Healing the Brain, Inspiring Lives: A Conversation with Dr. Q on Purpose, Mentorship, and Healing
Sarah Park
This interview highlights the powerful intersection of resilience, mentorship, and service through the journey of Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, a leading neurosurgeon and researcher at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville FL. His story, from growing up in a rural community in Mexico to becoming a chair of neurosurgery and dean of research, offers important insights into perseverance, the impact of early influences, and the importance of giving back.
SP: Good afternoon, Dr. Q. Thank you so much for joining today!
Dr. Q: Thank you!
SP: Could you briefly introduce yourself, including your current specialization or area of practice, and where you work?
Dr. Q: My name is Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa. I am a brain surgeon, a neurosurgeon who specializes in brain cancer, both primary and metastatic, as well as tumors in the skull base and in highly eloquent areas of the brain. We take a multidisciplinary approach to surgery. I also serve as the Chair of Neurosurgery and the Dean of Research here at the Mayo Clinic in Florida.
SP: That’s amazing. What inspired you to become a doctor and researcher, and could you briefly describe your journey?
Dr. Q: Well, you know, it’s interesting. I grew up in very humble beginnings outside a small town in Mexico, in a rural community where we didn’t have running water or electricity. But what we did have was an extraordinary power of imagination. I also happened to be part of a family where my grandmother was a town healer and a midwife. Even though she had no formal education, she helped many people delivering babies and caring for their health. She was an amazing woman, a true medicine woman in our rural community.
So that began to inspire me, even without my realizing it. I grew up in that kind of environment, in a family where healing and service were deeply valued. My grandmother was very poor, but the little she had, she gave away to so many people. That spirit continued through my parents, and it stayed with me.
I left Mexico when I was 19 years old and came to the United States as an undocumented migrant. I worked as a farmworker at first. And it’s been an incredible journey. This was in 1987. By 1991, I was at UC Berkeley studying. By 1994, I was at Harvard Medical School. By 1999, I was at the University of California, San Francisco, doing a neurosurgery residency. By 2005, I was at Johns Hopkins as a faculty member, an assistant professor, and in less than five years, I rose through the academic ranks to become a full professor in an accelerated way.
By 2016, I came here to the Mayo Clinic to be the Chair of Neurosurgery. And just last year, they tapped me on the shoulder to take on a leadership role in research as one of the deans, which is an extraordinarily important responsibility. But that’s my journey.
SP: Thank you for sharing. What was your undergraduate major, and where did you complete your studies? What was your experience like during your college and medical school journey?
Dr. Q: My major as an undergraduate was psychology, believe it or not, and that’s important to mention because I did my undergraduate studies in two places. I first attended a community college in Stockton, California, in the San Joaquin Valley. Then I transferred in 1991 and completed my undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley. I did my honors thesis in neuroscience, which is where I became interested in medicine, particularly in areas like long-term potentiation and addiction. That work helped me gain acceptance to Harvard Medical School.
One of the most important lessons I always share with students is this: it’s important to dream big, but don’t let your dreams define you. What defines you is your passion and your inner drive. People often ask me if I always wanted to go to UC Berkeley or to medical school, and the answer is no. What I wanted was to be the best student I could possibly be. When I got into UC Berkeley, I focused on doing my best there. I knew I wanted to become a doctor, so I applied to many medical schools. It just so happened that I was accepted to top programs, but truly, I would have gone wherever I was accepted because my goal was to become a physician, a scientist, and someone who helps people.
That sense of purpose comes from my grandmother, and it’s a lesson I continue to share with my students throughout my life.
SP: You mentioned your grandmother. Did you also have mentors or influential figures who played a crucial role in guiding you during high school, college, or your medical training?
Dr. Q: Absolutely. I write about it in my book, Becoming Dr. Q, which was originally released by UC Press in 2011 and re-released in 2013 by Mayo Press with a new introduction and additional chapters at the beginning and the end. It really speaks to that journey.
