Resident Beckons Underserved Students to Family Medicine
Q&A with Health Equity Fellow Pablo da Silva, M.D., M.P.H.
March 27, 2023, Michael Devitt — Pablo da Silva, M.D., M.P.H., is not one to let an opportunity pass him by.
Born in Brazil, da Silva came to the United States when he was 13 and took what he called an “unconventional” path to family medicine. Finances kept him from enrolling at the four-year-university where he had been accepted, so he first went to a community college. And because he was not a permanent resident at the time, he had to pay out-of-state tuition even though he lived close by.
“I saw that it was going to be an uphill battle,” he said.
Having only cursory guidance as an undergraduate, much of what da Silva learned about preparing for and applying to medical school was self-directed. Still, he graduated summa cum laude and was accepted to Loyola University of Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine, where he earned his M.D. and M.P.H. with a focus on global health equity.
Now a PGY-2 resident in the Department of Family & Community Medicine at the Northwestern Family Medicine Residency Program in Lake Forest, Ill., da Silva was one of four family physicians selected in January as a 2023 class of Health Equity Fellow.
Pablo da Silva, M.D., M.P.H.
“I saw this fellowship, coupled with the fact that I‘m at an institution that has plenty of resources, as an opportunity to make a difference in the community,” da Silva explained. “I thought this was the perfect time to apply.”
Hear da Silva’s story in his own words, including these highlights, in this video interview:
On his passion for health equity: “I see health equity as a form of service … Service brings meaning to our careers, our relationships, our lives. And as utopian or idealistic as this may sound to some, I believe health care is a human right, and it should be provided to everyone despite one’s ability to pay or background.”
On his capstone project, “Pathway to Family Medicine for Underserved Students”: “When we look at the state of affairs of the medical system currently in this country and the dire shortage of doctors, in particular family medicine physicians, I see this project as a humble suggestion or contribution to recruit more physicians interested in family medicine, and in doing so, contributing to a diverse workforce that will ultimately impact patient care in underserved areas.”
On the relationship between education and health equity: “Oftentimes when we are talking about health equity and social determinants of health, we talk about lack of access and folks not being insured and underserved communities, but we forget about education. I see education as a very powerful tool to achieve health equity. It has been shown that underserved students who go on to graduate and become health care providers often go back to those communities to help them. When we talk about a shortage of providers in health care, not only in family medicine (but) across the board, and we see there aren’t enough providers, we should be asking ourselves why … I feel it’s a very unique opportunity to give back and empower those from underserved communities to be powerful allies and agents of change themselves.”
On giving back and leading: “After going through my journey, passing all my exams and being in a position to give back, I feel like this is the right moment to teach and mentor students who might be interested in health care careers, particularly in family medicine, but (who) may be in the same spot with the lack of mentorship … I see this fellowship as a unique opportunity to start making a difference now, while also gaining the leadership skills that I’ll need to affect a greater impact outside the confines of a clinical setting later in my career.”
On working toward greater health equity: “First, just really understanding what health equity is. We often see a lot of different analogies, and equity and equality don’t quite mean the same thing. An analogy that stuck with me is that equality is giving everyone a pair of shoes, and equity is giving everyone a pair of shoes that fit them.
“Second, not only knowing and understanding (health equity) from a philosophical, intellectual standpoint, but also being active and addressing social determinants of health. When we talk about health equity, we’re very eager to provide hands-on treatment, address disease and treat those who are uninsured, but I think … the biggest contributions (physicians) can make is realizing the potential they have to address health equity in their own hospitals and their own clinics, not only with their patients, but also with their trainees.”
Learn more on the AAFP Health Equity Fellowship webpage, and check back for more stories from the 2023 class.