University of Puerto Rico at Ponce

English Department
ENGL4021 M03

DATE: February 19th, 2021

TO: Prof. Pier LeCompte Zambrana
FROM: Tania Báez Pérez, Technical Writing Student
SUBJECT: Trip Report on Psychiatry Conference

On February 19th, 2021, I attended a Psychiatry conference held remotely via Zoom. The
meeting convened at 7:30pm and adjourned at 8:50pm. The meeting was organized by O-
Shadowing PR, Dr. Caroline Toro-Ruiz as guest speaker, and was exposed to all members of O-
Shadowing PR. This conference spoke on a more personal basis about Dr. Caroline Toro-Ruiz
and her career in psychiatry while providing basic information to break stereotypes about this
field.

University Career

Dr. Caroline Toro-Ruiz began her presentation discussing the different steps she took and
universities she attended to receive a doctorate in psychiatry. She first received her bachelors at
the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez to then attend the School of Medicine San Juan
Bautista. In San Juan Bautista, she proceeded to take Step 1 and Step 2 CS + CK, crucial exams
that evaluate medical students’ knowledge and determine if the student is prepared for
specialization in the field they desire. Furthermore, Dr. Caroline Toro-Ruiz took step 3 and
began specializing in psychiatry in Veteran’s Hospital and Ponce Health Science University.
Lastly, Dr. Toro-Ruiz succeeded in passing the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
which officially allowed her to begin a practicing career in psychiatry. The doctor used her
personal experience and university career as a reference to depict the different steps a med
student must take to begin a career in this field.

Clinical Case

Dr. Caroline Toro-Ruiz presented one of her cases to convey the measures taken to reach a
proper treatment plan. The case involved a 34 year old female patient who presented symptoms
of depression, insomnia, feelings of guilt, loss of appetite, loss of concentration, and death
wishes. The doctor explained the importance of identifying any stressors in a patients life along
with family and medical history, to provide proper therapy and medication with constant follow-
ups for patient progress. In addition to discussing a routine scenario, she used this case to break
apart from the stereotypes that psychiatrist solely use pharmacotherapy to have their patients
dependent on medications.

Closing

This conference gave pre-med students an inside perspective on patient care in a professional
scenario and provided knowledge so that the students can help break stereotypes and bring
awareness to an important field for mental health.