Paola Medina López Breaks Down Barriers as the First Puerto Rican Resident in Baylor’s Occupational Therapy Program

Trailblazer Paola Medina López is the first Puerto Rican resident to pursue Baylor University’s hybrid Entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree. From her home in Puerto Rico, she balances the academic demands of the program with a focus on “maintaining her essence as a Puerto Rican.” Medina López proudly holds values like extraversion, humility, empathy, and resilience close to her heart. 

“My culture has provided me with strengths that are not only key to this program but also to being a part of the occupational therapy field,” she said. “I am the first Baylor OTD student who is living in Puerto Rico while completing the program, and my culture is so different from many of my peers. Meeting students and faculty members from around the United States has helped me develop social skills with people from other cultural contexts, and that will help me in the occupational therapy profession.”

Humility has been a guiding force throughout her time in the program. Medina López was raised in a low-income family, so she says she feels extremely grateful to be a Baylor Bear and be able to get this education. She appreciates how the hybrid OTD program has allowed her to pursue her passion—despite geographical barriers—and she is focused on never taking that for granted.

“I am proud to be Puerto Rican, and I am very proud to be a part of the Baylor family,” she said.

As a student residing in Puerto Rico, Medina López must exercise resilience to succeed. Her biggest tip for success is to stay on schedule and push through difficult tasks, regardless of the demand. 

“I am very disciplined and will always be on top of things, but I had to learn to manage my time well,” she said. “One challenge is the time difference between here and Texas, and sometimes I must stay up later than my classmates. But I don’t care if I need to sacrifice my own time for the betterment of my peer group.” 

She called her journey to discovering the Baylor program a “God thing.” After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Medina López decided to start looking at options for graduate education. One online search later, she stumbled across Baylor’s Entry-level OTD program and felt it was an instant fit. She said that the program’s two-year accelerated and hybrid format stood out to her—and this ultimately drew her into Baylor.  

“I love that there are parts of the year where I can travel to Baylor and get hands-on experience, but I can also have the time to focus on the material at home without distractions,” she said. 

Medina López also emphasized that Baylor’s commitment to research was a stand-out feature, as she had already completed four research projects of her own before applying. She wanted to find a university that had a strong focus on research-based learning because she believed many programs seem to lack that emphasis. In addition, she also wanted a Christian-based education. 

“Spirituality is very important to me,” she said. “I love how Baylor is distinctly Christian.”

Medina López’s decision to attend Baylor didn’t only impact her personally, but it has also created a domino effect. Her acceptance and attendance in the program forged a partnership between Puerto Rico and Baylor Occupational Therapy in which U.S. students can complete their clinical rotations in Puerto Rico, and vice versa. 

“Being in this program has already opened the door for other Puerto Ricans to consider the program as well, which is very cool,” she said. 

This month she starts her clinical rotations at a local facility, and the staff told her they are so grateful that now other students studying at Baylor will have the opportunity to work in Puerto Rico.

“This makes me feel extremely proud. I had to work hard with Angie Morin [Assistant Director of Student Support for the Department of Occupational Therapy] to make the partnership possible,” she said. “And now, there are four different partnerships between Baylor and Puerto Rico.” 

Looking forward to the future, and having her OTD degree in hand, Medina López hopes to use her experiences and education to develop a program in Puerto Rico for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This dream is very personal because her passion for occupational therapy was originally sparked by her stepbrother, who is autistic. Due to his age, her stepbrother eventually had to stop his different therapeutic sessions. As a result, her family noticed his performance level decreased significantly, causing him to become less functional. Medina López noted there is a high incidence of ASD in Puerto Rico, and she hopes she will be able to use her skills as a doctorally-prepared occupational therapist to help clients continue participating in their daily tasks.

“Those who immerse themselves in the occupational therapy profession or have seen the impact of these therapeutic services on themselves or a loved one, witness how powerful it can be in breaking down those barriers that prevent them from engaging in meaningful activities in their lives,” she said. “I saw how impactful occupational therapy is, and it pushed me to want to help others like my stepbrother. People like him have the potential and desire to maximize their independence—and they just need a person who believes in them and gives them the tools they need to achieve their goals.”