Book Nook: The Little Doctor (El Doctorcito)

 I had a chance to see a copy of the book The Little Doctor (El Doctorcito). In this bilingual picture book a young Salvadoran boy dreams of becoming a doctor so that patients, like his beloved grandmother, feel seen and heard by the medical community. Dr. Juan Guerra highlights the importance of patient advocacy and cultural diversity through the eyes of a child. 

It's a cute, if a little bit sad, story that really shows the need for diversity in the medical field, as well as cultural understanding. It has an inspiring ending that hopefully will raise awareness and inspire kids from a variety of backgrounds to enter the medical field!

Dr. Juan Jose Guerra is an OB/GYN at the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center and is co-founder of Kaiser Permanente’s Salud en Espanol, a multi-specialty clinic designed to meet the health care needs of Latino patients. Born in El Salvador, Dr. Guerra immigrated with his family to Los Angeles when he was four. As a young boy, Dr. Guerra, like many young immigrants in America, found himself serving as an interpreter for his grandparents. These experiences with his Abuela are the genesis for his debut children’s book, El Doctorcito/The Little Doctor. His enduring dedication to bring quality health care to patients from culturally and linguistically diverse populations continues to drive his passion for medicine and his dream to inspire children to dream big.