Student Spotlight: Aaron Lopez-Martinez

UDOC Summer Program

Last summer, Aaron Lopez-Martinez attended the UDOC program at the University of Washington. UDOC is a program to provide students with experiences in health care and explore the type of preparation that is required to become a doctor or other health care professional.

Applications are open for Summer 2025 via this website:

https://equity.uwmedicine.org/udoc/

Application deadline is Monday, March 17, 2025.

Aaron Lopez-Martinez is a student in the Health Care pathway at the West Valley Innovation Center. The following is his reflection on this exciting experience.

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UDOC was an amazing experience I’ll never forget. I was able to live in Seattle for three weeks in a upscale newer college dorm just a few hundred feet from the University of Washington campus. I was walking distance to my classes and most everything in the U District. I quickly made fast friends with the other students in the dorm that were in the program.

All the students were from schools around Washington state and were from various ethnic backgrounds. We realized we all have similar career interests in the medical field which instantly gave us something in common to bond over. I was nervous at first since I was going to be away from home for a while but it ended up being a wonderful experience.

During the class sessions we would go to different parts of the campus. We got to go to the green house and see many types of exotic plants and learn about the research that goes into taking care of those plants. We also went to the hospitals to explore different lab spaces like the microbiology lab where we got to make our own bacteria and look at it under the microscope. Then we went to the phlebotomy lab which showed us what the life of a phlebotomist is when they receive and analyze blood for donating.

We also went to Harborview where we did the “stop the bleed program” which taught us about stopping life threatening bleeding. We went to the occupational therapy room where we learned how occupational therapists help patients get different types of treatments for rehabilitation. We were able to meet a prosthetist who is a doctor that helps people that need prosthetic limbs or implants to help improve the patient’s life. We interacted with labs and learned how to do ultrasounds and take vital signs. We even got to do sheep brain and pig heart dissections. That was unforgettable and deeply educational.

Then we went to the anatomy lab where we saw “donors” (cadavers) and learned about the anatomy of the human body. Our final lab was a nursing lab which was learning about the training for nurses that use really nice mannequins, the mannequins would need CPR or would even deliver babies. Another thing we learned was about using PPE (personal protective equipment) and why it’s important to use for infection control purposes.

During the classes we got to meet many different specialists in the medical field ranging from cardiologists to X-ray technologists. We even each got to shadow a doctor for a day and learn what a day in their life is like. I sat in on several different doctor appointments with patients that were there for different reasons.

On our final night we celebrated with all the students, instructors, and families together and we shared a nice meal. Each student received a special “paper plate” award for the final ceremony which was great. Mine was for being “most friendly”. I bonded well with everyone and enjoyed the whole experience. I made several great friends that I still stay in close communication with.

We got to explore and learn the culture around the Seattle area together and for most of us this was our first time alone in a big city. It was a good way to learn what college is like. It was so great. I got to meet different people while getting to experience life in a dorm. I will never forget this great experience.

I hope to attend University of Washington and graduate with a medical degree. This UDOC experience gave me confidence in myself and in my ability to grow as a person. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work hard, learn more, and meet other students and people I never would have imagined possible.