Get to Know: Pedro Bonilla
Our “Get to Know” series introduces several first-year medical students as the college welcomes the Entering Class of 2023.
Meet Pedro Bonilla, whose path towards medicine was unconventional. His intended career in biomedical research changed course after volunteering in a California hospital. With a passion for working with underserved patient populations, he moved from LA to Grand Rapids to begin his medical degree.
Tell us about yourself, Pedro!
I grew up in a very wholesome family. I am the youngest of three in a family of Salvadoran immigrants who fled to the United States due to an ongoing civil war. Despite my parents losing everything, my father having chronic illness, language barriers, and financial hardships, my parents have always been warm, optimistic people who instilled the value of respect, selflessness, and hard work. Although my upbringing has sometimes meant I was not granted the same opportunities as everyone else, my family did everything they could to help me, and have been essential to my confidence and determination. No matter where my education or career takes me, I know that with their support I can do anything.
Everything revolved around helping each other and supporting one another to reach our goals and aspirations. My parents taught me that nothing was impossible and if I worked hard enough, I would achieve my dreams. Building themselves from their tragedies and having that courage and resilience, is what always inspires me to keep moving forward no matter how hard my journey can be. This hunger for better opportunities led me to be the first in my entire family to pursue higher education and now a medical degree.
What was your journey to medical school like and why did you want to become a doctor?
My journey towards medicine was very unconventional. During undergrad I had a strong interest in pursuing medicine as I volunteered at a Diabetic Center, however, I also loved biomedical research and therefore wanted to explore this area further. After graduating from undergrad at Boston College, I took a gap year before pursuing a master’s in chemistry at California State University, Los Angeles. During graduate school I believed that I was going to do a PhD in Biochemistry or Biomedical science, however, during that time I also began volunteering at the county hospital. It was there my passion for medicine was solidified, working with vulnerable underserved patient populations gave me so much joy and knew I was in the right space.
My initial drive towards wanting to become a doctor was mainly due to my lived experiences with the health care world and the struggles we faced as a family. We had very limited access to health care growing up, a reflection of our system, in which the treatment you receive depends on who you are, what you have, and where you come from.
Growing up, my interactions with the health care world were mostly negative. My parents were reluctant to go to the hospital, partly due to working multiple jobs with no paid time off, and partly due to their bad experiences with providers. It was not unusual for my parents to feel neglected, unheard, and even bullied by their physicians, who sometimes blamed my parents for their poor health, stating that it was a result of a “chosen” lifestyle rather than a clear manifestation of how the system failed us.
These experiences along with my volunteering inspired me to become a physician that my community desperately needs. One that can empathize with them in a special way that others might not be able to. I know that I want to be an agent of change in narrowing this gap and reducing these disparities to aid disadvantaged communities like the one I grew up in.
Why did you choose MSU College of Human Medicine?
This cycle I had the privilege to make a choice, and MSU College of Human Medicine was a program that made an impression on me. It was a program that prioritized me and demonstrated that they really wanted me to become a part of them. I chose MSU mainly because of their mission of being a community-based medical school and above all helping the underserved populations that need them.
What are you looking forward to most in med school?
It still has not processed that I am a rising medical student. The immense joy I feel in being here is one that words cannot describe. What I look forward to the most in medical school is the opportunity to make a difference to many communities and to be in my first clinical experience with my first patient.
What does wearing a white coat mean to you?
Wearing a white coat to me is symbolic of achieving what seemed impossible despite facing adversity. It is representative of the community it took to get me here as well as all the sacrifices and hardships my parents faced becoming worth it and celebrated.
Anything else you want to share?
In my spare time I play volleyball as much as I can. I enjoy traveling to explore new cultures and foods. I am an extrovert and therefore like to be around people all the time, so bonding with my friends is essential.