Becoming Dr. Q
My Journey from Migrant Farm Worker to Brain Surgeon
The inspiring story of a young Mexican immigrant who became a renowned neurosurgeon.
Today he is known as Dr. Q, an internationally renowned neurosurgeon and neuroscientist who leads cutting-edge research to cure brain cancer. But not too long ago, he was Freddy, a 19-year-old undocumented migrant worker toiling in the tomato fields of Central California.
In this gripping memoir, Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa tells his amazing life story - from his impoverished childhood in the tiny village of Palaco, Mexico, to his harrowing border crossing and his transformation from undocumented immigrant to American citizen and gifted student at the University of California at Berkeley and at Harvard Medical School.
Packed with adventure and adversity - including a few terrifying brushes with death - Becoming Dr. Q is a testament to persistence, hard work, the power of hope and imagination, and the pursuit of excellence. It's also a story about the importance of family, of mentors, and of giving people a chance.
Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, M.D., was an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology at Johns Hopkins University before joining Mayo Clinic as a consultant and chair of the Department of Neurologic Surgery at the clinic's Florida campus. Named one of the one hundred most influential Hispanics in 2008, Dr. Q was also selected by Popular Science magazine as one of their Annual Brilliant Ten. Along with appearances on such shows as NOVA, CNN with Sanjay Gupta, CBS news with Katie COURIC, NBC’s The Today Show, as well as on National Public Radio, Dr. Q has been featured in a variety of newspapers and magazines and in a recent Netflix documentary based on his book.
