From humble beginnings – washing dishes for $4 an hour – Arturo Bravo Nuevo, PhD, eventually got his big break. Born in Spain, he moved to New Zealand and then Australia
– where he volunteered in a research lab by day and washed dishes by night.
“I was very poor,” he shared. “I was sitting at the soup kitchen every day and living in a house with eleven guys and just one bathroom.”
After a year of lab work without pay, his principal investigator became increasingly interested in Bravo Nuevo's life goals.
“He asked me about my situation, and I told him I was there illegally,” Bravo Nuevo shared. “He then offered me a scholarship to get my PhD and money so I didn't have to wash dishes anymore. He changed my life”.
Now, his approach to teaching is guided by those experiences as he works to create opportunities for all students, especially those of Hispanic and Latino descent.
“The United States is a race of hurdles, and we need to establish a system to help
Hispanic students jump over them,” he said.
Acknowledging the rigorous steps to get to medical school, he believes it may be difficult for students who have nobody guiding them through the process.
“You need someone to teach you how to write an essay to get into college, how to apply for financial aid, how to take the MCAT. Then, you need money to apply,” he explained.
“All of those hurdles are set up in a way that helps people from a higher economic background. We need to make medical school something that isn't as hard as reaching the moon for Hispanic students.”
Bringing important lessons to PCOM, one of his proudest moments was helping create the Medical Spanish course. The class gives Spanish-speaking medical students key phrases to use when interacting with patients. With 57 million Spanish speakers in the country, even a few sentences could help improve a medical interaction.
“It can be stressful,” he said. “Even now, when I'm working in an environment where everyone is an English speaker, I know that once they hear my accent their attitude may change.”
“If you can put people at ease by speaking their language, you help them become more
open to talking with you.”
Thinking ahead, Bravo Nuevo will continue his important research and hopes to slow the progression of blindness. In addition, teaching also remains a top priority and something he could never be persuaded to give up.
“Honestly, if I won the lottery tomorrow – like Mega Millions, I would still come to work every day,” he said.
“I love teaching, I love the students, I love the diversity of PCOM. It's the perfect job for me.”
From September 15 to October 15, PCOM joins others around the country in observing Hispanic Heritage Month. This important celebration honors the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanics and Latinos everywhere. At PCOM, we recognize our faculty, students and staff who identify as Hispanic or Latino and will highlight their stories throughout the month.
For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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