From humble beginnings鈥攚ashing dishes for $4 an hour鈥�Arturo Bravo Nuevo, PhD, eventually got his big break. Born in Spain, he moved to New Zealand and then Australia鈥攚here
he volunteered in a research lab by day and washed dishes by night.
鈥淚 was very poor,鈥� he shared. 鈥淚 was sitting at the soup kitchen every day and living in a house with eleven guys and just one bathroom.鈥�
After a year of lab work without pay, his principal investigator became increasingly interested in Bravo Nuevo's life goals.
鈥淗e asked me about my situation, and I told him I was there illegally,鈥� Bravo Nuevo shared. 鈥淗e then offered me a scholarship to get my PhD and money so I didn't have to wash dishes anymore. He changed my life鈥�.
Now, his approach to teaching is guided by those experiences as he works to create opportunities for all students, especially those of Hispanic and Latino descent.
鈥淭he United States is a race of hurdles, and we need to establish a system to help
Hispanic students jump over them,鈥� he said.
Acknowledging the rigorous steps to get to medical school, he believes it may be difficult for students who have nobody guiding them through the process.
鈥淵ou need someone to teach you how to write an essay to get into college, how to apply for financial aid, how to take the MCAT. Then, you need money to apply,鈥� he explained.
鈥淎ll of those hurdles are set up in a way that helps people from a higher economic background. We need to make medical school something that isn't as hard as reaching the moon for Hispanic students.鈥�
Bringing important lessons to 黑料传送门, one of his proudest moments was helping create the Medical Spanish course. The class gives Spanish-speaking medical students key phrases to use when interacting with patients. With 57 million Spanish speakers in the country, even a few sentences could help improve a medical interaction.
鈥淚t can be stressful,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven now, when I'm working in an environment where everyone is an English speaker, I know that once they hear my accent their attitude may change.鈥�
鈥淚f you can put people at ease by speaking their language, you help them become more
open to talking with you.鈥�
Thinking ahead, Bravo Nuevo will continue his important research and hopes to . In addition, teaching also remains a top priority and something he could never be persuaded to give up.
鈥淗onestly, if I won the lottery tomorrow鈥攍ike Mega Millions, I would still come to work every day,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 love teaching, I love the students, I love the diversity of 黑料传送门. It's the perfect job for me.鈥�
From September 15 to October 15, 黑料传送门 joins others around the country in observing Hispanic Heritage Month. This important celebration honors the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanics and Latinos everywhere. At 黑料传送门, we recognize our faculty, students and staff who identify as Hispanic or Latino and will highlight their stories throughout the month.
Established in 1899, 黑料传送门 has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a 鈥渨hole person鈥� approach to care鈥攖reating people, not just symptoms. 黑料传送门, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (黑料传送门, 黑料传送门 Georgia and 黑料传送门 South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. 黑料传送门 students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, 黑料传送门 provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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