Name: Rachel Martinez
Title: Health Sciences Librarian
Institution: University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ
Brief description of what you do at your institution
I work with a team of folks to support the academic and research initiatives at the University of Arizona's College of Medicine Phoenix
Why is MLGSCA important to you?
As someone who is new to health sciences librarianship, MLGSCA is a source of key resources that I use to be successful in my career. These resources come in the form of knowledgeable professionals, and opportunities for growth. I'm so grateful to this group!
Why did you become a librarian?
When I was an undergrad, I was determined to go to medical school - never mind that I was an average student in my hard science lecture classes. But I really excelled in the laboratory sections and thought to myself "Everything will fall into place once I'm in a REAL lab." Well, it kind of did. The summer between my junior and senior years, I got the opportunity to be a lab assistant for a toxicology lab. After one of the grad students showed me how to extract a rat brain from its skull, I almost passed out. As I was recovering from my episode outside on a bench underneath a huge mesquite tree, I was internally freaking out. All my academic and career efforts felt for naught and I did not know what to do. Later in the week, I met someone in the outreach division of the college I was in and told her what had happened. She casually said, "You should talk to one of the librarians." And that's how it all got started! After meeting with one of the pharmacy librarians, I felt like this was the path I needed to take!
What was your first library job or professional position?
I was a library page at University of Arizona's Special Collections
What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?
You mean what's my advice to myself? LOL. I suppose it's "Don't get overwhelmed". There's always new stuff to learn, and it's impossible to know it all right off the bat!
What has been the most interesting project you have worked on?
When I was an undergrad, I worked on a preliminary "scoping" review (it's not published) on the effects MDMA has on the neuroplasticity of the rat brain. I think that project is really what set my career into motion - it made me realize how important sharing findings is in the scientific community. Collaboration is what moves us forward as a society.
What do you consider to be the most pressing issues or trends in librarianship?
Oh gosh, there's so many. But I think that the most pressing issues are the use of AI and LLMs in research in general. Not just their impact on the publishing landscape, but how they impact critical thinking, how they influence behavior, and how they negatively impact the environment.
What is something you have on your bucket list?
I really want to visit the Black Forest in Germany. When I was very small, my mom invested in an Encyclopedia Britannica set and I remember a picture of the Black Forest under the "Germany" entry, and it just intrigued me so much.
What do you do in your spare time for fun, or to relax?
I hang out with my little cowboy corgi/chihuahua, Mylo. I also like to hang out with my friends at a climbing gym (I'm not any good at climbing), and I also do weightlifting.
What is the best thing you have read/watched/listened to recently?
I recently re-read "Obama - From Promise to Power", and it was a page-turner for various reasons.
Describe yourself in five words
Jovial, hard-working, supportive, versatile, funny
Is there anything about you that others would be surprised to know?
I love me some Real Housewives of [insert city], especially the earlier seasons!
What are you most proud of?
I'm proud of overcoming several different adversities over the years. I have gone from surviving to thriving, and that is no small feat! Heck yeah. Go me!
