TAMPA, Fla. — This National Hispanic Heritage Month, Spectrum News is speaking with a doctor whose journey began learning medicine in Spanish, before practicing as a neurosurgeon in English.
Dr. Raul Olivera is a board-certified neurosurgeon with multiple specialties at AdventHealth. He says he is proud to be continuing his family legacy of practicing medicine.
“I was born into a family of doctors — my mom was a doctor, my dad was a general surgeon in Cuba,” said Olivera, who left Cuba to follow in their footsteps.
“I had to actually leave medical school two months before my graduation and quit, because otherwise the Cuban government would not let me get out of the country at that time, I was at military age,” he said.
The family tradition of practicing medicine was instead pursued in the United States.
“I took a leap of faith and with a visa came to America and then my culture shock started," Olivera said. "I had to learn the language, had to learn their educational system."
He has since performed thousands of surgeries and said he finds the brain fascinating.
“When you treat somebody’s brain, you’re not only treating the brain tumor or the brain blood clot or hemorrhage or stroke, you’re treating the person,” said Olivera, who communicates with his patients in English and Spanish.
“When they see someone that comes into the room and addresses them in their native language, it makes them relax,” he said. “And it makes them understand more of the good and the pros and the cons and the alternatives, because otherwise some of that message gets lost and they’re really frightened.”
In any language, Olivera said he is proud to be a physician.
“To be able to come to America and then embrace the American dream of freedom and not only become an American, but become an American neurosurgeon, that means a lot to me," he said. "And I see it not only as a personal achievement, but an example for others.”
Olivera currently serves as medical director of the Neuroscience Institute for the West Florida Division of AdventHealth.