Anjelica Montano, ‘15
Why did you choose to come to UMR? When I was studying in high school, I found myself interested in the study of the human body and sought to become a General Physician (GP). Given that I was from a small town, I decided that it would be best to practice in a rural area where you would be able to form strong relationships with patients and their families. I was looking into the University of Minnesota school and decided upon the Rochester campus because of its focus on medicine, integrated program, affiliation with the Mayo Clinic, and the intimacy that came from studying at a small university. The close-knit network between staff and students was the most unique aspect of UMR and the biggest factor in my decision to attend the university. I did not find any other university that offered a network and support for every student and had the rigorous program geared towards medicine. I thought that UMR was the perfect school for my transition from high school to college and would prepare me to become a health professional.
What did your Capstone experience at UMR involve? My Capstone for UMR involved two different study away programs and a semester that included courses at the University of Minnesota TC campus. During my time at UMR I shifted my focus from being a medical practitioner, to studying different forms of health, well-being, and medicine. I first traveled to Japan for a May term led by Yuko Taniguchi and James Ford where I studied Philosophies of Wellness and Holistic Healing. My travels then took me to India where I was a part of the Minnesota Students International Development program which pushed each student to apply a global perspective, to think holistically, and to acknowledge and seek to understand further diversity and culture. This program encouraged students to appreciate other lines of thought and definitions of knowledge rather than thinking of the linear western approach as the leading method. The experience shifted my focus from the western system of medicine and altered my career path ideas. When I returned to the United States, I decided to have my last semester expand my range of health perspectives further by taking courses through the Center for Spirituality and Healing through the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus; including Ayurveda Medicine, Walking into Wellbeing, and People, Plants, and Drugs, a course based on ethnopharmacology. My experiences in that year altered my focus from a narrow field to a broad scope and harnessed in me the importance of both. Every field and practice have their purpose but becoming too specialized can detract from one’s ability to see the “big picture” and realize the interconnectedness of everything in our lives. I posited that as health professionals, we must be aware of the importance of perspective, its impact into our decisions, and its translation into the treatment of others in our work. If we are to better serve people, we should invest time into understanding who we are treating, why they are there, and what route would create the greatest positive impact on their lives.
How did your Capstone experience prepare you for your future in what you’re currently doing? My Capstone experience prepared me for the next step to take towards where I am today, which was to serve in the Peace Corps in Madagascar. I was a Healthcare Advisor during my time there and was better able to integrate and adapt to the culture because of my Capstone experiences abroad and courses pushing the expansion of my perspectives of life, well-being, and health. During my service, I was able to work alongside Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) covering topics within Maternal Childhood Health and Nutrition (MCHN) and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). I decided that I wanted to work to improve the needs assessments conducted prior to the implementation of projects in order to include more of the local or indigenous population’s perspectives into the actions necessary in promoting their development and to do so, I would have to return to the United States and acquire a masters degree.
What are you currently doing? Recently, I moved states and jobs and am now working for the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) within their Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Division as a part of the Community Resilience and Support Section. I am the Title V Child and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Coordinator. The bulk of my work focuses on providing support and technical assistance to local MCAH programs implementing CYSHCN programs and activities and ensuring those programs and initiatives are linguistically and culturally appropriate, accurate and effective for the CYSHCN population and their families. I am the key expert on topics and measures related to Title V and CYSHCN in terms of federal requirements and program structures in California.