Meet Dodie de la Cruz

“The pipeline programs that OHSU offers introduced me to the variety of options I had to pursue a career in science and healthcare. Having the opportunity to work with and learn from OHSU faculty when I was in high school opened the door for me and put me on track to become a doctor.”

Dodie de la Cruz
Second Year Student
School of Medicine

Dodie came to Oregon from the Philippines at the age of 12, and first became involved with OHSU as a participant of the High School Research Apprenticeship Program and the CURE Project, programs at OHSU that introduce science education and career opportunities to historically underserved students. He attended Willamette University where he majored in Biology, and then entered the Diversity Achievement Post-Baccalaureate Conditional Acceptance Program offered by the OHSU School of Medicine to help diverse candidates transition from college to medical school. Since coming to OHSU, Dodie has kept his close relationship with the Center for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and mentors students participating in the same pipeline programs he went through.

Dodie is interested in perusing an education and career in pediatric cardiac surgery because he enjoys time with children and sees himself working around them. He hopes to stay in Oregon after medical school and complete his residency at OHSU, then practice in a rural area, such as John Day. Dodie also believes the diversity at OHSU has given him a broader aspect of thinking. To him, it is important to realize that, “Education is not only found in books, but also the people around you.