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First Generation: From DACA to Dentist w/ Dr. Eddie Ramirez
57 Plays1 year ago
Dr. Eddie Ramirez, a DACA recipient and dentist, shares his journey from being undocumented to becoming the first practicing DACA dentist in Oregon. He discusses the challenges he faced in dental school, the uncertainty of his legal status, and the importance of advocating for undocumented students. Eddie emphasizes the need for awareness and support for DACA recipients and encourages others to educate themselves and share the truth about the immigration system. He also highlights the significance of celebrating Latino culture and embracing diversity in America. Connect with Eddie on social media at dental_eddie and reach out to him for support and guidance. Follow Pre Health Dreamers on Instagram for resources and community for undocumented students pursuing healthcare professions.
**Key Takeaways:**
- Eddie Ramirez was the first undocumented DACA student to be accepted into the dental program at Oregon Health and Science University.
- He faced numerous challenges in applying to dental school, including being discouraged by his pre-dental advisor.
- Eddie worked multiple jobs throughout dental school to support himself financially.
He is now an advocate for undocumented students and works to support them in pursuing their dreams of becoming healthcare professionals.
- Eddie emphasizes the need for comprehensive immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented individuals.
Connect with Eddie Ramirez on IG: @dental_eddie
Connect with New Dentists on the Block: @newdentistsontheblock
Connect with Tanya Sue Maestas: @tsmaestas.dds
Full video on Youtube
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Transcript
Podcast Introduction
00:00:04
Speaker
Bienvenidos a new dentist on the block. Welcome to New Dentists on the Block, a podcast featuring new dentists sharing their experiences in the world of dentistry.
00:00:16
Speaker
successes, challenges, and life in between. Navigating dentistry together, one experience at a time. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month. Feliz Ms. Nacional de la Arencia, Espana.
Eddie Ramirez's Journey from Undocumented to Dentist
00:00:28
Speaker
Hispanic Heritage Month is coming to a close. And in this episode, we have Dr. Eddie Ramirez. Eddie Ramirez is a dentist and advocate for undocumented students in the United States. Eddie was brought to the United States by his parents at the age of one and a half years old.
00:00:43
Speaker
The effect caused by his parents' decision to immigrate to the US was not discovered until Eddie was nine. When he discovered he was undocumented, with everything opposing him, he had one dream to become a dentist. He was the first undocumented DACA student to be accepted into the dental program at the Oregon Health and Science University. Eddie has been vocal about his status and has worked to support other DACA students in pursuing their dreams of becoming healthcare professionals.
00:01:08
Speaker
He practiced at an FQHC focused on migrant communities for five years and recently transitioned to private practice. He dedicates his efforts to helping vulnerable populations and providing a voice for those who don't believe to have one. In addition, he stays active with the Oregon Dental Association and is a national leader with the American Dental Association. All while assuming he still has time to mentor and support students from all over the nation and be an example that dreams can come true, even without legal status.
Transition to Private Practice and Medicaid Integration
00:01:37
Speaker
Eddie is another one of my dear Asda friends, and it was so wonderful to hear his story. You're gonna love it. Let's get into today's episode. Eddie Ramirez, welcome to New Dennis on the Block. How are you doing today? I'm good. Thanks for helping me. I'm really excited to have you on the podcast to reconnect with you. It's been many, many years. We're all grown up, Dennis. You know, we're living the dream. Are my white ears showing? I know.
00:02:04
Speaker
Eddie and I are two friends who met in ASDA, you know, good ASDA land that their guests have also been on from ASDA, from our time in ASDA. And I'm just so excited to reconnect with you and to share your story with our listeners. But before we delve into that, I would love if you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself. Yeah, so I'm Eddie Ramirez, as I said, you know, I've known Tanya since ASDA days, which was some time ago. Yeah, a little bit. I'm practicing just a little bit.
00:02:33
Speaker
I'm practicing over in Oregon was in public health until recently where I just transitioned over to private practice. So I'm in the transition period from, you know, working at FQHC now into a private practice setting where I'm still taking my passion for, you know, public health and, you know, so taking some incorporating some Medicaid into my practice. So that's a little bit about my clinical summary and yeah.
