How Did You Get Here? I Hopped the [Border] Fence! The Harvard Med. Students Laughed -- Said the NEUROSURGEON

Alfredo Hinojosa-Quiñones was born in the City of Mexicali, Mexico, next to the California border town of Calexico. At the age of 5, the young Alfredo helped his family's business by selling corn and hot dogs to passing motorists. The Mexican economy was devastated in the 1980's and this ensured Alfredo's and his family's poverty. Yet this did not keep him from excelling in school. Alfredo would finish high school and by the time he was 18 he was licensed as a school teacher.

Mexico's economic crisis left little opportunity for Alfredo, who wanted more in life. At around the age of 19 he decided to join other family members who had already made their way to "El Norte," in Fresno, California. Alfredo's first attempt at crossing the border led to his capture by border patrol agents. In those days, people would usually just be returned back to the Mexican side of the Border. He immediately tried again later that day and this time successfully crossed into the so called American Dreamland.

Alfredo's home while working the fields

Alfredo's first job in America consisted of pulling weeds out of cotton and tomato fields. Alfredo worked 7 days a week from sun up to sun down for about a year. It was around this time that he lamented his situation to his cousin. He was miserable and dreamed of bigger opportunities and accomplishments. His cousin basically told him that he would die a farmer and laborer. His cousin told him that is what they came from Mexico to America to do, and for Alfredo to resign to this fate. This did not sit well with Alfredo.

Alfredo left the migrant fields of the San Joaquin Valley and moved in with his parents and siblings into a one bedroom apartment in Stockton, CA. Although still an undocumented immigrant there was plenty of work loading and unloading sulphur and fish lard for a rail road company. In 1988, While working at the rail road job he also attended English Classes at San Joaquin Delta College during the night. After about a year of working for the rail road, Alfredo's dreams almost died along with him. Alfredo fell into an empty petroleum train tanker, was nearly rescued out of the tanker when the fumes overcame Alfredo and he dropped back down into the lethal fumes of the tanker. Alfredo, luckily, was able to make a full recovery in the hospital.

A few years later, Alfredo stopped working for the rail road and in 1992 transferred to UC Berkeley under full scholarship. Alfredo would major in psychology, and continue to excel while at Berkeley. He then transferred to Harvard Medical school. While at Harvard one day, having lunch with other medical students, they began discussing their life journeys. When it came to Alfredo's turn to explain how he arrived at Harvard, he said he hopped the (border) fence. They laughed but he wasn't joking.

While at Harvard he became a Citizen of the United States of America and a father to a daughter. He continued to distinguish himself at Harvard as a mentor to other students as well as a researcher and an academic. He graduated from Harvard cum laude and gave the Commencement Speech for the 1999 Harvard Medical Class. Doctor Quiñones continued his Medical Internship and Residency at the University of California San Francisco.

In 2005, Dr. Quiñones started at John Hopkins University as both a Professor and Neurosurgeon. Dr. Quiñones would focus on brain cancers and pituitary tumors, while holding titles such as Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery, Associate Professor of Oncology, Director of the Brain Tumor Surgery Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and Director of the Pituitary Surgery Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Quiñones continues as both researcher and life saving neurosurgeon.

