The first Wichí graduate of the program seeks not to be the last. After her rotating internship, she wants to return to Formosa to serve her community and integrate knowledge.
Invisible: Value and fame do not always coincide; Not even the most dedicated doctors are the most visible. They value the gratitude of those who need them more than a few minutes on television. They are part of their communities and are committed to them. They have nothing to sell; rather they share what they have, what they know. They serve humble families in remote locations; they do not want to leave any disease orphaned. They heal when they can and always take care. They are those who, with their feet in the mud, give meaning to an ancient profession. IntraMed wants to honor them with this series of interviews that aims to give visibility to the “Invisibles”.
The doctor Sandra Toribio is the first doctor to graduate from the Wichí community of Formosa. For her, it’s not about being the first but about not being the last.
She studied at the National University of the Northeast (UNNE), in Corrientes, and during the pandemic, she went three years without seeing her family as there was no internet service in her area. Today, she only has to finish the rotating internship and then return and serve in remote places further into the province.
She wants to embrace her culture and her people, whom she missed so much, and collaborate to integrate the knowledge of her ancestors with what she acquired in the faculty.
Sandra’s experience as a student was not easy, but with dedication, she enjoyed her time in the faculty. During the pandemic, she had a sad yet dedicated experience of studying 24/7. She also had the opportunity to collaborate in indigenous science and meet community leaders to promote indigenous knowledge subjected to the scientific method.
As she grew up in Ingeniero Juárez, Sandra plans to work with Wichí communities further west in Formosa. She wants to intervene in public health policies and provide a public health system that the indigenous people can access.
She feels a double responsibility as a doctor and a member of her community, emphasizing the role of the health agent in her community.
Sandra’s journey is a testament to the possibilities that young indigenous people can aspire to high-level careers, and as the first Wichí doctor, she wants to pave the way for more indigenous individuals to pursue their dreams in the medical field.