Rear Adm. Guido F. Valdes, commander of Naval Medical Forces Pacific and a double alumnus of the College of Miami, visited the College as a part of Miami Navy Week and its signature outreach program.
Three a long time in the past, Rear Adm. Guido F. Valdes, commander of Naval Medical Forces Pacific and chief of the Medical Corps, acquired a shiny brochure within the mail. On the time, Valdes was only a younger pupil finishing his Bachelor of Science in biology on the College of Miami and had lately been admitted to the College’s Miller College of Drugs.
The brochure contained a possibility to affix the USA Navy to change into a medical officer. The supply included his attendance of 4 years of medical faculty, two weeks of coaching a yr, and active-duty coaching at a navy medical facility.
“And so, I mentioned, ‘The place do I signal?’ ” Valdes recalled.
The rear admiral, a double alumnus of the College and native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, visited his alma mater for 2 days as a part of Miami Navy Week and its signature outreach program, which set sail by South Florida this week.
On Monday, Valdes arrived on the Coral Gables Campus, met with President Julio Frenk, and toured the College of Miami athletics services. Valdes, who attended the College from 1984 to 1988, reminisced on his years as a pupil attending athletics occasions and sharing time on campus with a number of student-athletes. He even picked up a couple of enjoyable info whereas on the tour—together with the origin of how the College’s beloved mascot, Sebastian the Ibis, acquired his identify.
Valdes’ go to was a very particular second for the group, Frenk famous throughout their assembly, as a result of he’s an alumnus and a revered member of the Navy.
To conclude the day, Valdes spoke with veteran and ROTC college students from the Veterans Pupil Group and veteran alumni of the College.
“It was good to need to alternative to talk with the rear admiral. We talked about varied locations we’ve each been stationed and what it means to us to be a double ’Cane,” mentioned Dan Brennan, a pupil within the Miami Herbert Enterprise College pursing his Grasp of Enterprise Administration. Brennan served for 11 years within the U.S. Military earlier than returning to acquire his grasp’s diploma.
On Tuesday, Valdes dropped by the Medical Campus, the place he spent the afternoon touring the Gordon Middle for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Training with Dr. S. Barry Issenberg, professor of drugs and Michael S. Gordon Chair of Medical Training; Dr. Amar Deshpande, professor of scientific medication within the Division of Gastroenterology; and Angel Brotons, director of scientific coaching operations.
Valdes was additionally greeted by Dr. Henri Ford, dean and chief educational officer of the Miller College, and Dr. Nicholas Namias, chief of the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgical procedure.
“I instructed them, ‘I really feel that the College of Miami ready me very properly for what lay forward, albeit unknown,’ however that is what we at all times say,” he mentioned. “You be taught for the identified, however you practice for the unknown, proper? You skilled since you wish to be prepared for what’s coming. And I feel that working right here and being uncovered to the caliber of pros that labored right here, and proceed to work right here, was nice preparation.”
Along with his journey to the College, Valdes frolicked throughout Miami Navy Week on the Miami VA Medical Middle, the place he did considered one of his first rotations as a College medical pupil 30 years in the past.
The son of Cuban immigrants, Valdes was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He arrived in Miami when he was 13 years previous and has maintained shut ties to town ever since, noting that a lot of his household nonetheless lives in Miami. “You’ll be able to by no means run away out of your Cuban household! They’ll discover you,” he joked. “We’re a really shut household.”
Upon commencement from the now Miller College of Drugs in 1992, Valdes accomplished a transitional internship on the Nationwide Naval Medical Middle Bethesda and an emergency medication residency on the Naval Medical Middle Portsmouth.
All through his distinguished profession, Valdes held varied positions inside navy medication. He was basic medical officer at Department Well being Clinic Gaeta, Italy. He additionally was workers emergency doctor at U.S. Naval Hospital Naples, Italy; U.S. Naval Hospital Rota, Spain; and the Naval Medical Middle Portsmouth. As well as, Valdes was government officer at Naval Hospital Pensacola, commanding officer at Naval Well being Clinic Corpus Christi, and deputy commander at Naval Medical Forces Atlantic. Throughout his time in Italy, he met his spouse, Barbara, who was serving as a Navy nurse.
Valdes additionally served because the officer-in-charge of Fleet Surgical Crew Six, drive surgeon for Riverine Group One, and government officer for the Position 3 Multinational Medical Unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan, throughout Operation Enduring Freedom.
“[Being in Afghanistan,] you see loads of dangerous stuff. On the identical time, it was very rewarding to have the ability to save lives and ship some folks house a minimum of in a single piece. For me, that was probably the most rewarding and fulfilling deployment I’ve had,” he mentioned.
Presently, Valdes serves as commander of Naval Medical Forces Pacific, overseeing 10 Navy Drugs Readiness and Coaching Instructions on the West Coast and Pacific Rim. He’s additionally the director of the San Diego Medical Market, overseeing the supply and integration of well being care at Naval Medical Middle San Diego and Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. He’s certified as a Fleet Marine Pressure Warfare Officer and has garnered a number of awards for his service.
Miami Navy Week options greater than 60 occasions all through Miami-Dade and Broward counties, bringing greater than 50 sailors to South Florida. Navy Week was designed to coach folks in cities all through the U.S. in regards to the Navy, together with what life is like for sailors, the sorts of jobs which are out there, and why the Navy is necessary to communities like Miami. This Miami Navy Week additionally highlighted the significance of STEM schooling by volunteer actions with area people companions.
Along with Valdes’ go to to the College, the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard carried out on Thursday night on the Miami Hurricanes ladies’s basketball sport as a part of Miami Navy Week festivities in South Florida.
“I do put on the uniform with satisfaction. These of us who put on the uniform, we all know what we symbolize,’’ Valdes mentioned. “And we attempt to symbolize that in addition to we are able to to the group. And I feel that hopefully, we’ll go away Miami of us right here with an opinion of the Navy or information in regards to the Navy that they didn’t have earlier than.”