00:02:55
Speaker
Very cool. Um, so for you, did you do any kind of, uh, like program repayment program with the FQHC while you were
Public Health Service and FQHC Experience
00:03:03
Speaker
there? So it's an interesting story. So I was one of the fortunate ones to have my school paid for by a public health scholarship. Okay. So I had tuition covered and I owed service time. So I had a five year public health commitment. So yes, I did get some repayment, but it was like,
00:03:21
Speaker
in time, not in money. Well, it did get easier, but I just had a little time. Right, right. Who was it with? Yeah, so it was a bill passed through the Oregon State Legislature called the Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative, where their intent was to bring Oregonians into the rural public health sector for programs at OHSU's MD program. I think it was
00:03:45
Speaker
PA DMD and I want to say they're nursing but it was selective programs that once you got into the programs You could apply for this scholarship and I was one of the recipients. I was actually the first cohort. So
00:03:56
Speaker
Very cool. Yeah. So I mean, I did something similar obviously with the NHSC. So different, not state, more federal, but more states should have programs like this. I know that Texas used to have it like around 2015. No, I think even before that. And they're trying to bring it back, but you know, funding's always an issue, but it's so important. How did you enjoy your time at the FQHC? Oh, it was, I loved it.
00:04:21
Speaker
I loved it. I always thought that I wanted to go into a residency to get more experience, but that FQHC was a residency within itself. It really got me comfortable during the clinical dentistry and I was working with the Latino population. All the history on the health center that I used to work for was Virginia Garcia.
00:04:44
Speaker
It originated from an eight year old girl who passed away because she had a wound that got infected and she just went septic. And so we really focused on access to care, but not just access to care, but interdisciplinary health. So we worked with our medical, mental, mental health and pharmacy counterparts. So it was very collaborative, which I think now that I'm in the private practice, like I miss Epic.
00:05:08
Speaker
because like Epic shows me everything, you know, like, wait, where's the health history for him? But, um, I think, you know, it's, it's a different type of mentality. I think in the dental schools were trained on that interdisciplinary care. So when I went to the FQHC, like I was practicing just that and, you know, and not so incorporating like trauma informed care. And we worked with a lot of, you know, migrant refugee communities and it, it hasn't, it had its challenges, but it, I enjoyed working with them thoroughly.
00:05:36
Speaker
Yeah. Hey, as far as being at FQHC, I completely agree. We have our medical doctors next door and you know, I can, I can see the medical history that the patient has, you know, how, how ever extensive, extensive it is. It's really nice to be able to review that, but also if I need a consult, I can just have them like pop next door or if we have a medical emergency, they can come over, which is really, really nice for you. What made you decide to move from an FQHC to private practice? You know, I think I've always been about growth and,
00:06:05
Speaker
Continuing my leadership continuing growth grows as a clinician and as an individual and I think at my FQHC like I had grown as as much as that I I could grow there and I wanted to just expand that skill set and I started exploring options and this opportunity presented itself and it's been a perfect perfect spot for me, you know, I'm still contracted with the CCO so our Medicaid in our state you have Medicaid and then you have the
00:06:35
Speaker
care organizations that kind of run the program. So I'm still contracted with one. So it's like I'm still doing what I'm doing. I'm still having to meet metrics and making sure, you know, we're seeing these patients while also adding like a private sector. So I get to expand my scope, but also do what I was doing. So it's a very good balance and it's been great thus far. That sounds like a great place for you to be. I think that you get kind of this of both worlds there. Exactly. Exactly.
DACA Challenges and Educational Journey
00:07:01
Speaker
Eddie, I want to throw it back to our dental school days. And I would love if you would tell me and our listeners a little bit about your experience with DACA. So dental school to me was very different. Um, I, I'm even going to take it back a little bit farther, Tanya, to find it in school. Okay. Yeah, please, please. So, so I knew I always wanted to be a dentist. That was always a passion of mine. I was eight years old, went to Mexico, came back and said, I want to be a dentist.
