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The final session of our 2023 Pregunte a los Expertos series is around the corner. During the past few weeks, we’ve had the pleasure of connecting with professionals in the fields of oncology, human resources, and nutrition. On Tuesday, October 10th, we’ll wrap up this year’s series diving into a conversation on how to balance mental health, work demands and a cancer diagnosis. 

Today I’m thrilled to introduce you to the expert speaker for this final session of the series - Dr. Nieves Cuervo. Dr. Cuervo is a psychiatrist. She currently works as a general psychiatrist at M&S Psychotherapy and Counseling and at her private practice in Fort Lee, NJ. 

We took the opportunity to ask Dr. Cuervo a few questions ahead of her session to provide you with a deeper understanding of her background.

Q: How did you get into your field? 

Dr. Cuervo: The field of Psychiatry as a medical specialty was something that always motivated me, but the paths to make our dreams come true are sometimes not straight but rather follow the most incomprehensible trajectories. I specialized in Clinical Genetics in Cuba. In the United States, while working in Genetics at the New York Psychiatric Institute, I met psychiatrists who were training for a doctorate in Genetics. Through my interactions with them, I started leaning towards psychiatry again since I liked the interaction with patients more than the laboratory.

Q: What is one thing you wish more people knew about? 

Dr. Cuervo: I’d like our population to be more aware of the amount of mental health services that exist and are sometimes underutilized. I’d also like to see stigma reduced for medicines used to treat some mental health conditions. These two things are achieved through education in schools and the media.

Q: How are you supporting the Latine community?

Dr. Cuervo: I work in three clinics whose main source of referred patients are Latines, and the majority of healthcare providers are of Latine origin. The Latine community feels that it is supported, listened to and treated without prejudice and with a high level of knowledge. Our patients are satisfied and so are our school and public service institutions, such as support homes for the elderly.

We look forward to seeing you next week! For more information and to register, visit: https://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/community/events/pregunte-a-los-expertos-nieves