Student Doctor and First Generation Trailblazer

Student Doctor and First Generation Trailblazer

From Our Voices, Our Future by Meghan Etsey, Rhea Manohar, Meenu Immaneni, and Laura Uricoechea

June 12, 2026 · 30 min · Season 3 · Episode 10

About this episode

Vanessa Ibimina Batubo discusses her journey as a first-generation medical student and her advocacy for health equity for women.

In this episode of Our Voices, Our Future , we welcome Vanessa Ibimina Batubo, a medical student at St. George’s University and founder of FirstGenMedJourney , as she shares her journey as a first-generation student and her passion for advancing health equity for women across diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. During this episode, we talk about her path into medicine, the challenges and opportunities of being a first-generation medical student, her research and advocacy in women’s health equity, the creation and impact of her online community supporting first-generation students, and how her gap year experiences are shaping her perspective on patient care and her future as a physician. You can find more information about the work AMWA’s Advocacy Committee has done and how to join their efforts here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/ You can find more information about AMWA’s Gender Equity Task Force here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/ If you are interested in joining the group, reach out to getf@amwa-doc.org If you are interested in learning more about the podcast or being featured on an upcoming episode, reach out to…

People in this episode

Guest: Vanessa Ibimina Batubo

Topics covered

  • first-generation medical students
  • health equity
  • women's health
  • advocacy
  • medical education

Keywords

  • first-generation students
  • health equity
  • women in medicine
  • medical student
  • advocacy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: St. George’s University, FirstGenMedJourney, AMWA, AMWA’s Advocacy Committee, AMWA’s Gender Equity Task Force

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