00:07:29
Speaker
Little did I know what that really meant, both on like how many school or how many years of school, what education path to go. But also, I was undocumented at that time. You know, just to get into college, I
00:07:45
Speaker
had a struggle because everything required a social security number. Everything asked for US citizenship. And you know, I was, and I always say use the word blessed because I was truly blessed to get into undergrad where I had instructors who paid for my education. My high school instructors are paying for my education to really push myself towards, towards everything. And then things started taking a turn in 2012 and 2012 was when former president Obama announced the deferred action for childhood arrivals program. It was really the first time that I was like, okay,
00:08:14
Speaker
This country is saying, you belong. You're going to get something that says my name, my birth, my birthday. And it says United States of America on it. I said, this is going to solve everything. It's going to allow me to become a dentist and you know, we're going to move. We're going to move forward with it. But that wasn't the case. I think everybody who received DACA just was just aware that you can legally work, but
00:08:42
Speaker
Education facilities didn't know what it meant on the education side. Scholarships didn't know what that meant on the scholarship side. So when it came to applying to dental school, I always told myself that my mistake, I feel was my mistake in high school was not sharing my story. Because in high school, when I shared my story at graduation, my post-secondary instructor pulled me into his office and said, why don't you tell me this at the beginning of the year?
00:09:10
Speaker
I could have helped you get scholarships. I could have, you know, you know, gotten in. So I said, I'm not going to make that mistake in undergrad. So I went to my pre dental advisor and I said, Hey, like I wasn't documented. I'm now under DACA and I want to go into dental school. Do you know who I can connect with or help me out? Their response was you need to find another career. Wow.
00:09:36
Speaker
So right from the get-go, I was discouraged to go to dental school. And that was like, oh, that's not what I wanted to hear. And I said, no, this isn't the end. So I started being my own mentor. I started reaching out to Dean of Admissions and playing the card of I'm working with a student who's under this situation. What can I tell her? I changed gender.
00:10:05
Speaker
covered the fact that it was me to try to get information.
Navigating Dental School and DACA Status
00:10:10
Speaker
And I remember I got information and even contacted Adcess to see how I can fill out my application and everything. And so I filled out my application, applied to five schools, three automatically rejected without even looking at the application. Why? Because they said, we don't know what that is. We can't take you. You're an international student. We don't take international students. You can't pay for it.
00:10:35
Speaker
So why are we going to take students that can't afford it? And it was just it was just reasons, you know, and it was heartbreaking to get rejected without that fair evaluation. I was really fortunate enough to get interviewed at Oregon Health and Science University, which is where I ended up going. And so.
00:10:57
Speaker
went to my interview and I will always say his name and he knows I will always say it. Mark Mitchell, if you're listening to this, you know I owe this a lot of this to you. But I remember he came up to me during my interview and he said, you know what Eddie, I just want you to know that your situation is not a limitation on whether or not you get in. He's like, I want you to go to your interview as normal, just go, right? And so I go there and then he's like, but we are gonna have to talk about paying for it.
00:11:25
Speaker
He's like, but don't worry. I don't want, I don't want, I don't want to talk about paying for it. Just do your interview. Finished my interview. Two weeks later, ended up becoming the first undocumented student to be accepted into the program. Wow. You know, like just like that. I got that, that notification that I've been accepted. And of course I'm such an emotional baby. Like I was crying. I was just like very emotional. Right. But then it came to the reality on financing it.
00:11:53
Speaker
And at that point in time, I was working in Portland State Admissions. And by now, Mark had told me to apply for the Scholars for a Healthy Organ Initiative. And I applied at the same time I was applying for loans, but they were rejecting me because I didn't have legal status. It came to April, remember the state forever, April 21st, 2014. I walked into,
00:12:19
Speaker
work at the admissions office and I told my boss and I said, hey, you know what? I made the decision that I'm going to withdraw from the program. And she said, why are you withdrawing? I was like, I can't pay for it. Like school starting three, four months from now, I really need to solidify what I'm going to do next year. And at this point, you know, the admissions office had offered me employment with prospects for a master's program. I said, this is the way I have to go. This is the way I have to go. I will become a dentist later. My path isn't now. My time isn't now. Everything.
00:12:50
Speaker
It's that day that Mark called me and said I had been awarded a scholarship. I'm going to cry now too. That's no emotional. That's, that's, well, that's, that's beautiful. It was just like, I'm going to go. Like, it's going to happen. It's going to happen. And so there I went, you know, became now the first undocumented student to get accepted, matriculate and you know, officially be on campus, be on campus.
00:13:20
Speaker
You know, I was really excited. I was really excited, but man, was it hard on you. Oh, I'm sure. And I'm not talking about hard that you and I know the curriculum early. For sure. Yeah, of course. But I had to work. I had to work 20 to 40 hours on the curriculum. Yeah. So what were you doing? Fridays, Fridays, I would have to leave clinic by five and I was taking public transit because I worked at a restaurant. So I would work at the restaurant from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday night.
