The Student National Medical Association/Latino Medical Student Association (SNMA/LMSA) has given Marietta Vázquez, MD, associate professor of pediatrics (general pediatrics), its 2018 Physician Trailblazer Award.
The award recognizes Vazquez's role in organizing the shipment of medical supplies to a hospital in Puerto Rico just one week after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in September 2017. It also notes that Vázquez is the first Latina appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services as a voting member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and has been an active spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in media campaigns related to vaccines, measles outbreaks, pertussis outbreaks, and the Zika virus.
"She has served as an inspiration to many and is fully committed to providing mentorship and guidance to those pursuing a career in medicine," SNMA/LMSA's chapter leadership noted at the award presentation on October 29. "Dr. Vázquez is also admired for her passionate advocacy on behalf of her patients, especially those from underrepresented communities."
Vázquez earned her undergraduate degree from Yale College in 1990, and her MD degree at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine.