By Naomi Gitlin

“I’m always looking for the next mountain to climb.”

For Cesar Montelongo-Hernandez, an MD/PhD candidate (Stritch class of 2023), his mountain climbing abilities just might rival those of Sir Edmund Hillary’s.

Pre-med from day one of college, Montelongo-Hernandez knew that research was a requirement. He volunteered in a lab, finding the work very challenging yet rewarding. After earning three Bachelor’s degrees (one each in Biology, Microbiology, and Spanish), he stopped working in the lab. A promising young man who came to the United States with his family (but without documentation) in search of a better life than the one left behind in Mexico, Montelongo-Hernandez faced another mountain.

“DREAMing” big
Undeterred, he pursued a Master’s Degree in Biology, as he studied for the MCAT (medical college admissions test) and applied to medical school. Montelongo-Hernandez was eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, created by President Barack Obama in 2012 to provide protections from deportation for children who entered the U.S. unlawfully. DACA status allows these individuals (known as “DREAMers”) to apply for a driver’s license, social security number, and a work permit.

Stritch is the first medical school in the country to openly accept students with DACA status. Since 2014, the school has matriculated 50 DACA recipients; 38, including six from the class of 2023, have earned the Doctor of Medicine degree.

Montelongo-Hernandez interviewed for the Stritch MD/PhD program with Alan Wolfe, professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and left with the impression that Wolfe would give the guidance and space he would need to develop. In the summer of 2015, Montelongo-Hernandez started the Stritch MD/PhD program.

During the first two years, MD/PhD students pursue the medical school curriculum, followed by four years of a research-intensive curriculum, capped off by the last two years of medical school when these physicians-in-training complete required rotations in specific specialties such as Obstetrics/ Gynecology, Internal and Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychology, Neurology, and Surgery.

“When Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine heard about this qualified group of (DACA) individuals who are bilingual, bicultural, and possess a tremendous amount of resilience, we saw an opportunity to build a physician workforce better suited to serve the community,” said Mark G. Kuczewski, PhD, HEC-C, the Father Michael I. English, SJ, professor of Medical Ethics and director, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics, at Stritch.

Educating others as he learns
Reflecting on his nearly decade of learning at Stritch, Montelongo-Hernandez recalls a welcoming community that not only made academics enjoyable but led to friendships outside of the classroom. He worked to educate the public about the need to reform the U.S. immigration system and explained the opportunities for and barriers to developing young talent. As part of that ongoing education effort, Montelongo-Hernandez published commentaries in Loyola’s Law Journal. He explained the competitiveness of MD/PhD programs in a 2014 Huffington Post column, which discussed the enormous number (more than 731,000) applications to U.S. medical schools and the mere 626 MD/PhD matriculants in all U.S. MD/PhD programs.

Additionally, he is proud of his participation in many immigrant advocacy initiatives, where he had the opportunity to share his personal story at high-profile events hosted by Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-Illinois), among others. It is particularly meaningful for Montelongo-Hernandez that Sen. Durbin will be the keynote speaker at this year’s commencement.

Montelongo-Hernandez was drawn to and will pursue his residency in Psychiatry at the University of Texas/Southwestern where he hopes to work with immigrants who are undocumented and other individuals. His interest in Psychiatry developed during his rotation where he also observed the challenges of mental health access in under-served populations. His PhD research training gives him a foundation in critical thinking skills, which he will apply in upcoming translational research.

Trusting experience, having faith
Throughout his life, Montelongo-Hernandez has developed and used multiple strategies to confront and climb the mountains in his path. One of the hardest times was in his early 20’s. He did not have DACA status and lacked some of the skills one develops through formative “young adult” years, skills some young adults may take for granted. Frustrated yet persistent, he continued to look ahead.

“I did what I could in the moment and kept moving,” he said. “I trust my experience and I have a lot of faith – in myself, my family, friends, and God.” One of the lessons he learned from his family is the importance of recognizing and achieving peace of mind and to value and nurture it. Montelongo-Hernandez does not entertain the idea of failure and only processes failure once it happens. “You put yourself back together and you learn to be resilient,” he said.

As he approaches commencement, when he will become the nation’s first DACA recipient to earn an MD/PhD, Montelongo-Hernandez will not pause to savor the moment. Instead, he will focus on the mountains ahead.

April 2023