Nice videos on Dr. Quiñones

• 1986 B.A. Escuela Normal Urbana Federal Fronteriza, Mexicali, Mexico - Social Sciences and Humanities, Multidisciplinary teaching license[14]
• 1991 San Joaquin Delta Community College, Stockton, California - Transfer core curriculum to the University of California [14]
• 1994 B.A. University of California, Berkeley, California - Highest Honors [14]
• 1999 M.D. Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts - Cum Laude [14]
• 2000 University of California, San Francisco, California (General Surgery) - Most Valuable Intern Award [14]
• 2004 University of California, San Francisco, California (Residency - Neurosurgery) - Howard Naffziger Neurological Surgery Award [14]
• 2006 Howard Hughes Institute - Physician-Scientist Career Award [14]
• 2006 Association of American Medical Colleges - Herbert Nickens Award[14]
• 2006 American Society of Clinical Oncology Foundation - Career Development Award [14]
• 2006 American College of Surgeon - Franklin Martin Faculty Research Award [14]
• 2006 Johns Hopkins University - Passano Physician Scientist Award [14]
• 2007 Johns Hopkins Hospital - Department of Neurosurgery - Faculty Teaching Award (Richard J. Otenasek) [14]
• 2007 Robert Wood Johnson Award [14]
• 2007 Popular Science Magazine - Brilliant 10 Scientists Award[15]
• 2007 Baltimore Magazine - US Top Docs [16]
• 2007 Hispanic Business Journal - Top 100 Most influential Hispanic in the U.S.
• 2008 American Association of Neurological Surgeons - AANS Bittner Award
• 2008 Merage Foundation - National Leadership in Science and Medicine Award
• 2008 ANS/CNS - Skull Base Award
• 2008 Olender Foundation - America's Role Model Award [17]
• 2009 California Community College - Distinguished Alumni Award
• 2010 Science & Engineering Festival - Nifty Fifty Scientist [18]
• 2011 South Vermont College - Honorary Doctor of Human Letters
• 2011 Baltimore Magazine - Baltimore Top Docs[19]
• 2012 Lackawanna College, Scranton, Pennsylvania - Doctor of Humane Letters Honoris Causa
• 2012 Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD - Promoted to full Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology, Neuroscience and Cellular and Molecular Medicine.
• 2012 Prize "Maximiliano Ruiz Castaneda" (as co-worker of Dr. Oscar Gonzalez-Perez).
• 2012 Commencement Address at Lackawanna College, Scranton, Pennsylvania
• 2012 Recipient of International Latino Book Award: “Becoming Dr. Q: My Journey from Migrant Farm Worker to Brain Surgeon”
• 2012 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute 2012 Chair’s Award
• 2012 Honorary Professor at the University of the Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey Mexico
• 2012 Named as Super Doctor[20]
• 2012 Recipient of Ohtli Award
• 2012 Honorary Speaker at Society of Neurological Surgeons annual meeting, “Diversity”, Atlanta, Georgia
• 2012 Distinguished Public lecture at University of Arizona, “Bridging the Gap in the Fight Against Brain Cancer: From the Operating Room to the Laboratory”
• 2013 Nifty Fifty scientist at USA Science & Engineering Festival
• 2013 Commencement Speaker at 137th Commencement, Johns Hopkins University
• 2013 Commencement Speaker at UC Irvine
• 2013 Commencement Speaker at National University
• 2013 Presenter at Guadalajara Book Fair for “Becoming Dr. Q”
• 2013 Presenter at La Ciudad de las Ideas; Puebla, Mexico
• 2014 Keynote Speaker at “Dreamers” Conference, Notre Dame University
• 2014 Recipient of Voices Against Brain Cancer Neurosurgeon of the Year Award
• 2014 Distinguished Guest at ABC Hospital; Mexico
• 2014 Nifty Fifty Scientist at USA Science & Engineering Festival
• 2014 Maryland Sister States Award
• 2014 Voices Against Brain Cancer; Gary Lichtenstein Humanitarian Award
• 2015 Commencement Speaker at Dominican University
• 2015 Commencement Speaker at Ponce Health Sciences University
• 2015 Commencement Speaker at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
• 2015 Keynote Speaker at 2015 Comex Convention, Cancun Mexico
• 2015 Keynote Speaker at XVII International Congress Advances in Medicine at Hospital Civil de Guadalajara
• 2015 VII Premio Iberoamericano Cortes de Cádiz Surgery Award, Spain[21]
• 2015 Forbes, World's Most Creative Mexicans[22]
• 2015 Invited Keynote Speaker at NIH Graduate Student Research Symposium
• 2015 Hospital Civil, "Updates in Medicine"
• 2015 Commencement Speaker at Notre Dame University 2015 VII Premio Iberoamericano Cortes de Cádiz de Cirugía, Spain
• 2015 Galardón a la “Trayectoria Inspiradora” Instituto Mexicano de Mejores Prácticas Corporativas
• 2016 Commencement Speaker at Loyola University Chicago
• 2016 Commencement Speaker at College of Marin
• 2016 Premio ALPHA - Universidad Anáhuac México

11/16/16
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Resources:

Wikipedia.org
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hmn/W07/feature1.cfm
http://www.doctorqmd.com/dr-q/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/science/13conv.html
http://www.doctorqmd.com/dr-q-s-story---a-doctor-without-borders/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/biographies/quinones-hinojosa-alfredo-m-d/bio-20238939
http://www.apbspeakers.com/speaker/dr-alfredo-qui%C3%B1ones-hinojosa
http://www.apbspeakers.com/resources/speakerpdf/1010508.pdf
http://bigthink.com/experts/dralfredoquinoneshinojosa

Picture Sources:

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