Laecio Rocha, MD, MHA, MPH is a 2021 UMHS graduate currently completing a one-year surgical obstetrics fellowship at Providence Everett Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington. Raised in a small town in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, he moved to the United States at age 17. After finishing his family medicine–obstetrics residency, Dr. Rocha pursued further training in high-risk surgical obstetrics. He credits UMHS for a strong medical education and for guiding him through the next steps of his career. His sister, Dr. Suzana Rocha, is also a UMHS graduate practicing family medicine in Georgia.
UMHS spoke with Dr. Rocha about his journey from the Amazon to Seattle, why he chose UMHS, his passion for surgical obstetrics, and his advice for future physicians.
President Warren Ross with Dr. Rocha at UMHS onboarding in St. Kitts. Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Rocha.
UMHS Endeavour: Tell us about yourself, Dr. Rocha.
Dr. Rocha: I am a 2021 UMHS graduate, and I’m currently completing my surgical obstetrics fellowship in the Greater Seattle area—specifically in Everett, Washington, at Providence Everett Medical Center.
The one-year fellowship focuses on high-risk surgical obstetrics, including training in performing C-sections. I began the program immediately after completing my family medicine–obstetrics residency.
In June, you completed your family medicine-obstetrics residency at Swedish Providence in Seattle. What were some of the highlights?
My residency was a three-year program at the Swedish Providence Cherry Hill campus in Seattle. Unlike a standard family-medicine residency, my full-spectrum training covered pediatrics, adult and geriatric care, prenatal care, and vaginal deliveries. I also trained in procedures such as vasectomies, colposcopies, biopsies, incision and drainage, and endometrial biopsies.
From Brazil to UMHS in St. Kitts
You are originally from Brazil. How did you end up in the U.S. and eventually at UMHS?
I was born and raised in Brazil until age 17, when I moved to the United States. My mother had been living in the U.S. since the mid-1990s, and in 2006 she was finally able to bring my sister and me to join her in Washington State. I completed high school in Kirkland, earned my AA at Bellevue Community College, and later completed my bachelor’s degree in public health at Central Washington University. Washington has been home since 2006.
What was the UMHS fifth semester in Maine like?
The fifth semester was very different from the two years spent in St. Kitts. It focused on clinical preparation and Step 1 readiness, including the Kaplan course and the UMHS exit exam. The Kaplan program helped me identify knowledge gaps, and pairing it with UWorld questions strengthened my Step 1 preparation. Skills days on the Maine campus also helped bridge textbook knowledge with clinical application.
Dr. Rocha (center) with UMHS students rotating in Augusta, Georgia. Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Rocha.
(Left) Laecio & Suzana Rocha when they were kids in Brazil. (Right) Rural school class picture in the middle of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil where Dr. Rocha & his sister grew up. Photos: Courtesy of Dr. Rocha.
Is there anything else about UMHS that you’d like to share?
UMHS prepares students well for U.S. clinical rotations and residencies. The curriculum is comparable to U.S. medical schools, and the support we received, especially regarding the next steps toward residency and licensure, was invaluable. Medical school can be overwhelming, but UMHS provided clarity, whether it was about ECFMG certification, prerequisites, timelines, or associated costs.
Growing up in Brazil
Tell us about your childhood in Brazil.
I had a very humble beginning, and I hope my story inspires others. I grew up in a small town in the middle of the Amazon rainforest in Pará, Brazil. Until age 10, I lived on a farm without electricity or running water. My sister and I rode horses six to seven kilometers each day to reach school.
Those experiences allow me to relate deeply to my patients today. I understand poverty and hardship firsthand, and that perspective carries into my medical practice.
At age 14, I attended a boarding school for high school. These schools are often expensive, but my mother, who was already in the U.S., helped ensure that my sister and I had access to that education. I attended from 2004 to 2006, and once my mother completed her citizenship process, she was able to bring us to the U.S.
Dr. Rocha at graduation ceremony at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Rocha.
Coming to America & becoming a doctor
Did you always want to be a doctor? What inspired you?
Yes. I wrote that dream in school assignments and in letters to my mother. My earliest exposure to medicine came from Brazil’s universal healthcare system. Healthcare workers visited our farm to provide vaccines and preventive care. Their compassion left a lasting impression and helped influence my desire to become a physician.
Tell us about your undergraduate studies.
While completing my AA at Bellevue College, I began my premed coursework. Later, at Central Washington University, I studied public health with a concentration in community health education. As an immigrant with limited resources, I wanted a backup plan, so public health offered a pathway to work in the field if medical school didn’t work out. I also completed internships focused on diabetes education in Latino communities in Yakima County.
Why did you choose UMHS?
UMHS offered the security I was looking for—accreditation, strong academic preparation, supportive faculty, and excellent USMLE outcomes. When researching Caribbean schools, UMHS stood out for its partnerships, clinical training, and reputation among alumni. I couldn’t have chosen a better school.
Your sister is also a UMHS graduate. Tell us about her.
My sister, Dr. Suzana Rocha, practices family medicine in Tifton, Georgia. Our academic paths were similar until residency: she pursued a standard family-medicine program, while I trained in full-spectrum family medicine with obstetrics. Her interests are outpatient care and hospitalist medicine, while mine are obstetrics and surgical obstetrics. She consults me often—especially now that she is pregnant—and we support each other professionally.
Dr. Rocha at work (left) and at an alumni reunion in Seattle (right). Photos: Courtesy of Dr. Rocha.
How UMHS inspired a passion for obstetrics
What are your goals for your fellowship at Providence?
UMHS gave me a strong foundation, and residency deepened my passion for obstetrics. I became board-certified in family medicine and trained in vaginal deliveries, but I wanted to expand my skills into surgical obstetrics. There are about 50 high-risk surgical obstetrics fellowships in the U.S., and Washington State has three of them. I began my fellowship at Providence Everett recently, and it will continue through next July. It is an intensive program focused on surgical obstetrics, particularly C-sections.
Dr. Rocha (top, far left) with fellow rotating family medicine students in Seattle. Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Rocha.
Anything else you’d like to say to students or alumni?
As alumni, we can offer valuable insight into what lies ahead in medicine. When you’re immersed in medical school, it’s hard to see the bigger picture. I encourage students to use their resources and connect with alumni. UMHS graduates practice across the U.S. in diverse settings and can offer guidance on studying, choosing programs, understanding state-by-state practice differences, and navigating IMG-friendly states.
Family medicine also offers many subspecialty options—obstetrics, sleep medicine, sports medicine, integrative medicine, and more. UMHS graduates enter a wide range of specialties, including anesthesiology, internal medicine, and neurology. Use the alumni network as you consider where and how you want to practice.
Email Dr. Rocha at laeciolr@gmail.com
(Top photo): Dr. Laecio Rocha. Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Rocha.
Scott is Director of Digital Content & Alumni Communications Liaison at UMHS and editor of the UMHS Endeavour blog. When he's not writing about UMHS students, faculty, events, public health, alumni and UMHS research, he writes and edits Broadway theater reviews for a website he publishes in New York City, StageZine.com.
