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Juárez said despite his parents' limited scope of knowledge on higher education, they were very supportive and encouraging.

\"They granted me an extra degree of autonomy as far as big life decisions,\" he said. \"They would always tell me, 'Erick, you do whatever you want to do. We'll encourage you and have your back. With what little financial support we have, we'll support you. But this is pretty much your life and we want you to do what's best for you.'\"

In addition to giving back through medicine, Juárez is also considering a career in public service or politics.

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