UCLA Journal of Radiation Oncology December First Edition - Flipbook - Page 33
UCLA RADIATION ONCOLOGY JOURNAL
J
esus Juarez is the first medical student to be accepted into our newly established
Radiation Oncology Medical Student Preceptorship. He was born two hours north
of Mexico City in Queretaro, Mexico. When he was six, he and his family moved
to Northern California so his father could attend graduate school. After arriving
stateside, Jesus was raised in Woodland, California—a rural community twenty
miles outside Sacramento. Jesus attended UC Davis for undergrad and majored in
Genetics. After college, he chose to pursue a medical education at the Drew/UCLA
Medical Education Program, as helping underserved communities is one of his
lifelong commitments.
When did you first become interested in
medicine?
By the time I was 12-years-old, I had lost both
of my paternal grandparents to cancer. Their
loss drew me to medicine and biomedical
research, and I found my curiosity piqued as
I started learning about cancer pathogenesis
and conducting basic laboratory research
in college. These experiences, in addition
to volunteering in a university hospital
medical oncology unit, inspired me to use
my knowledge to care for patients on a more
personal level.
How did your upbringing, if at all, influence
your education/career path?
From an early age my parents instilled the
importance of pursuing a higher education,
working hard, and treating everyone I met with
respect. This has largely shaped my values and
the way I want to practice medicine. Because
of the values they instilled in me, it is easy for
me to relate to my patients and empathize with
them. I always aim to provide excellent care in
addition to putting my patients’ best interests
first.
I wanted to learn more about the workflow
and the role that radiation therapy plays in
the multi-disciplinary management of cancer.
In addition, I was eager to learn about how
radiation oncology enhances our management
options for the treatment of various disease
sites and stages.
Who were you most looking forward to
training with while here?
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity
to work with Dr. Amar Kishan, who is an
exceptional physician, researcher, and mentor.
Dr. Kishan allowed me to shadow him in clinic,
where I was able to meet patients and learn
about their diseases and treatments. Dr. Kishan
has taken me under his wing, and we are now
working on multiple research projects.
Can you elaborate on your research projects
with Dr. Kishan?
What do you hope to glean/gain from the
UCLA Radiation Oncology Medical Student
Preceptorship?
One of the projects I have invovled in, led by
RO resident Dr. Martin Ma, investigated the
impact of prostate-specific membrane antigen
PET/CT (PSMA PET/CT) on initial staging and
association with clinicopathologic factors that
might predict for upstaging. This data is now
being used for the development of a nomogram
to predict upstaging by PSMA PET/CT, which
can help with patient counseling.
I chose to pursue the Medical Preceptorship in
the Department of Radiation Oncology because
On a separate project, I am investigating
whether SBRT is a safe modality for treating
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