In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), the ISA honors our physicians who have made outstanding contributions to the field of anesthesiology.
Jorge Ismael Romo, MD
Jorge Ismael Romo, MD is currently an lnterventional Pain Medicine fellow at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. In response to our request, he tells us, “I grew up in the Chicagoland area and come from a working-class Mexican family. Growing up, my parents were very supportive of my pursuit for higher education and I am proud to be the first in my family to obtain a college degree. I attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where I studied Kinesiology and Chemistry. I then attended Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and completed my Anesthesiology residency at Loyola University Medical Center.
I am very proud of my Mexican roots and have tried to stay involved with Hispanic organizations throughout my education. During medical school, I served as vice president of our Latino Medical Student Association chapter, helped teach a medical Spanish curriculum, and volunteered as a medical Spanish interpreter at a nearby clinic. I have been privileged to care for patients at their most vulnerable state, many of which have been Hispanic. There is a special level of trust when their physician looks like them and speaks their language. I think it is great the ISA is bringing awareness to Hispanic Heritage Month. I hope to set an example for the future generation of Hispanic physicians. ¡Sí Se Puede!
Fernando A. Vazquez, MD
Dr. Fernando A. Vazquez was born and raised in Chicago’s South Side. As a first generation Mexican-American, much of his inspiration for pursuing medicine came from the neighborhoods he grew up in. The tenacity of Chicago’s diverse working class modeled behaviors that paved the way for success.
Fernando is passionate about mentorship for the next generation. He co-founded the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) chapter at Dartmouth, then served on the LMSA National Executive Board. He also helped serve as a liaison for LMSA at the NIH while conducting research as part of the Medical Research Scholars Program.
After obtaining his MD from the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Fernando completed an internship in general surgery in New York before moving back to Chicago for his anesthesiology residency at UIC. Fernando lives with his wife, Paloma, who is training as a fellow in child and adolescent psychiatry at UIC, and their son Daniel.
Juan Ortiz-Vázquez, MD
Dr. Juan Ortiz-Vázquez is a first-year anesthesiology intern at Loyola University Medical Center. He was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where he completed high school and college. His love for medicine and travel drove him to move to mainland United States to further enhance his education. After completing his master’s degree at Washington University in St. Louis, Juan was accepted to Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine. During medical school, excellent mentoring helped him develop his love for anesthesia. From a professional stand-point, Juan would like to practice Cardiac or Regional Anesthesia.
Life goals for Juan include learning how to play the piano, traveling the world, and continuing to polish skills he developed as a kid in tennis, guitar, and golf.
Carlos Vega, MD
Carlos Vega, MD is a PGY3 Anesthesiology resident at the University of Chicago. He pursued his undergraduate degree in molecular biology from the University of Illinois and received his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine.
In response to our request, he tells us, “I grew up in Lima, Peru, and moved to the Chicago suburbs at the age of 13. My parents sacrificed their careers and own dreams so that my brother and I could have a better opportunity to reach ours. For me, that dream was to practice medicine. In the 15 years since I moved to the United States, I have had the opportunity to pursue my dream, all while positively impacting my patients, and influencing the younger generations of physicians. I’m truly fortunate to be in this position and continue to enjoy the privilege of taking care of patients when they are at their most vulnerable.”
To view the anesthesiologists profiled in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month in 2021, click here.