00:13:50
Speaker
Saturday night, I worked at a dental office as a dental assistant, eight to three. And Saturday night, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. again at the restaurant. So while all my classmates are out studying or socializing or everything like, I had to work. I had to work and Sundays were my quote unquote study days or rest days. And I'm not going to lie to you like sometimes I chose to sleep. Yeah, because I absolutely.
00:14:18
Speaker
My body needed it and that was a struggle my first two years because I felt very disconnected to my class. Because I was going to school, going to work, going to school, going to work, studying. It wasn't really until third year where the didactics start cutting back where you're focusing more on patient care that I started kind of feeling a connection with my classmates, right? But I did that for all four years. But then it was the beginning of my fourth year.
00:14:47
Speaker
And that's where, again, it was this like, what if now? So remember I was in Klamath Falls, which is Klamath Falls, Oregon, which is five hours from Portland. I live in the Portland area. I was on rotation and I remember the Trump administration there made an announcement that they were rescinding the DACA program. So this was August, 2017. I was set to graduate June, 2018. And it, it was like a,
00:15:16
Speaker
emotional because when I was away from my family, I was away from my friends where I was realizing on my own that I was potentially going to graduate and not be able to practice. Because DACA gave me a social security number. DACA gave me employment authorization. And now it was like, what do I do now? Like, if I don't have legal authority to work, then was this all for nothing? And so from there, I had to say, you know what?
00:15:46
Speaker
I'm going to keep finishing up my program. And again, I said, if it wasn't meant to be, my timeline isn't now, then OK, be it. I was really lucky and fortunate that I was invited to be part of the lawsuits to bring back a DACA back again. DACA was reinstated for renewals. As you know, to this day, new applications are not being taken. It's just renewals. So I was able to continue renewing
00:16:13
Speaker
my work authorization. And with that, I was able to graduate June of 2018. And now adding, you know, first DACA student to graduate and be the first practicing DACA dentist in the state of Oregon. Which sounds amazing. And it sounds good on paper. But it, it, it sucked. It sucked. Why? Because now I'm in the real world. And
00:16:41
Speaker
this can be taken away from me at any point in time. It already happened before, so I had to start practice with this potential, like I can be working, but then not working. And then I had to start looking at alternatives of employment and working with my FQHC and say, hey, like if Dr. Wordover sent me, can you hire me as a business? Can you hire me as an independent contractor?
00:17:07
Speaker
At the same time, I had a five year public health commitment. I'm like, if I can't repay, if I can't repay in time, I have to repay in money, but how am I going to repay in money if I can't legally work? So it was, I've always had to prepare for the what ifs, the what's coming. And so that was, that was the struggle in dental school and even those, those years out. I had no idea that you worked in dental school. No clue. How did you do ASDA?
00:17:37
Speaker
Yeah, he made it work. That's crazy. And I personally love that you were very vocal about your status throughout dental school. From a distance, I feel like I followed that journey. I was a cheerleader from a distance. Obviously, I had no impact on what I could do, but I remember your posts when the Trump administration came out saying that they were rescinding it.
00:17:59
Speaker
and the fear that you conveyed in the post that you put. And honestly, it invoked anger. That's so frustrating. All that work, all that struggle to end on a decision that one person makes, crazy. Absolutely crazy.
Advocacy for Undocumented Students
00:18:14
Speaker
And I remember, I think it was as a house of 2017 that I brought the resolution to support undocumented students. And, you know, I was, I started being like, we have to, you know, support all our colleagues, regardless of like their immigration status, you know? And I remember saying I'm more of the American Student Dental Association, not the American Student Dental Association, just for those with appropriate immigration status, you know? And that's why I pushed that resolution, which ended up passing
00:18:44
Speaker
And since then, like I've really focused my efforts on working with these students. I'm a part of an organization called Pre-Health Dreamers, which I'm on their advisory board. I work with all the demo students. I've been able to help students get into University of Maryland, USC, Loma Linda. I have like four or five students that are applying right now. And right now the struggle that I'm going through is a couple of things. One is because
00:19:14
Speaker
DACA isn't taking new applications. Now I'm working with what we call DACA eligible students. So these are students that are just undocumented. They don't have access to get DACA because they can't submit their application. So just full on undocumented, but they want to be done. So it's now like, okay, how do I work with them and now educate dental schools and dental programs that they can still
00:19:43
Speaker
take these students. You know, in October of last year, I was able to present to Adia with the Pre-Health Jammers organization to share what I'm sharing here, but also educate admissions representatives from all over the country on what it means to be DACA, what it means to be undocumented, to stop using money as an excuse for not getting these students, because I told them this is an equity issue. I was like, unless you're evaluating, unless you're evaluating all applications on whether or not they're going to pay, then OK.
