The day I was inducted as an international fellow of the American College of Surgeons was absolutely unforgettable. What stands out in my mind is the look in my mother’s eye as she straightened out my gown; she knew what the moment meant to me, but I also knew what it meant to her!
The line “first latina to be inducted as an international fellow into the American College of Surgeons” looks amazing on my resume, but what is much more amazing is knowing that the list of those who are being added will have no end.
Traveling is one of the things I enjoy the most, especially when I can share my adventures with the people I love the most.
Traveling helps us grow, regardless of how far or close the destiny is. Getting to know different places and people helps us keep our mind and our heart open to what others can teach us. But above all, traveling helps us preserve one of the most wonderful characteristics we have as humans: the capacity to be amazed.
When I was a kid, I didn’t really worry too much about school or grades, I was way too concentrated on playing golf.
Back then there weren’t any golf clubs for young girls, or none that my grandfather knew of, so, resourceful as he was, he had an old set of his cut down to my small size.
Of course, if there were no golf clubs for small girls, there weren’t any bags to carry them either, so my mom took apart a pair of old jeans and sowed one up for me. I felt like a pro walking out on the course with by custom made bag and clubs!
My handicap was at 9 for a while, but the time constraints of my career made it difficult for me to continue playing. Some of the women in my family still golf, so I hope to join them someday soon.
Now you know why the sweeping view of the Tijuana golf course is one of my favorite parts of our clinic.
Being the doctor in the family is an enormous challenge, any colleague would agree. Treating or accompanying someone you love can get very complicated.
I have dealt with a lot of situations, from my son’s scrapped knee, to my mother’s cancer and the passing of my beloved grandparents.
Undoubtedly, being there for my mom during her cancer journey was one of the most difficult, yet gratifying experiences of my life. Difficult because, well, she’s my mother, but gratifying because witnessing her battle and ultimate success helped me realize that as women we can overcome anything; and with her blood running through my veins, I know I have the strength to achieve anything I set out to do.
Once she had graduated with honors from medical school and finished her social service obligations and residency, Dr. Pompa dedicated the following years to becoming a highly trained bariatric surgeon. Her efforts included a rotation in the world renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and in the European Institute of Telesurgery, in Strasbourg, France, where she would return years later as a professor.
In 2008 she founded LIMARP, the center for obesity she leads. From the moment she thought about creating LIMARP, she had a very clear idea of what she wanted it to be: a center open to patients from all over the world, that treated obesity from the OR with the most advanced techniques, but with the support of a unique integrative program, that would help her patients obtain sustainable, long term results. She also wanted her patients to know they were in the best possible hands.
This commitment led her on a path that ultimately made LIMARP one of the first clinics for obesity, outside of the United States, to be certified as an International Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery and herself as a Surgeon of Excellence, by Surgical Review Corporation. Dr. Pompa was the first female surgeon in the world to obtain that distinction. LIMARP would later be accredited by the Mexican General Council of Health. These certifications have been periodically renewed with excellent scores.
In 2019 Dr. Pompa accomplished one of her lifelong dreams, when she graduated with honors from Harvard School of Medicine’s Surgical Leadership Certification Program. Later that year and with the intention of strengthening her administrative skills, she started a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Management of Health Institutions at Universidad Anahuac.
With the intention of supporting advances in bariatric surgery, Dr. Pompa created her own line of surgical instruments for laparoscopic and bariatric surgery called Dr. Pompa Innovations, what makes them different is that they are functional for the often smaller hands of female surgeons. Dr. Pompa has said that “helping in the creation of better surgical tools for women has been tremendously gratifying and exciting… for the most part, our hands tend to be smaller, and it can be a challenge to adapt to instruments made for larger hands, this may not seem like much to the world, but for women surgeons it is important”.
Her desire to facilitate optimal health to her patients in the post-surgical phases led her to formulate a line of unique bariatric supplements that are now available for patients anywhere in the world. “Often, when you want something done, you have to do it yourself!” she said when asked about her supplements.
To her extensive academic training, over the years, Dr. Pompa has added a long list of participations as attendee, professor and speaker in different national and international forums and conventions. Among them a few stand out, such as her repeat participation as a speaker in the International Bariatric Club’s convention at Oxford University and in Egypt, in the latter she shared her experience as a female bariatric surgeon in Latin America. She also took part in the World Masters Forum on Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery at Harvard in 2015.
In 2012 she joined the consultation council for Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon-Endo Surgery division, where she has participated in the creation of the latest instruments and staplers for bariatric surgery. She is also preceptor leader for Johnson & Johnson’s Integrative Bariatric Patient Care Program.
In 2015 she represented Latin America as a speaker in the World Masters Forum on Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, which took place at Harvard University. This event consolidated her status as an international leader in bariatric surgery.
The following year, she took part in the first process toward positioning metabolic surgery for the treatment of diabetes in Mexico.
2017 was a very important year. After months of hard work, LIMARP was successful in obtaining the certification from Mexico’s General Health Council. And in a full circle moment, she returned to France to the European Institute for Telesurgery IRCAD, where she trained to become a world class surgeon, but this time as a professor.
That same year she participated in different local, national and international forums that included a broad subject matter, including finances, women’s studies, marketing and academics. Among the medical forums she attended was the 2nd National Convention for Metabolic Surgery in Mexico City, and the Convention for Better Practices in Bariatric Surgery held in Guadalajara, where Dr. Pompa coincidentally received her title as associate professor of the Surgical and Multidisciplinary Management of Obesity course given by the highest academic institution in the country, the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Another 2017 achievement was LIMARP’s first place status as a Leading Medical Clinic of the World in the category of bariatric clinics.
2018 began with her participation as professor in the 1st International Bariatric Club World Congress, which took place at Oxford University in the UK.
In addition to attending several important national and international engagements, Dr. Pompa has dedicated the past two years to developing tools for patient management and education within LIMARP and to growing her team and practice to better serve her patients from all over the world.
My social media is full of practical advice, information about bariatric surgery, success stories and my own personal reflections on health, wellness and life!
