When he was still a teenager, Mateo Garcia, MD, went through a traumatic ordeal that made him realize he wanted to help people for a living. It was the day his family’s restaurant was destroyed in a fire.
“It was a tragic day for us because we lost our family business and our only means of income. But at the same time, in that moment, I watched the fire department and how kind they were to our family,” Garcia said. “I had this realization while watching them supporting my family and I knew I wanted to do that.”
Fast forward a couple decades and a few career changes to now, where Garcia is stepping into his new role as the medical director of The University of New Mexico Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Academy, an arm of the UNM School of Medicine that provides prehospital medical certification and licensure to approximately 700 paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) a year.
Soon after the family restaurant caught fire, Garcia received his EMT license and worked as a firefighter EMT for several years before joining the U.S. Forest Service as a wildland firefighter and member of the Mount Taylor Hotshots.
After a brief stint in the restaurant industry and realizing it wasn’t for him, Garcia sold his business and made his way back into emergency services.
“It really just wasn’t my passion, and I still had my EMT license, so I applied for a tech position at UNM Hospital,” he said.
After double-majoring in economics and biology at UNM while working, Garcia was accepted into the Post-Baccalaureate Research and Education Program, which is designed to boost the ability of biomedical science students to enter various doctoral programs. A year later, he was accepted to the UNM School of Medicine, where he graduated in 2018 and became a resident at UNM Hospital in the Emergency Department.
“I had the opportunity to go to a lot of different residencies but chose to stay at UNM for a lot of reasons,” Garcia said, listing off family, friends, mentors and other forms of support he’d garnered at UNM before adding, “I really feel that if you can learn to do emergency medicine here at UNM, you graduate forged in fire.”
In January of this year, it was announced Garcia would become the medical director for the EMS Academy, starting July 1. In this new role, Garcia plans to collaborate with stakeholders, students, instructors and community members from across the state to enhance the services delivered by the EMS Academy and work to increase EMS workforce numbers.
“A big part of this role will be advocacy. The EMS workforce right now is dwindling at probably the worst possible time,” Garcia said. “Hopefully, with some advocacy and lowering the barriers into entry, people will begin to know of the opportunities that exist, and we can encourage people to enter the EMS workforce.”
He’ll also be teaching several courses to students working towards their bachelor of science in EMS.
I can teach 20 paramedics in a semester and then in a few semesters, they’ll be on the streets providing medical care to our community. If I teach them well and give them the skills to be successful, I hope that that’s a contribution that’s even bigger than what I could do as a single provider
“Being a physician, I’ve had the opportunity to impact someone’s life every day in the ER, but now I can teach 20 paramedics in a semester and then in a few semesters, they’ll be on the streets providing medical care to our community,” Garcia said. “If I teach them well and give them the skills to be successful, in some ways I hope that that’s a contribution that’s even bigger than what I could do as a single provider.”
Looking forward, Garcia said he’s fortunate to continue working with friends and mentors who have supported him throughout his journey into medicine and relay that same kindness to others.
“I feel continually blessed and fortunate along the way to have had and continue to have amazing mentors and friends at this institution,” Garcia said.
“That’s evidence that you can take a kid like me who didn’t grow up in a super easy setting and go on to become a physician and a leader, and hopefully someone, as one of the new medical directors for the EMS Academy, who can pay it forward.”