00:20:13
Speaker
I will stand back, but from my understanding, we're not evaluating applicants based on their ability to pay. We're looking at DAT, GPA, involvement, you know, we look at all that. Paying is not one of the checkups whether or not you get in. So I've been able to work with students all over the country. It's honestly an honor to get emails from people that are like, oh, hi, Dr. Mears, my name is so-and-so, I Googled
00:20:41
Speaker
stack a dentist and you came up and this is my story. I want to be a dentist. And I love working with those students, which connects to my second issue where recently I've been able to get my green card.
Path to Citizenship and Political Barriers
00:20:56
Speaker
I got my green card through marriage to my husband. I love my husband, babe, if you're listening to this, you know, I love you. But at the same time, it's like, why was marriage my only route to get my green card? And I think people don't recognize
00:21:11
Speaker
what it takes to get a green card. You can't just go and take the citizenship test and become a citizen. You have to have a green card for first, and you have to meet the requirements. You have to meet the requirements there to be able to get that green card. And so when I do presentations, I pull up the green card application. I'm like, tell me which of these categories I fit in. And the answer is always none of them.
00:21:38
Speaker
I'm so glad that I've been able to go back down to Mexico that I hadn't been back in 22 years. I got to go to Spain, but at the same time, I'm now no longer a DACA recipient, but now I'm an ally for the DACA students. I'm formerly undocumented. So now it's the question, is my voice still as strong? Because I don't want
00:22:02
Speaker
And it concerns me because I don't want somebody to go up to one of the students that I'm working for and say, well, Eddie got married. Why don't you get married? Fair argument. And people have said that. And people have said that. And that frustrates me because love is great. But these students are highly qualified. They are successful in their own way. So they deserve to just be here, be home.
00:22:31
Speaker
Out of curiosity, as I'm sure you've probably already brainstormed this, but if you could see, like, what would your ideal path be from, you know, being a DACA recipient to becoming a citizen? What should that look like in your mind? Let's go back to 2000, the year 2000, when the DREAM Act was first proposed.
00:22:55
Speaker
The Dream Act, so there's the concept of DACA and there's the concept of being a dreamer. A dreamer is to find someone who would qualify for the Dream Act, which was proposed back during former President W. Bush's administration. And it said that if you had graduated high school, you would be granted a temporary green card. Once you demonstrate that you have completed two years of military service or two years of college education, you would be eligible for your permanent green card
00:23:23
Speaker
which that would be your entry to citizenship. Why not that for the students? Why did we get away from that? Politics? Yeah. Simply said, really.
00:23:38
Speaker
Yeah, that's really what it is. It would pass. And I can't remember specifically, I think it would pass in the House and then not the Senate or vice versa. You know, that just blows my mind because of like, like, well, I guess it was the administration, right? So not necessarily Bush who presented it. So it was the administration and it really just depends who had the majority at that point. But yeah, so I feel like we've just come so far from that time. Things have just become really, really toxic in the political setting on all sides, in my opinion. But yeah, I mean, that
00:24:08
Speaker
That seems reasonable. It's, it's, and everybody always talks about, you know, establish a rubric or, you know, have some qualifications or, you know, show that they're giving back. I'm like DACA eligibles, DACA students, even just the flat out undocumented individuals in this country, they're giving back. Oh, a hundred percent. I know it brings up a bigger issue. It's not just the students.
00:24:36
Speaker
And I remember being in DC for the 10th anniversary of DACA. I left home early that trip because I didn't appreciate being segregated into an individual community within the undocumented community. It was like, you're a doctor, so you should be able to stay. But what does my title have to do with anything?
