Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa – From Poor Immigrant to Renowned Brain Surgeon!
In 1987, Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa was a poor boy from Mexico who was desperate to help his family. Out of this desperation, at 19 years old, Alfredo crossed the border from Mexico into America and took a job as a farm laborer. Originally, his goal was to make money and return to Mexico. But once in America, he decided to take college classes and start toward a degree.
As Alfredo worked hard and continued his education, he began to think about becoming a doctor. He applied to medical school at Harvard, and he got in! After many more years of hard work and even harder studying, Alfredo finally achieved his goal. Today, Alfredo, who goes by the name Dr. Q, works at Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital in Baltimore, MD and is one of the world’s best brain surgeons!
In this video, Dr. Q talks about what inspired him to puruse his astonishing road to success.
Additional Resources:
- Here is an article that tells the incredible success story of Dr. Q.
- Here is another article and video in which Dr. Q talks about his amazing success.
Topics for Discussion:
- Why did Dr. Q originally cross the border into America?
- What factors does Dr. Q attribute his success to?
Take Action:
- Do you have a goal that seems unattainable? Take Dr. Q’s advice and work hard for it one step at a time!
- Visit the Johns Hopkins website to learn more about the hospital in which Dr. Q works and how you can support its work.
Teacher Features:
- Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for elementary school students.
- Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for middle school students.