I had incredible mentors along the way. At UC Berkeley, Joe Martinez played a major role in my life. He also came from humble beginnings and was a professor of neurobiology there. Later, in medical school, Ed Kravitz and Dave Potter also had a profound impact on me. Like me, they came from very humble backgrounds.
And then, of course, there’s my family, my mom, my dad, my siblings, my wife, my kids, and now, my patients. If you look at my life, there has never been a lack of role models. We stand on the shoulders of giants. It would be arrogant for any of us to believe that we accomplish things entirely on our own. We achieve what we do because of the people around us who give us support and positive energy.
I truly believe in that positive energy. I rely on the people around me to make me stronger. I learn from them, I recognize their value, and I try not only to acknowledge it, but to celebrate it.
SP: Thank you for sharing and thank you for being a role model to so many students, including me. You’re also deeply involved in mentoring young students in research. Could you share your journey and what motivates you to do so?
Dr. Q: I would say it’s very simple. My desire to mentor students comes from the fact that I was mentored, and I continue to be mentored today. Just before speaking with you, I was in a meeting with two scientists and two clinicians, many of them much younger than I am, and they were teaching me the art of believing that we can find cures for cancer, which is the work I do.
My passion for mentoring students also comes from the fact that they help me stay young. They allow me to keep dreaming and thinking. I believe that when you surround yourself with extraordinary talent, something stays with you. In my case, I learn from them far more than they learn from me.
I always encourage my colleagues: keep mentoring, keep teaching, and surround yourself with people who are brighter than you. When you do that, the world becomes a much more exciting place.
SP: You are the author of Becoming Dr. Q: My Journey from Migrant Farmworker to Brain Surgeon, which has been incredibly inspiring to me and many others. Could you share your inspiration and process for writing this book?
Dr. Q: Well, it’s interesting. The main reason I wanted to tell my story was simply so I wouldn’t forget it. At first, I wanted to write it for my own kids. But then I realized there was a broader interest. I began writing Becoming Dr. Q around the time of the show Hopkins, which some people may remember. It came out in 2009 on ABC, was a seven-part series, and received a Peabody Award. I was featured in both the first and last episodes, and it brought a lot of attention to the work we do.
That experience inspired me to share my story more fully. As you may know, the book was later picked up for a potential film adaptation by Brad Pitt’s Plan B and Disney, which is still a work in progress. But ultimately, I wanted to tell the story as I experienced it, the way I saw the world, and the contributions of Hispanics like myself, or any immigrant who comes from humble beginnings to the United States, which is still a land of opportunity.
For me, it’s inspiring not because of me, but because I’ve drawn inspiration from so many others. If you read the book, you’ll see stories of my family, my patients, and my mentors. Every single one of them has inspired me. I wrote the book as a way of thanking them all for allowing me to be part of their journey.
SP: I really loved your book. It was so inspiring. What do you find most fulfilling about your work as a doctor, a mentor, and an author?
Dr. Q: As a doctor, what I find most fulfilling is the ability to give my patients hope. As a mentor, what I find most fulfilling is the realization that I’m not just mentoring. I’m also being mentored by those around me. I often learn far more from them than they learn from me.
As an author, what I find most fulfilling is the ability to tell stories. I’ve written many scientific papers, as well as over ten books in neurosurgery. I’ve also written my own book. Ultimately, I find storytelling to be incredibly meaningful. It’s something that has been part of human life for millions of years. I’m excited to share these books and continue telling these stories.
SP: Can you describe a particularly challenging situation you've encountered in your career and how you handled it?
Dr. Q: Well, you know, what I find most challenging in my career is the fact that sometimes, many times, despite my best efforts as a scientist, a clinician, and a compassionate physician, I cannot cure. I can control diseases, but with many of the cancers I treat, I cannot cure them. And that truly breaks my heart, to see my patients go through that.
When I first started, I didn’t fully understand the emotional weight of caring for patients. Over time, I realized that every time you care for someone, you give them a part of yourself. You give them your heart and your passion, which I still believe is essential. And in return, they take a small piece of your heart. Individually, those pieces may seem small, but over time, they accumulate and leave lasting scars.
