As the son of two physicians, Saint Mary’s University senior Diego Corvera — an international student from El Salvador — was destined to follow in their footsteps. A biology major in the pre medical professions track, he’s headed to medical school after graduating next May.
In addition to the science side, he says he also learned a lot about the humanities from his parents and their interactions with patients and families.
“My brother has a physical disability, so I grew up witnessing how meaningful it was when physicians treated him with kindness and genuine interest,” he said, which is one reason why he chose health humanities as one of his three minors. “I knew I was also interested and passionate about learning about my patients, not just seeing them as a case but treating them like my own family, because I know how important they are to other people. I wanted to look at the ethical side of medicine.”
Things he has learned in his health humanities courses, he said, have been helpful and applicable in his daily life, from participating in the Innovation Scholars Program, to working as a CNA, to volunteering with cancer patients, to helping with ovarian and bone cancer research. Health humanities and its ethical implications, he says, play a role in every level of care, from the administrative side to more hands-on patient roles.
