In this episode of Our Voices, Our Future, host Rhea Manohar sits down with Jacqueline “Jackie” Hidalgo, a third-year medical student at St. George’s University and member of the Gender Equity Task Force within the American Medical Women’s Association. Born and raised in Long Island, New York, and a graduate of New York University with a degree in Psychology, Jackie shares her deeply personal journey through medicine, one marked not by perfection, but by perseverance.

During this episode we talk about what it feels like to be told to quit by a professor, the subtle and overt misogyny that can shape a student’s confidence, and how imposter syndrome can blur with internalized bias. Jackie opens up about academic setbacks, repeating a term, and the internal dialogue that followed, challenging medicine’s culture of perfection and redefining what resilience truly looks like.

This conversation is an honest reflection on failure, identity, mentorship, and the strength it takes to stay when others expect you to leave. For anyone who has ever questioned whether they belong, this episode is your reminder: resilience is not weakness, it is power.

You can find more information about the work AMWA’s Advocacy Committee has done and how to join their efforts here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/

You can find more information about AMWA’s Gender Equity Task Force here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/

If you are interested in joining the group, reach out to getf@amwa-doc.org

If you are interested in learning more about the podcast or being featured on an upcoming episode, reach out to our team at getf@amwa-doc.org

If you are interested in joining the incredible network of women in medicine - join AMWA today at https://www.amwa-doc.org/

Thank you for tuning in to Our Voices, Our Future, we will see you next time!