When she was 16 years old, Camila Hurtado moved to Tucson from Colombia to live with her aunt. Soon after her arrival, a visit to a doctor helped ignite her interest in medicine.

"At a young age, I faced challenges that required me to be resourceful and resilient," she recalled. "My first time seeking care in this country, I experienced firsthand what it was like to receive such skills and compassion from somebody. Encountering someone who attended to my needs with not only knowledge and skill, but with comfort and reassurance, left a lasting impression."

It took some exploration before Hurtado found her path. As a community college student, she took jobs as a medical scribe and caregiver – with the latter role proving to be especially lifechanging.

"My role as a caregiver was pivotal in shaping my understanding of compassion in patient care," she said. "While I was deeply committed to my patients, I often felt limited in my ability to fully meet their needs. This experience inspired me to pursue medicine, where I could develop the skills and training necessary to provide more comprehensive care."

Image

Around the same time, Hurtado's mother and sister joined her in Tucson. It was a joyous reunion, though it came with extra duties – which Hurtado credited with making her stronger.

"I had to balance my responsibilities at school and work, and also guide them through the same transition I had gone through three years before – in addition to trying to be a competitive student for medical school," she said. "It made me a resourceful person and helped me be proactive in seeking opportunities and mentorships."

After transferring to the University of Arizona, Hurtado double majored in physiology and medical sciences along with Spanish translation and interpretation – and continued to forge her own path to medical school.

"I didn't have a clear roadmap to medicine. Medicine was unfamiliar territory to me because I was a first-generation college student," she said. "My family is my strongest support system, but they didn't have the experience to guide me through that process. A lot of it was me figuring it out by trial and error."

After receiving her undergraduate degree, Hurtado was one of 10 applicants accepted into the 2021 cohort of a College of Medicine – Tucson program called Pre-Medical Admissions Pathway, or P-MAP, an intensive one-year preparation course for promising students who have faced considerable obstacles.

"Sometimes we don't believe in ourselves or see the potential we're capable of," she said. "P-MAP came into my life at a time when I needed somebody to see the potential in me and believe that I’m capable of doing the hard things. I met great mentors who helped me build my discipline to face the fast-paced curriculum of medical school."

Discovering her passion

Hurtado knew early on that she was interested in surgery, but didn't narrow her focus until one of her mentors, Dr. Audrey Baker, associate professor otolaryngology, invited her to the operating room to observe a neck dissection.

"I was so amazed by the surgeries they do – so delicate, so complex, so many nerves and vessels you have to be careful of," she recalled. "I was excited about the anatomy. I was inspired by the patients."

Hurtado was drawn to otolaryngology – also known as ENT, for ear, nose and throat. A surgeon in this field could find herself performing precise operations to help patients hear, speak, breathe and swallow, or treat conditions ranging from infections to cancer.

Image

"I started to see the profound impact they have in patients' lives, not just to remove cancer or restore function," she said. "A lot of these patients go through arduous surgeries undergoing reconstructions of the face, and they lose a bit of themselves. These surgeons work hard to give them back some of what they lost."

Through research, Hurtado found additional ways to directly impact patient care. She published two papers, the most recent of which examined tonsillectomy complication rates in toddlers.

"The current guidelines say inpatient monitoring is recommended after a tonsillectomy for children under 3," she said. "We found that kids between the age of 2 and 3 have a similar respiratory complication rate as those above the age of 3, suggesting those kids might not have to stay for monitoring based on age alone."

She finds it gratifying to know that her research can help improve the patient experience, in this case, by possibly sparing youngsters – and their parents – from overnight hospital stays.

"Before medical school, I thought research was daunting. The more my mentors guide me through the process, the more I'm enjoying it," she said. "It was exciting to see, up close, an idea go all the way to publication — and see how research can impact patient outcomes."

Looking forward to graduation

With only a few days left until she receives her medical degree, Hurtado is looking forward to marking this milestone.

Image

"It feels surreal. My mom and I used to talk about this like it was some faraway, crazy dream. I can't believe it's here," she said. "And it's not over yet – I still have more years of training."

Five years to be precise. This summer, Hurtado will begin residency training in otolaryngology here at the College of Medicine – Tucson and Banner – University Medicine.

"It was my top choice program," she said. "I'm excited to stay in Tucson. I get to continue to train with amazing physicians, amazing mentors, and I get to stay close to my family and friends."

Reflecting on the long road that got her here, Hurtado hopes to remain in academic medicine, where she can support the next generations of surgeons coming after her while continuing to treat patients.

"I want to teach and be a mentor to others, to give back what my mentors offered me," she said. "I've been given so much here in Tucson. I want to provide the best care for my patients and give back to our community."

A version of this article originally appeared on the College of Medicine – Tucson website.