A young Argentine man was selected from among 34,000 applicants to do his medical residency at Harvard University

Federico Repetto He found confirmation of his calling in the faces of his patients. When I was on rotation at the Favaloro Foundation Surgical Service, I saw people leaving the operating room with sensitive cases. After weeks of hospitalization, the majority recovered. And there, in the gratitude he received from them, and in their expression of happiness at the restoration of his health, Federico confirmed that Medicine It was its own thing.

Now, he is 23 years old and has finished his studies at university Favaloro University He is preparing for the challenge he will face starting in June, when he begins his residency in General Brigham's Massa network of hospitals that depend on Harvard university, in Boston, United States. He was one of 460 candidates accepted by the university, out of a total of more than 34,000 applicants From all over the world. For his chosen specialty – pathological anatomy and clinical pathology – there were only 21 places.

I started exploring this possibility in 2020, during the pandemic. While I was about to finish my studies, in September 2023, I applied for 60 hospitals To reside in the United States. I never thought I would be accepted to Harvard. I can't believe it yet; “Neither do my family,” says Federico. information.

“And it's great Pride “For all his people, family and friends in Buenos Aires,” defines his friend Francesca Olivato. Riptos from Saint Justa city of 22,000 inhabitants located in Santa Fe, 100 kilometers north of the provincial capital.

Federico attended primary and secondary school in Urban School of Baby Jesus; In 2018, he moved to Buenos Aires to study medicine in Favaloro. At school, he discovered his interest in the human body, especially in his third year, when he chose to pursue it Natural Science. I had previously thought about being an actor or writer. “When I looked into the natural sciences, I realized that the body is very complex, and there is still a lot to discover,” he says.

From those years, he also highlights an experience that marked his path: in 2015 he left exchange To Texas for six months. It opened my mind. “It made me see the value of exploring other cultures and meeting new places and people,” he recalls. It was also, of course, an opportunity for mastery English.

Therefore, when planning the next step to university, the possibility of continuing training abroad immediately arose. During his studies he also had some experiences in the United States: “I had a three-week surgery in the state Washington, in January 2022. At that time, my biggest dilemma was whether to specialize in surgery or pathology. There I met a hospital pathologist: his passion for the specialty and his knowledge captivated me so much that I decided to lean towards him Clinical pathology“, he explains. This was then followed by another month-long experiment in University of Utahin January 2023.

From every experience, Federico brought Letters of recommendation from other doctors, a key tool that would serve him later when applying for residency in the United States. Another prerequisite was to take two exams known as the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Each of them took a preparatory year, while he continued his studies in Buenos Aires.

Last year was full of contradictions. “In March 2023, I started my sixth year of medicine, and the university offered me a two-month elective rotation, which I did in the pathology service at the university. Brigham and Women's Hospital“Harvard University, between September and November,” Federico says. This was his first contact with the university hospital, to which he will return next June. Before that time at Harvard, I had spent three months on rotation Villa Atamiskia town located in the interior of Santiago del Estero.

In December 2023 it was received with The golden medal He was the standard bearer for getting the best average. Once he graduated, in January and February 2024, he did two additional rotations in the United States: in January 2024 he was in Indiana University And in February 2024 in Cleveland Clinicwhere Rene Favaloro Create a bypass.

On March 15, he received the email that would define the next years of his life: General Brigham's Requiem Harvard Medical School He has been accepted for residency in the Pathology and Clinical Pathology program, which will begin June 14. Federico hopes to “learn from leaders in the field, play a teaching role with Harvard medical students, and contribute to medical research and global medicine.” He's especially excited to be able to do this investigation Advanced and experienced rotation In different countries.

About the conditions “You have a very good salary, which allows you to rent an apartment,” explains someone who lives in the United States. In addition, Harvard University has a program Housing It helps you with this problem.” He realizes that the general scene will be different for his colleagues in Argentina: “The economic situation is difficult. My friends who will be staying here don't know how they will pay the rent, and their parents will have to continue to help them.

For Federico, the future will begin to be written in two months, when he travels north. “I would like to focus on research and be able to discover new things Contributing to improving oncology treatments. I'm particularly interested in delving into Personalized medicine (The decisions regarding prevention, diagnosis and treatment depend on the genetic profile of each patient). I would also like to take on a leadership role in the hospital.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of following in your footsteps? He recounts: “The first thing is Mentality:We think it's possible. One tends to think that he will not succeed, that it is very difficult to compete with such a large number of applicants. It is also necessary to do networksTalk to people who have already been in the position you aspire to. It's been very helpful for me to connect with doctors who are already out there, and there are a lot of them financial aid Hospitals that sometimes one does not know about. It may take more or less time, but if you are convinced, it is possible. You have to get your teeth into it and move forward.