2025–2026 NHLCC Scholar: Karina Favela

Karina Favela

MD
University of Illinois, College of Medicine Peoria

Karina Favela is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria. Her family immigrated to the United States from Mexico, and she grew up in Gage Park, a neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Side. Her experiences navigating healthcare within her community inspired her to pursue a career in medicine to serve patients from underserved and immigrant backgrounds.

Karina attended Loyola University Chicago, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Arts in Medical Science. During medical school, she became deeply involved in the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) Peoria Chapter, where she has served as co-president for the past two years. In this role, she expanded mentorship and programming for underrepresented students and increased Latino student visibility on campus through initiatives such as the annual LMSA Picture Day and the promotion of National Latino Physician Day, securing official proclamations from Mayor Rita Ali and Governor JB Pritzker.

Her passion for healthcare advocacy and policy has also guided her leadership at the regional level. After attending the SALUD Summit, where she met with congressional staff to discuss healthcare issues affecting Latino communities, Karina was selected as co-chair of Policy and Academic Affairs for the LMSA Midwest Regional Board, leading the policy subcommittee. In addition, she founded “Oath and Order,” a student interest group focused on policy education and the intersection of medicine and law.

Karina plans to pursue a career in internal medicine, with the goal of combining clinical practice, community advocacy, and policy engagement to improve access to equitable healthcare.