The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine hosted its first Latinos en Medicina summer camp for children ages 10-13 until June 24. The three-day summer camp exposed the children to multiple facets of the medical industry, from viewing cells under a microscope to learning about sugar content in food.
Third-year student at the Health Science Center Isabel Soto, 27, grew up in Houston but the medical program brought her to Fort Worth to research Parkinson’s disease.
Third-year student at the Health Science Center Isabel Soto, 27, works with children at the Latinos en Medicina camp on June 23. Soto researches Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A child places yogurt in a blender during the Latinos en Medicina camp popsicle session on June 23. The campers learned how to make healthy popsicles. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Assistant Director of Admissions at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Lorena Marin founded the Latinos en Medicina camp. Marin wanted to break generational barriers and trauma by teaching children about their health, she said. She wanted to “plant the seed” for Latino children to be better informed on health. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
PhD student Isabel Soto adds popsicle ingredients to a blender during the Latinos en Medicina camp on June 23. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Students watch during a Latinos en Medicina camp session. The Latinos en Medicina camp at the University of North Texas Health Science Center is a 3-day long medical camp for children ages 10-13. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A child makes a blueberry popsicle at the Latinos en Medicina camp on June 23. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
School of Biomedical Sciences students Maria Artiles, left, and Oanh Trinh, right, teach children about sugar content in food at the Latinos en Medicina camp on June 23. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Children in the Latinos en Medicina camp take notes on a lesson on June 23. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Food and sugar serve as visual aids for children in a sugar content lesson. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Latinos en Medicina camp students listen to a lesson on June 23. Nearly 30 children attended the camp. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A student looks through a microscope on June 23 at the Latinos en Medicina camp at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)
“I don’t think I had a set plan from high school or something like, ‘This is what I’m going to do,’” Soto said. “This just gives you more exposure to know what to expect in a way. Or just more ideas of all different types of things you can do with a science degree.”
A camp like Latinos en Medicina camp could have helped her when she was younger, she said.
Cristian ArguetaSoto is the community engagement journalist at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him by email or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
