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 nineteen-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 illegal 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—<i>Becoming Dr. Q</i> 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.<br /><br />
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Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa. Becoming Dr. Q
PRAISE FOR BECOMING DR. Q
Becoming Dr. Q
Contents
Prologue. SEEKING TERRA FIRMA
PART ONE Stargazing. APRIL 14, 1989. NEAR THE PORT OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA
ONE Starry Nights
TWO Faraway
THREE The Kaliman Maneuver
FOUR Lessons from the Fields
PART TWO Harvesting. JUST AFTER LABOR DAY, 1999. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
FIVE Courting Destiny
SIX Green Eyes
SEVEN From Harvest to Harvard
EIGHT In the Land of Giants
NINE Question the Rules and. When Possible Make Your Own
TEN Brainstorm
PART THREE Becoming Dr. Q. NEW ENGLAND. DECEMBER 2004, DURING THE LAST YEAR OF RESIDENCY. MIDNIGHT
ELEVEN Hopkins
TWELVE Gray Matter
THIRTEEN Seeing the Light
FOURTEEN Finding the Steel in Your Soul
Epilogue. WHEN THE SUN COMES UP
Acknowledgments
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“This is a spellbinding story of a champion who harnessed the power of passion and dogged determination to triumph over adversity. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and come away enlightened not just about the human brain and its miraculous capacities but also about the human heart.”
Venus Williams, author of Come to Win
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There was an instance that caused me to become particularly upset one day when a little boy in my second-grade class, also named Alfredo, raised his hand to ask to go to the bathroom. The teacher asked him to wait until class was over. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to contain himself and pooped in his pants. Alfredo was mortified. I felt so bad for him and was mortified for his sake when the rest of the kids started to tease him. As soon as we got out to the schoolyard, I decided to tease those kids for their various shortcomings, hurling sharp-tongued remarks that came easily to me. Championing his cause wasn’t going to solve everything for the other Alfredo, but at least I hoped it would cheer him up.
I also would never forget a young girl in the area who was born with a disfiguring cleft palate that made her appear to have two faces—like a little monster, some said. A few family members, being very poor, charged admission for others to come and stare at her, even to shriek over her deformities and taunt her. There was no way I could stand by and allow such cruelty—even if it meant a fight with kids who were bigger than I was. Most of the time, I didn’t win those fights. But I hoped that somehow the little girl knew that someone was sticking up for her.
