Social Determinants Do Not Determine Me.

Abstract

The following is the winning submission from the fifth annual Section on Pediatric Trainees Monthly Feature essay competition. For this year's competition, we asked trainees to reflect on and share how their unique identity, or identities, informs their advocacy work on behalf of children and families. We asked writers to consider how their personal histories and backgrounds, including sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, geographic area, and life experiences improve equity in pediatric health care. We were impressed by the broad variety of important topics addressed in the pieces submitted by trainees from around the country. The winning essay by Dr Haleigh Prather highlights her experiences as a Hispanic woman raised by a single, working-class mother; the obstacles that she faced in her life and how she surmounted them; and how her strength and resilience shaped her approach to health care delivery. In this piece, she underscores how the lessons learned by trainees from challenges in their own lives promote advocacy for the health and welfare of patients.