“I already knew that emergency medical services in Wisconsin were highly rated and among the best in the country -- as well as their research experience – and I had always dreamed of being a part of it.” -- Dr. Karla Dieguez-Gomez, 2025-26 WCTC District Ambassador
Congratulations to student Dr. Karla Dieguez-Gomez for being named the WCTC District Ambassador for 2025-26! In spring, each of the 16 colleges within the Wisconsin Technical College
System selects one student to represent its district and serve as student ambassador. This student acts as an on-campus advocate, participates in a leadership development and recognition program, and receives a scholarship toward their studies.
International student and 2025-26 WCTC District Ambassador Dr. Karla Dieguez-Gomez says serendipity is what brought her to the United States from Cuba -- and ultimately, WCTC.
As an emergency medicine and critical care physician at Calixto Garcia University Hospital in Havana for five years, she had experiences to work alongside medical experts from Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee via research opportunities and trauma symposiums. After listening to a Froedtert physician at a conference, Dieguez-Gomez found herself wondering what it would be like to receive additional training in the U.S.
“I already knew that emergency medical services in Wisconsin were highly rated and among the best in the country -- as well as their research experience – and I had always dreamed of being a part of it,” said Dieguez-Gomez, who also worked with traumatic brain injury patients and handled organ donation coordination. “I realized I wanted to extend my knowledge to prehospital services.”
Additionally, Dieguez-Gomez had a relative living in Wisconsin who had a connection to a WCTC Nursing student and highly recommended the College. Soon after, Dieguez-Gomez enrolled in the Fire Protection Technician program at WCTC. Since so many fire departments cover emergency medical services in the prehospital setting, Dieguez-Gomez said the skills and knowledge she would gain in the program would benefit her career. Already, in January, she became a nationally registered EMT.
Blending hospital and prehospital training
Before coming to the U.S. in March 2024, Dieguez-Gomez took a break from practicing medicine. She spent five months in Trinidad, preparing to interview for her student visa and immersed herself in an English-speaking culture in advance of her time in the U.S.
A native speaker of Spanish and fluent in French, Dieguez-Gomez then spent the spring and summer of 2024 improving her English skills through classes at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to prepare for the fall 2024 semester at WCTC.
She had already earned her medical degree (2012-18) and completed her residency (2018-22) from the Universidad de Ciencias Medicas de La Habana, plus an additional year of organ donation coordination and trauma life support training, and she spent a total of nine years learning French through the Alliance Française de la Habana, including a medical and technical emphasis.
But despite her extensive medical training, what was missing from the mix was the prehospital component. She could help patients once they got to the hospital but wanted to have the skills to also help them before they arrived.
“It’s not the same – how you treat a patient in the hospital and how you treat a patient in the field,” she said. “While the medical aspects that I learned in the hospital setting largely overlap with my EMS courses, the approach is quite different – in addition to doing it in a whole different language and system.”
A hands-on approach
WCTC’s comprehensive approach to education, Dieguez-Gomez said, is one she has thoroughly embraced. “What I enjoy the most is how practical it is. I am a really hands-on person when it comes to learning medical (material). I do enjoy reading and I do enjoy lectures, but when you’re learning how to do something, you need to do it. That’s the best way to learn.”
She also appreciates the kindness she has received from WCTC faculty and staff. “Having to leave my loved ones back home was heartbreaking, but here at WCTC, I have found a community that has welcomed me with open arms and has become an unexpected second family to me.”
Because of her positive experience at WCTC, Dieguez-Gomez was interested in becoming an ambassador and looking at ways to highlight the advantages of the College and technical education.
“There are such beautiful and unique opportunities here, and sometimes people take that for granted,” said Dieguez-Gomez, who also works part time in Career Connections. “I have a different optic, and I do appreciate the little things. I hope to shine a light on different opportunities (students) might not know that they have.”