“In just a couple of years I have built a strong and trusting relationship with them. I feel like I’m a part of the community and I’m making a difference as a rural doctor.”

Dr. Jim Jaralene Porquez, a native of the Philippines and a third year physician resident and co-chief resident of ECU Health’s Duplin rural family medicine track, talks about her passion for rural medicine and why she chose eastern North Carolina to complete her training.

“I was born and raised in the Philippines. My family and I moved to the United States in 2006. We lived in California until I moved to North Carolina in 2021 for residency.

“Family medicine residency is something that I really liked and loved about medical school. What really drew me in was that rural family medicine is similar to how I grew up and my experience with health care at a young age. I grew up in a small town in the Philippines and half of my life was spent on this small island.

“In my younger years, I was exposed to the lack of medical resources, lack of access to care and poverty. When I went to medical school in the Caribbean, I was further exposed to this kind of environment which is ultimately why I focused on serving the underserved population.

“When I was young, I didn’t want to be anything else other than a physician. There wasn’t a doctor in my family (I am the first) and my passion for medicine ignited when I was exposed to volunteer work. I volunteered in rural areas while I was completing my undergraduate and post-baccalaureate studies. At first, I took pharmacy classes in undergraduate — it was a stepping stone to medical school. I didn’t want to be a pharmacist, however I thought that studying pharmacy would help me become a better doctor by understanding medicine or mode of action. Studying pharmacy was where I was exposed to rural areas and community service. I completed several medical missions and loved every bit of it. I was determined to study rural medicine in school so I applied to East Carolina University (ECU). ECU has a pretty robust rural residency program and it tailored to the field I wanted to study.

“My experience in the residency program has been great. My mentors are really helpful. They create a positive environment for learning. The staff are very supportive. My colleagues have also been very supportive and we’re working towards our goal to help make our patients better for the greater good.

“What really drew me in to continue to work at the clinic in Duplin County, were the patients. The patients are very appreciative of how I care for them. They care so much about my time, effort and expertise. In just a couple of years I have built a strong and trusting relationship with them. I feel like I’m a part of the community and I’m making a difference as a rural doctor. Although, I’m not able to accommodate everyone that I would like to see, I’m making a big difference in the community and it’s very fulfilling. It’s such a humbling experience to be able to see them get better.”