ATSU-SOMA community is supportive, kind, uplifting, says student making new home in Mesa

ATSU-SOMA community is supportive, kind, uplifting, says student making new home in Mesa

A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) student Adriana Barranco, OMS II, has found a home in Arizona.

"The community is awesome," Barranco said. "The students, faculty, and staff all make an effort to be supportive of and kind to each other. We uplift each other when we see others going through a rough time. We try to do little things to make each other smile, like celebrating birthdays or showing each other our pet pictures. We understand that everyone is more than just their prescribed ATSU role - student, advisor, professor, etc. - but that we are all multi-faceted human beings with lives and mental health. I truly believe most of us make the effort to be mindful of this and support each other."

That's a big deal for everyone, and especially for people like Barranco, who left home in Dunstable, Massachusetts, to attend medical school in Mesa, Arizona. Her initial connection to the area was with her uncle, of Scottsdale, Arizona, who died unexpectedly from COVID in fall 2021.

"There are a lot of things I was drawn to about ATSU-SOMA as an institution - kind and relaxed faculty and staff, a value for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), interest in giving students early clinical exposure - in a weird way, the most special thing is that being here makes me feel connected to my late uncle. He strongly supported my pursuit of medicine and believed in me so much," Barranco said. "I even got my acceptance phone call on his birthday."

Barranco serves as vice president of the Nutrition & Health Awareness (NHA) club, treasurer of the Medical Student Pride Alliance (MSPA), and representative for the Tucson Community Health Center newsletter, in addition to being an ATSU-SOMA student ambassador.

"My journey to medical school was hard," she said. "No one in my family was in healthcare, and while they supported my dreams, they didn't really know what I needed to do to achieve them. I had to figure out so much on my own, and it made the journey longer and harder. Luckily, along the way I found mentorship and other students with more knowledge about the process and who were willing to help and offer advice.

"I truly feel without these people, I wouldn't be where I am today, so it's really important for me to share my insights and experiences with future medical students."

Her role with MSPA is also deeply personal, noting many of her best friends are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and wanting to advocate on behalf of those groups.

"One of my highlights of working with MSPA was organizing a badge buddy fundraiser, where any member of the ATSU-SOMA community was welcome to order a badge buddy customized with their color and pronouns of choice. It was amazing to see my classmates and professors excited to wear their buddies! This act alone increases awareness and sense of acceptance and support in the ATSU-SOMA community. All the profits from the fundraiser went back into the club, which helps us continue great work such as Pride Week and hosting guest speakers from the Pima County community," she said.

Barranco believes this will all contribute to her becoming the kind of physician she wants to be.

"Honestly, what's most important to me is becoming a physician patients trust, and having longitudinal relationships with my patients where I am making a true difference in their health outcomes," she said. "I definitely feel ATSU is helping me with this. They not only try to teach us the academics, but also encourage us to develop humanistically and attempt to see the obstacles and challenges from the patient's perspective. To try and meet them where they are with empathy and compassion. This is the new most coveted physician quality, and it is good to know that ATSU truly stands by its motto of first in whole person healthcare."