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COM Outlook . Spring 2015
through the provision of high-qual-
ity health care. Not surprisingly, he
credits the triple-pronged academic
approach he pursued at NSU for
making him the well-rounded pro-
fessional he is today.
“The graduate degrees I pursued
allowed me to better comprehend the
socioeconomic, legal, and political
forces that affect the medical profes-
sion,” said Dr. Hernandez, who is
starring in the medical reality show
Medicina Moderna
, which is set to air
later this spring. “I realized early on
that in order for me to provide high-
quality health care to a community, I
needed to understand public health
and be able to run an efficient busi-
ness. Thankfully, my education has
allowed me to do that.”
Dr. Hernandez, who was born in
Cienfuegos, Cuba, to a loving fam-
ily that possessed a long tradition of
studying medicine, had little interest
in becoming a physician as a child.
Instead, he harbored a desire to be-
come a world-class baseball player.
“Although my mother was a den-
tist and my father was an architect,
they both encouraged me to become
a physician,” Dr. Hernandez ex-
plained. “Yet, like most Cuban boys,
I dreamt of becoming a professional
baseball player. After immigrating
to the United States in October 1993,
I applied myself to essentially two
activities—academics and baseball.
I played baseball competitively
until college, but in 2004 I suffered a
career-ending injury that turned out
to be a major turning point in my life.
During my recovery, I found that my
true passion was public service, and
that my calling was medicine.”
When it came time to begin apply-
ing to various medical schools, Dr.
Hernandez had never heard the term
osteopathic medicine. A convergence
of circumstances, however, would
soon lead him to NSU-COM—and a
medical career replete with infinite
possibilities. “Without knowing it,
I had been treated by NSU-COM
physicians a few years prior to ap-
plying there, and the experience had
been fantastic,” he said. “Although I
considered other schools, NSU-COM
offered me some unique opportuni-
ties: I would be able to study con-
ventional and holistic medicine; I
would be able to train in world-class
institutions; and I would do so at
home in South Florida. The clincher
was an open house lecture that Dr.
Cyril Blavo, the college’s director
of the M.P.H. Program, gave where
he discussed the college and spoke
about the opportunity to study
public health along with the medical
curriculum. As a result, NSU-COM
was the obvious choice for me.”
During his medical school odys-
sey, Dr. Hernandez, who earned
his Bachelor of Science degree in
Neuroscience from the University
Looking Back...Dr. Hernandez Shares Fond Memories
Cuba 1985...with his father, Jose
Cuba 1993...with his brother, David
South Florida 1996...family photo
2004 family photo...with sister Stephanie
2009...celebrating his wedding day
2010...grand opening of Cano Health
