Making an impressive debut on the Faculty Factory Podcast this week is John Paul Sánchez, MD, MPH, who shares his passion and joy for harnessing diversity while helping to carve a path forward for building successful generations of academic physicians for years to come.

Dr. Sánchez currently serves as the Dean of the Universidad Central Del Caribe (UCC) School of Medicine in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, a position he has held since January 2024. Before joining UCC, he held positions as an educator and senior administrative leader at Health and Health Sciences of the University of New Mexico (UNM). 

Additionally, he is the co-founder of the Building the Next Generation of Academic Physicians initiative, which you can learn about here: https://bngap.org/. 

Throughout the interview, Dr. Sánchez highlights the unique blend of culture and bilingualism that characterizes medical education in Puerto Rico, equipping learners to better serve diverse patient populations.

Dr. Sánchez also addresses the challenges faced by underrepresented groups in academia, noting that many students lose interest in academic careers during medical school and residency. He stresses the importance of role models and creating supportive environments that reflect the diverse patient population they serve.  

Dr. Sánchez is also an author who has written two books, as discussed in today’s interview, those books include: 

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