Leticia Cruz-Hinson Las Cruces High School Class of ‘92 Second Year Medical Resident UNM School of Medicine

Made in New Mexico :: Leticia Cruz-Hinson by Cathleen Rineer-Garber While learning to dissect animals in her 7th grade science class in Las Cruces, Leticia Cruz-Hinson realized that she wanted a career in medicine. “As soon as we started the dissection, I just knew I wanted to be a doctor,” she says. From that point forward, she remained focused on her career goals. Now, 17 years later, Cruz-Hinson, MD, is in her second year of a four-year residency at the UNM School of Medicine. Although she always knew she’d reach her goal of becoming a physician, she never would have dreamed that she’d end up specializing in psychiatry. “From the beginning, I thought I would go into pediatrics,” she recalls. But after volunteering in a pediatric unit while she was still in high school, Cruz-Hinson realized that pediatrics might not be the right place for her. “It was too emotionally difficult for me,” she says. “So, I decided to leave my options open and explore a variety of fields.” Cruz-Hinson began this exploration by earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from UNM. But, instead of immediately applying for medical school upon graduation, she took a few years off to “live a little,” she says. After this hiatus, Cruz-Hinson was ready to resume her career path and begin medical training. She was accepted into the UNM School of Medicine’s Post-baccalaureate Program in 1998, and the following year embarked on the first of four years of medical school. When she began doing rotations, she was surprised to find that she was interested in psychiatry. “It was fascinating. I really enjoyed talking with the patients,” she says. But, it was the results she witnessed that really caught her attention. “I was extremely impressed with how effective therapy was for these patients. They got so much better—it was amazing.” Those impressive results convinced Cruz-Hinson that psychiatry would be her field. “I chose a career in medicine because I wanted to improve the quality of people’s lives. I found that psychiatry is an area where I could make a difference, and it’s very satisfying,” she says. In 2003, Cruz-Hinson earned her MD and was ready to begin a residency program. “I applied to five different residency programs in the western US, and interviewed at four of them,” she says. UNM was her first choice and she was thrilled to hear she had been accepted. Now, more than a year into her residency, she works with patients at the UNM Mental Health Center on a daily basis. She enjoys her work and is beginning to think about the future. “I really want to stay in New Mexico,” she says, adding that she has already begun looking for career opportunities that will keep her here. “I love the diversity of New Mexico—the climate, the landscape, and the people.” Cruz-Hinson believes that this diversity—especially the cultural diversity—will enable her to make a significant contribution here. “I’ve noticed that it’s very difficult to find therapists or psychiatrists who speak Spanish,” she says. According to Cruz-Hinson, trying to provide counseling through a translator is extremely difficult. “So much is lost in the translation. The patient/doctor bond is compromised by the language barrier.” Having been raised in a Spanish-speaking home, she sees this as an important part of her role as a mental health professional in New Mexico. And, although her fluency in Spanish would be beneficial in many communities around the country, she’d prefer to share her skills with fellow New Mexicans. “This is my home and I am comfortable here,” she says. “It’s always nice to be home.”   Return to the Made in New Mexico Feature Article Missed a feature story? Click here to browse our features archive.

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