"Becoming Dr. Q" An Inspirational Book for Anyone Who Strives to Achieve
November 13, 2011
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Dr. Q tells his story of rising from undocumented immigrant to brain surgeon.
This topic is of particular interest to me because, as a youth just out of high school, I worked in a cannery in Stockton, California, where this tale of indomitable spirit originates.
In that job setting, over two summers, I learned to appreciate the Hispanics, blacks and other ethnic and racial groups, as well as disadvantaged people from Oklahoma and other points west, doing the most menial work.
When I saw a long interview of Dr. Q by Brian Lamb of C-Span, it was a moving recollection of the long 12-14 hour days in the steamy cannery and the people I learned to respect on the job.
KCET-TV, a public broadcasting station in California, summarized the Dr. Q story:
"The first time Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa came to Los Angeles, he arrived at LAX after a short flight from San Diego. It was January 2, 1987. He was 19 years old and he had just spent the last day hopping the border fence three hours away in Calexico, falling flat on his face and being caught by the Border Patrol, and succeeding the second time he tried a couple of hours later.
"The story of his childhood near Mexicali, to undocumented farm worker in California's San Joaquin Valley, to Harvard's medical school and to his current position as neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University is documented in his new biography, "Becoming Dr. Q."
Dr Q said he wrote the book to show that, "if you work hard and if you have a dream, even a simple guy like myself who came from humble backgrounds, can achieve the American Dream." He leads the Brain Tumor Stem Cell laboratory at Johns Hopkins, to carry out the enormous goal of finding a cure for brain tumors. He said the book is also dedicated to the brain tumor patients he's treated and their families."
Following up on the interview, I found that there is a deeper story -- one that Americans can benefit from hearing in these days in which lower income folks (mostly that way through no fault of their own) are often denigrated by those more fortunate.
Richard Soto, of bilingualweekly.com, writes in a recent review of the book "Becoming Dr. Q," by the University of California Press, about 'brain waste,' a term applied to immigrants who are skilled professionals in their home countries, yet are stymied in their efforts to find work in the United States that makes full use of their education or training.
"Today, over 600,000 individuals, including nearly 30,000 children, are living with a diagnosis of a primary brain or central nervous system tumor in the United States. Approximately 75 percent of non-adult patients diagnosed with brain tumors are under the age of fifteen. Brain cancer is the deadliest form of childhood cancer. We also know there are more than 130 types of brain tumors, which can make diagnosing brain cancer a challenge.
"An analysis by researchers at the Migration Policy Institute, estimated that 1.2 million college-educated immigrants in the United States were underemployed, out of a population of 6.7 million. About an additional 350,000 were unemployed. For employers in the United States this 'brain waste' means a missed opportunity to leverage already trained professionals in areas where there may be a desperate need for them. In addition to being professionally trained a significant number of these individuals bring with them a language and cultural competency that is much needed in the majority/minority Mexican community."
The reviewer relates: "On Friday Sept 23, 2011, I purchased a copy of "Becoming Dr. Q." and from Friday evening to Sunday night I read, underlined, highlighted, cried, and was amazed by the obstacles and challenges that Dr. Quinones endured in Mexico and the United States to become a highly regarded and respected Neurosurgeon and mentor."
Throughout the book Dr. Q shares true life experiences from working in the fields, and jumping fence at the border to enter the U.S.
Dr. Q works his way up to Mendota, Stockton, San Joaquin Delta College and almost dies, and has a life altering experience while working at the Port of Stockton. He nearly dies when he falls into a railroad car he is cleaning.
Dr. Q speaks of the many challenges he faced as he undertook rigorous courses to prepare himself for medical school. To help him with his English he bought an English/Spanish dictionary and used it constantly.
Dr. Q observed: "I owed it to myself and to everyone who believed in me to make the most of those chances, to make some decisions about my destination and then to accelerate."
In addition to his academic preparation Dr. Q elaborates on, and I feel this is the most valuable part of the book, the associations, mentors, study habits, time management, and the need to create a support system. It was at Delta College that Dr. Q learned the power of writing and states "The opportunity to express my own strong point of view on the page was a new, empowering experience."
One of his mentors, Dr. Santiago Roman y Cajal, laid out a road map for doing good science that emphasized three main steps: first, think clearly; second, design your experiments appropriately; and third, work extremely hard and never give up. Cajal was insistent that scientists not only conduct research but also write about their findings so that others could continue the work.
This is a story that can inspire anyone who has doubts about the ability of humans of any condition to achieve and to make contributions to benefit humanity. It is highly recommended. Note: You can access the C-Span interview of Dr. Q with Brian Lamb on c-span.org. ###
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