Congratulations are in order for Desirae Martinez, who graduated with an M.D. from the University of Colorado School of Medicine! She's currently working in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine.

Desirae is a fourth-generation mestiza and first-generation college graduate born and raised in the Mile High City (Denver, CO). She attended Colorado College where she earned a Major in Mathematics and a Minor in Feminist and Gender Studies, graduating in 2012. After graduation, she taught 6th– and 9th–grade math for AmeriCorps in Denver and English language classes in La Rioja (wine country), Spain.

After returning home, she gained more clinical skills in Mental Health and Integrative Medicine before starting medical school at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. There, she was a member of the Urban Underserved Track, co-led her school’s SNMA chapter, spearheaded a mentoring program for first-generation medical students, and found her home away from home at the Seniors Clinic (the Geriatric Medicine clinic on campus). Desirae chose Family Medicine for many reasons, some of which are "connecting with people from all stages of life, embodying holistic primary care, and taking part in an ever-evolving counterculture." Her medical interests include Integrative Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, LGBTQ+ health, teaching and mentoring, and caring for the underserved. 

Desirae also co-authored an op-ed last February that was published on Westword. The article discusses the negative impact of homeless encampment "sweeps" performed by police, focusing on the ineffective and discriminatory nature of these inhumane strategies. We are proud of the work Desirae is doing, and we have no doubt she will succeed and excel in her current residency program as well as her career in medicine.