Burrito sales help medical student in quest to practice family medicine

June 28, 2022

During Mazatlán's busy Holy Week festivities, "Doc Burritos" made free meals to thank the health workers he hopes to one day join. Facebook / El Doc Burritos

A medical student short on cash in Sinaloa has found a novel way to help fund his studies: making and selling burritos.

Ángel Santoyo, 21, better known as “Doc Burritos,” is in the ninth semester of a medicine degree at Sinaloa Autonomous University in Mazatlán and started selling burritos to his classmates to keep up with his costs.

Santoyo wants to specialize in family medicine and is inspired to give back to society, but still has six years of study and medical practice before he will be fully qualified. “I started selling in the school for three semesters, until the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. There was no class and so there was nowhere to sell, so I started offering them online,” he explained.

Doc Burritos offers home deliveries and recently started selling on an avenue in Mazatlán. He was initially sent home by authorities as he was selling without the requisite permission, but returned soon after with the correct paperwork before going viral on social media. “I took my cool boxes there and this explosion happened on social media that gave me a big bump, which I didn’t expect,” he said.

Ángel Santoyo poses with a flyer and a cooler full of burritos. Facebook / El Doc Burritos

Santoyo added he that his upbringing provided him with a strong work ethic and that he has his parents to thank for his success: his mother used to make the marinades for his burritos.

“I was a person who was dedicated to studying. Previously I worked on many things with my dad who is a teacher, but he also works as a builder and a plumber. I used to help him on weekends … My parents are very proud. They are the first people who share my posts and like them, and tell people everything I have done. They support me a lot and help me, I am very grateful to them,” he said.

The young entrepreneur plans to keep selling from a fixed point in the city on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and to continue with home deliveries on Saturdays. During the week, Santoyo offers three burritos and a flavored water for 60 pesos (US $3); home deliveries on Saturdays are 60 pesos for a pack of four burritos.