00:24:59
Speaker
If an individual is giving back to the community, going to school, hardworking, whatever it may be, our profession doesn't make us aware, you know, enough to be a citizen. And that was really frustrating and heartbreaking to me that they're, even within like the advocacy that some organizations are doing, they're still kind of like grouping us. If you're, if you're a doctor, if you're a lawyer, don't base off professions, just base it off like giving back being
00:25:28
Speaker
a part of the community.
Recognizing Privilege and Advocacy Beyond Titles
00:25:31
Speaker
You know, we're American in every way, but paper. Very true. Um, I'm, I'm so glad that you stood your ground and said, Hey, you know, I, I don't need to be segregated, secularized. Everyone is, is the same. And it's sure, you know, yes, our title is a great thing, but it doesn't make us any better than anyone else, especially when we're advocating for them. You know, that's, that's really sad to hear.
00:25:56
Speaker
And it's like, we always talk about like recognizing our privilege, you know, recognize like little privilege that we have. And I think it's something that I'm always cognizant of, you know, that yes, I have doctor in front of my title. I have DMD at the end of my name. Yes, I now have a green card, but like, I'm not, I'm, I'm talking to you without those titles. I'm just talking to you as Eddie Ramirez. I'm not talking to you as Dr. Ramirez. I'm not talking to you as, you know, um, Eddie Ramirez, DMD. I'm just talking to you as Eddie.
00:26:24
Speaker
You know, and I always, you know, bring that up because we have to be aware of our privileges no matter what your privilege may be. What can the layman, meaning, you know, like myself, somebody who was born and raised here, somebody who is a citizen, what, what can we do to help? I get this question all the time.
00:26:45
Speaker
And I think, you know, just educating people on the reality of things. I think, you know, simple things like, you know, sharing like, Hey, you can't just become a citizen. Like, did you know, you know, you have to be a green card holder. Did you know to get a green card, you need this and this and this. I think just starting that awareness. And I know you yourself do advocacy as is already, but just really starting to dissipate some of those myths that are out there, you know, and really showing what, what, what.
00:27:13
Speaker
the truth truly is. Well, I mean, you helped that educate me here. There's a lot of, there's a lot of things that I feel like I have a notion of and a concept of, and I feel like I tried to read about it, especially as like you were posting things, but I don't know the ins and outs of it. You live through it. I mean, you know it through and through. Yes. And I still learn to this day, you know, I have, I have just to give a little like backstory, even when, um,
00:27:40
Speaker
My friends are adjusting their status under DACA. You can leave on what's called advanced parole, which is permission to leave the country and come back in, which I was able to do. You have to apply for humanitarian education or work reasons. And you get this paper that says you're allowed to leave the country after this date, but come back before this date. But it also says on there that when you reenter the country, the officer has the jurisdiction, the ability to not allow you back into the country. Oh my goodness.
00:28:10
Speaker
So I remember leaving to Mexico, March of 2022, like excited, I'm coming to go back to Mexico. And I'm like, am I deporting myself? And then I remember landing in Portland. It's all, it's all these questions. I landed in Portland and I was like, okay, like, let's, let's go in here. And then as Latinos say, there's a little cuartito, the secondary room and it's inflection. And I was like, you're going to get one of the cuartito. And I'm like, okay. And then they, and then they put me in this cuartito and I'm just like, okay, like sitting like,
00:28:39
Speaker
like a very like what's going to happen. I kid you not Tanya, I had four or five friends ready with my attorney's information. I had a pre-plan text, I had a pre-plan text to send out to this group in case they were saying like, no, you're not going to be allowed back in. I had told my friends like in the case that I don't get allowed back in, I'm most likely going to be sent to the Tacoma Detention Center. That's the first one to call with like, I'll try to get you my, like
00:29:07
Speaker
I was prepared for the
Facing Fear Under DACA and Embracing Heritage
00:29:09
Speaker
worst. The worst? For the worst, you know? Luckily, none of that happened. But we still have to go through that. And to this day, when I'm passing through customs, I'm still scared. I shouldn't be scared anymore. But it's just like this fear that's been engraved in us. For sure. Yeah, it's traumatic. It's traumatic. So I'm getting over it. I'm getting over that now.
