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Web extra: The big picture
Carlos Solorzano, D.O. (’02)

By Anita Martin

Photo provided by Dr. Solorzano

 

For Carlos Solorzano, D.O. (’02), family practice embodies the osteopathic philosophy. “I love working in a field where you can really listen to what patients have to say and treat the body as a whole, not just the symptoms. What stressors are in their lives? Did they just lose their job or their house?”

Growing up in California’s South Bay, Solorzano recalls the health care frustrations of many Hispanic friends who lacked insurance or faced language barriers. “I was one of the lucky ones; my family had insurance. I thought it would be nice to be able to help people out.”

Following undergraduate studies at the University of California-Irvine, Solorzano worked a year as a biologist before enrolling in OU-COM’s Summer Scholars Program, a six-week pre-medical program for students from underrepresented minority groups and/or educationally or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Directly after, he completed OU-COM’s Post-Baccalaureate medical training program.

“I thought I would return to California right after that, but I really liked the school and the faculty, so I decided it was worth enduring the winter to study at OU-COM,” Solorzano says with a laugh.

His OU-COM training emphasized the critical importance of preventive medicine, Solorzano says, which he now considers the heart of primary care.

“I recently encouraged a patient to get a test, and it came out that she has colorectal cancer. She wouldn’t have known because she’s under the age of required screening,” Solorzano says. “The best thing is when a patient comes in and says, 'thank you; you saved my life.'”

Christina González, D.O. (’09)

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