Dr. Kermith Vega-Cartagena M.D.

What is your hometown?

Coamo, Puerto Rico.

Where did you attend medical school?

Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG) – Guadalajara, Mexico.

What other educational credentials do you have?

Bachelor degree in Chemistry at University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez Campus.

What are your particular clinical interests and why?

Preventive medicine is one of my interests, specially since most common chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia can be prevented with a small lifestyle modification such as consuming healthy diet and exercise. I believe that small changes can make huge impacts in our overall health.

Why did you choose Family Medicine?

I choose Family Medicine because it is the base of all specialties and also because it allows me to build a special rapport with my patients. I believe that having a rapport with patients is very important, because it allows patients to  trust us, leading them to follow our recommendations and as a result you as a doctor and the patients obtain good outcomes in their health overall. When patients realize their overall heath is improving, they become more motivated to maintain and/or improve their goals leading to even better outcomes. For me this is very fulfilling.

Why did you choose the Community Based Family Medicine Residency program?

I choose Community Based Family Medicine Residency program, because it allows me to help and impact my patient’s overall health. There is a lot of people in the United States that are in poor health mostly due to the lack of resources (mostly monetary). Here at our residency’s Continuity Clinic at CommuniCare West Campus we are able to fulfill that gap by the ample resources available to us.

As a doctor being able to manage both insured and uninsured patients  the same way by being able to help them get their medications, labs and imaging studies amongst other necessary services either for free or at a very low cost, which at the end of day will helps our patients become healthy and stay healthy.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of medicine?

Outside of residency, I love doing mountain biking and hiking, as well as listening to music and going to the movies. As a catholic, I usually go to my church on Sundays.

Dr. Kermith Vega-Cartagena M.D.