“I participated in the Summer Program for Undergraduate Urology Research (SPUUR) in the summer of 2018. As a proud Latina and immigrant student majoring in Biochemistry at UW-Madison, I bring along with me a unique set of characteristics and experiences to STEM-related programs, such as SPUUR. Prior to starting this program, I had little experience and exposure to intensive research opportunities such as the one SPUUR offered.

“At first, I felt out of my comfort zone and experienced self-doubt as I questioned whether I would be able to succeed in this program. All of these fears and doubts vanished as I started conducting my summer research. I was welcomed into an incredibly supportive and encouraging laboratory team. I am so thankful to have been able to expand my social network through this program, while also being able to form new friendships. Overall, this opportunity served as a meaningful academic “growth spurt” for me, and raised my interest in urologic research and urologic clinical practice. Today, as a first-generation medical student at the Medical College of Wisconsin, I can confidently say the SPUUR program played a critical role to my path to medical school.”

– Ana Maria Viteri, UW-Madison summer urology program, 2018