Alumni Update

Ross Grad’s Fluency in Spanish Proves Beneficial in Kansas

From a very early age, Dr. Kristina Diaz was destined to play an important role in the medical field. The daughter of a registered nurse and a director of pharmacy, Dr. Diaz quickly learned what it meant to spend one’s life caring for others.
“My parents had a tremendous impact on my career choice by continually exposing me to medicine. It seemed to be a natural part of my life,” she said. 

In 2007, Dr. Diaz realized her dream of becoming a physician after graduating from Ross University School of Medicine. Having grown up in Yuma, Arizona, which she described as a “rural and diverse community,” she was intrigued by the opportunity to experience different cultures, both at Ross and at her clinical rotations in New York City at Mary Immaculate Hospital.

During her time at Mary Immaculate Hospital, Dr. Diaz quickly became proficient in placing lines and catheters, drawing blood and making dressing changes. She even became fluent in speaking Spanish.

Now in her second year working as a family practice resident at Geary Community Hospital in Junction City, Kansas, Dr. Diaz has been able to use this language skill, as well as her other medical talents, to help service the large Spanish population that resides there. Due to a large Hispanic farm worker population, close to 30 percent of the patients she sees regularly speak only Spanish.

“One may think that in rural Kansas there wouldn’t be many Spanish–speaking patients,” Dr. Diaz said. “But I have seen firsthand the great numbers who reside there.”
These experiences, combined with her lifelong love of medicine, continue to be an important and rewarding facet of Dr. Diaz’s career. 

“I enjoy being a doctor because it allows me to help people get well, share special moments with families and bond with people in my community in ways that others don’t get a chance to do,” Dr. Diaz said. “Although the service physicians provide to their patients is great, knowing that I can make a difference in someone’s life is even greater—that’s my own personal reward.”