimately led her to join the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Class of 2028. As a medical student, she is able to continue working with VMSN, but this time in the UNLV Community Clinic. Within the clinic, school of medicine faculty physicians, residents, medical students, and staff volunteer their time to help provide services to the community.
To Avenido, volunteering at the clinic reminds her of her purpose, especially during the preclinical phase of the curriculum when students mostly attend lectures, study, and take tests.
“My purpose isn't to know what letter to choose in the multiple choice exam. My purpose is to be able to talk to my patients and to explain to them what their disease is, what this medication does, what our next steps are so that they can have the care that they deserve,” Avenido says. “That's why I love going to the clinic because it just reminds me of what the end goal is, especially in such a classroom-focused part of the medical school journey.”
But even when medicine and caring for others is your passion, it’s important to acknowledge how overwhelming medical school, and the healthcare field in general, can be, and how it’s easy to lose your sense of self within these things. Avenido, who has spoken to physicians who have experienced burnout, keeps this in mind while she continues her rigorous studies.
“I think a lesson that I'm trying to keep telling myself is that I want to, as much as possible, be in touch with myself and just keep reminding who I am outside of being a medical student and outside of being a healthcare professional, because I think that's what's going to drive me to continue on with this journey,” Avenido says. “Those small things that keep you grounded and … that remind you of who you are as a person outside of medicine is what's going to keep you going and what's going to help you to show up every day.”