00:29:30
Speaker
Here we say, because most people cross the bridge, you know, through their vehicle, we say, because they bring out the big old dogs to sniff through the cars. But yes, I am so glad that, you know, you're vocal with your story and that you're still so supportive of everyone going through their own journey. I'm so happy that, you know, you were successful in getting through all of that, that you and I were able to kind of cross paths and as an
00:29:58
Speaker
that I can call you friend because I just I mean life just can be so different right like if that if all that didn't line up for you where would you be right who knows who knows yeah I I don't know I really don't know it's like it's like making the decision like now I got back to go to Mexico like I also asked myself if my parents haven't made the decision to come to US what would I have been down in Mexico what if I had the same upbringing would I would have that same passion I don't know
00:30:29
Speaker
Who knows? I think you'd probably still be a dentist, maybe. You'd work at a bakery, for sure. My husband works at a bakery, so. Does he really? I love him. That's perfect. It's a great career. I mean, bread all year round, all the different kinds. I mean, that's not a bad career. Oh, yeah.
00:30:55
Speaker
And now I know where to go when I come visit Oregon. I'll come visit you all. I get to go to the bakery. That's so funny. Well, Eddie, you know, I know that both of us are very, very proud of being Hispanic Latino. And right now during Hispanic Heritage Month for you, what does it mean to be a Latino Hispanic here in the United States and in the profession? I think being an Latino is it's really important to just remember your roots.
00:31:22
Speaker
remember your language, be proud of a lot of Spanish, you know, it's sad to see these newer generations lose their ability to speak Spanish. And I think we bring a different perspective. We bring culture. We bring everything, you know, and I think it's just,
00:31:50
Speaker
it's important to celebrate all of us. And I think it's also, and I would say as a Mexican, that we always remember that we're not celebrating being Mexican, we're celebrating being Latino, which means Cuban, Dominican, Puerto, Colombian, like, we all have, we all speak Spanish, we have different values and cultures, and we need to celebrate them and be proud of them.
00:32:16
Speaker
But I don't know if you can speak Spanish or not, but I'd like to hear from you. Do you want to speak Spanish? Do you want to speak Spanish? Do you want to speak Latino? Do you want to speak in a profession that is significant for you? I don't know if I can say that I don't speak Mexican, but I think this is the work, this is the passion, this is the energy, this is the culture, this is the positivity, because we don't understand it.
00:32:51
Speaker
Absolutely. Whether they are part of the culture or not, we need to embrace our culture and share it with others because we know how fun and delicious it is. Exactly. It's great to share with others and to learn from other cultures as well too, to embrace everyone, whatever their backgrounds and differences are. I think that that's the beauty of America. You know, it's that melting pot that should be celebrated.
00:33:13
Speaker
100%. Eddie, I have enjoyed our time in talking and reconnecting and you sharing your story.
Conclusion and Call to Action
00:33:20
Speaker
If our listeners would like to connect with you, what's the best way? Follow me on social media at Dental underscore Eddie, that's E-D-D-I-E, not Y-D-D-I-E, or you know, that's the best way. Follow me on there, send me a message. If you're in
00:33:40
Speaker
undocumented student or DACA student listening to this, you know, connected me through there. Also connect with free health dreamers. We're at PH Dreamers on Instagram and I will connect you with a cohort of students who are on your same shoes wanting to be dentists. Or if you want to be a doctor, I have those too.
00:34:00
Speaker
Eddie's the right person for that, but if I can serve in any way as an outlet to help support you in your journey to becoming whatever professional you'd like to be, please let me know because we know a lot of people and I'm sure we can find the right connection for you. Between Eddie and I, I'm sure we can find anyone to help you. So please don't feel weird in reaching out.
00:34:19
Speaker
We care about helping. That's, that's kind of one of the reasons I put this podcast together. I want to share the story of my fellow peers. Everyone has a story to share and everyone has different pearls in their lives that have really changed them and that they learn from that. I feel that others can learn from as well too. So Eddie, thank you again for your time. Thank you for having me. That's been great.
00:34:39
Speaker
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of New Dentists on the Block. If you'd like to connect with Eddie Ramirez, you can find him on Instagram, Dental underscore Eddie. If you'd like more information about pre-health dreamers, you can find them on Instagram at phdreamers. You can connect with me on Instagram at tsmaestas.dds.
00:34:59
Speaker
If you have a dentist that you would like to see on this podcast, be sure to follow us and send a DM on Instagram at newdentists on the blog. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review for this podcast. We'll catch you next time.