Medical Physics Latin-X and Hispanic Community Outreach & Mentorship
Welcome!
We are a community of students, residents, and practicing professionals who have endeavored upon this independent extramural initiative to foster connection across a widely dispersed and under-represented Latin-X and Hispanic population in the field of Medical Physics.
According to aggregate membership demographics, in 2020, only 9.2% of the general population of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) self-identified as Hispanic. These data are voluntary and self-reported, so the actual figure is unknown, but the anecdotal evidence shared by many Latin-X and Hispanic Medical Physics trainees and professionals alike suggests an experiential dimension of isolation and self-doubt that arises from the feeling of under-representation, consistent with the raw demographics. Moreover, this Latin-X and Hispanic population is often subject to struggles that our peers, including mentors and advisors having only best interests at heart, cannot fully appreciate or comprehend without a genuine sense of the background and experiences unique to this population.
Our primary Mission is to foster Community that directly and positively impacts each other’s lives.
We seek to grow personal connections, and provide a safe space for discussion and debate where everyone has a voice and can feel empowered to speak within a supportive, judgment-free environment. This is a place to share experiences and advice, to compile personal and professional success stories, and a platform to provide recognition and bring attention to individual achievements by community members, many of whom represent a first familial generation to receive undergraduate or graduate level education.
This is also a place for actionable mentorship by direct engagement with peer or senior members. We have participants at every point throughout the medical physics training and education pipeline, as well as established professionals who are available and enthusiastic to serve in any mentorship capacity, including e.g., with respect to professional decision support, presentation skills, interview skills and preparation, difficult conversations, or ABR oral board practice and preparation.
Finally, we have every ambition to proactively engage and collaborate on outreach initiatives to bring awareness and accessibility to the Latin-X and Hispanic community regarding this dynamic and profoundly rewarding profession.
Please explore this site to learn more about our Hispanic Community!
Member profiles put a spotlight onto the talented and inspiring medical physicists in practice or in training who comprise our Community. Each individual perspective or story is unique, and you are invited to read them all. We have provided a separate tab specifically for highlighting individual personal and professional achievements amongst the group. We also provide a list of potentially useful resources for the under-represented trainee or professional in the field. If you are interested to learn more, or in becoming a regular participating and featured member, please reach out using the message form below. We look forward to hearing from you, and continuing to grow this amazing Community of under-represented Latin-X and Hispanics in Medical Physics!
Your Community Organizers,
Soleil & Richard
Community Organizers
Soleil Hernandez, BS
Hi my name is Soleil Hernandez and I am a first-generation Mexican-American. My parents made many sacrifices to give me the opportunity to prioritize my education. After graduating high school, I became the first in my family to attend college. I attended Texas A&M and graduated with a nuclear engineering degree. After undergrad, I set out to pursue a PhD in medical physics at MD Anderson Cancer Center. I’m currently a 4th year PhD student working to use artificial intelligence to increase global access to high-quality radiation therapy. My long-term goal is to actively prioritize diversifying STEM both during my PhD and in my future career as an academic medical physicist.
Richard Castillo, PhD, DABR
I am a board-certified (2016) medical physicist and Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Emory University. I am active in clinical service, medical physics education, and research broadly described as quantitative imaging for reducing cardiopulmonary toxicity in radiation therapy. I serve on multiple AAPM subcommittees and working groups, as an Education Editor for the Red Journal, Charter Member for the Imaging Technology Development Study Section of the NIH, and oral examiner for the therapy physics ABR boards. I remain committed to the advancement of minority and under-privileged outreach in support of a diverse, equitable and inclusive professional discipline.
