About this talk
“My mother held a one way ticket in one hand. I squeezed her other hand not knowing when I would see her again”. In her TEDMED 2018 Talk, Denisse Rojas Marquez tells her family’s story as undocumented immigrants navigating the US health system. When Denisse’s mother, a hardworking nurse, was denied necessary healthcare in the US due to her immigration status, she was forced to move to Canada, leaving her loved ones behind. These experiences motivated Denisse to pursue a medical career and advocate for policy change to provide basic health care to our nation’s most vulnerable and disenfranchised communities. Despite her odds, Denisse studied at a top medical school and launched an organization whose mission centers on helping undocumented students pursue careers in health and science.
Watch Denisse Rojas Marquez’s TEDMED 2018 Talk to hear how she defied fear and uncertainty to pave a path towards more equitable healthcare in the US.
About Denisse Rojas Marquez
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Denisse Rojas Marquez is a physician, advocate, and social entrepreneur who has dedicated her career to helping others access quality health care, regardless of their background. Her work was inspired by her own experiences growing up as a person with an undocumented status in the United States, where she and her family often struggled to find affordable medical care. After graduating from UC Berkeley, Denisse co-founded Pre-Health Dreamers (PHD). This organization helps people with an undocumented status who want to become doctors and other health professionals by providing them with the guidance and resources they need. Her efforts have helped remove barriers and create a pathway for a new generation of healthcare providers. Her work has been widely recognized; she was named one of Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30” in education and is a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow. She holds a medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. Denisse is now an emergency medicine resident at Boston Medical Center. She continues to use her personal story and professional expertise to advocate for a more inclusive and just health care system for everyone.
