Joaquin Zetina Huesca, MD and Laura Gonzalez, MD, MPH
Chief Residents, Family Medicine
Dear Future Residents,
It is with deep pride and immense gratitude that we& welcome you to the Rush-Esperanza Family Medicine Residency program—a place where healing, teaching, and community come together in ways that feel both powerful and personal.
As your Chief Residents, we stand at a unique intersection of growth and opportunity. This year, our goal is to cultivate a collaborative environment where residents and faculty learn with, from, and alongside one another—fostering a culture of mutual teaching, support, and shared purpose. We are committed to championing clinical excellence, promoting educational growth, advancing culturally relevant care through community engagement and social accountability, and advocating for initiatives that embrace a wide range of perspectives and experiences. Together, we look forward to shaping the next generation of compassionate, well-rounded family physicians.
What makes our program so special is the breadth of experience it offers. Here, we train in both private and Federally Qualified Health Center settings. This unique combination allows us to not only acquire clinical skills but also develop the ability to tailor our approach based on the specific healthcare systems, available resources, and unique needs of the communities we serve. Our diverse community includes individuals from various backgrounds, many of whom reflect our own personal stories.
As physicians from traditionally underserved communities, we’ve experienced what it means to navigate complex healthcare systems—not just as clinicians, but as members of communities that have long faced barriers to care. This residency isn’t just preparing us to be doctors—it’s helping us become advocates, innovators, and educators. It gives us the freedom to pave our own paths, to explore the kind of medicine we each believe in, and to push for the change we want to see in our communities.
As a new program, we are excited about the potential to develop diverse areas of interest, supported by our access to an academic center such as Rush.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to help develop new fellowship tracks, streamline research and advocacy efforts, and shape an organized and supportive environment where your voice matters. Above all, we are committed to cultivating a culture of belonging—one in which every individual feels valued and respected, and diverse perspectives and experiences are embraced.
Thank you for choosing to be part of this journey. We're honored to lead alongside you, and we can't wait to see what we build together.
With respect and solidarity,
Joaquin Zetina Huesca, MD
Laura Gonzalez, MD, MPH
Chief Residents, Family Medicine