What I’ve found most challenging is recognizing that emotional toll, the impact of losing patients over the years. It took me a long time to understand it. But in recent years, I’ve learned to seek support, to talk to colleagues, to speak with a therapist, and to connect with others who understand what it means to care deeply for people and to lose them. That’s how I’ve learned to cope by acknowledging it and asking for help.
SP: Thank you so much for sharing that. What advice would you give to those interested in pursuing a career in medicine?
Dr. Q: The first thing I always tell them is to aspire to care for people. Medicine will come to you organically, but you may end up helping others through different paths, through science, through law, or by becoming the best architect or engineer you can be. Whatever it is, always aspire to help those around you.
If medicine becomes your tool, then so be it. But don’t focus on the tool. Focus on the objective: helping people in their moments of greatest need. One day, you’ll find your calling, your sense of purpose. And it’s not something that just appears. It’s something you build over time through that commitment.
SP: Is there anything else you would like to add or share?
Dr. Q: The only thing that I'd like to share is that the world is becoming more and more connected. As you know, I also lead a foundation, Mission Brain, and anybody can go to my webpage, https://www.doctorqmd.com/, or they can go to my foundation, https://www.missionbrain.org/. And you'll see the work that we're doing. And what I’ve realized is that the world’s young, bright minds are beginning to understand that what people once told us about frontiers and borders between countries no longer holds in the same way, especially with the technology we have today, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and our ability to connect globally.
The next generation will find solutions to problems we never even imagined existed, and solutions we never thought possible. It is your responsibility to help solve the challenges that affect humanity. Don’t wait for someone else to come with the answers. We can find them ourselves if we work together.
If we collaborate across the world, if we begin to break down the barriers that others have placed in front of us, borders, divisions, the idea that we are different because of our skin color or religion. We will realize something important. Those differences don’t divide us; they are what make us human, and they are what make us beautiful.
SP: Thank you so much Dr. Q!
About the Author
Sarah Park (’29) is a freshman at Harvard College concentrating in Neuroscience.
SP: Good afternoon, Dr. Q. Thank you so much for joining today!
Dr. Q: Thank you!
SP: Could you briefly introduce yourself, including your current specialization or area of practice, and where you work?
Dr. Q: My name is Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa. I am a brain surgeon, a neurosurgeon who specializes in brain cancer, both primary and metastatic, as well as tumors in the skull base and in highly eloquent areas of the brain. We take a multidisciplinary approach to surgery. I also serve as the Chair of Neurosurgery and the Dean of Research here at the Mayo Clinic in Florida.
SP: That’s amazing. What inspired you to become a doctor and researcher, and could you briefly describe your journey?
Dr. Q: Well, you know, it’s interesting. I grew up in very humble beginnings outside a small town in Mexico, in a rural community where we didn’t have running water or electricity. But what we did have was an extraordinary power of imagination. I also happened to be part of a family where my grandmother was a town healer and a midwife. Even though she had no formal education, she helped many people delivering babies and caring for their health. She was an amazing woman, a true medicine woman in our rural community.
So that began to inspire me, even without my realizing it. I grew up in that kind of environment, in a family where healing and service were deeply valued. My grandmother was very poor, but the little she had, she gave away to so many people. That spirit continued through my parents, and it stayed with me.
I left Mexico when I was 19 years old and came to the United States as an undocumented migrant. I worked as a farmworker at first. And it’s been an incredible journey. This was in 1987. By 1991, I was at UC Berkeley studying. By 1994, I was at Harvard Medical School. By 1999, I was at the University of California, San Francisco, doing a neurosurgery residency. By 2005, I was at Johns Hopkins as a faculty member, an assistant professor, and in less than five years, I rose through the academic ranks to become a full professor in an accelerated way.
By 2016, I came here to the Mayo Clinic to be the Chair of Neurosurgery. And just last year, they tapped me on the shoulder to take on a leadership role in research as one of the deans, which is an extraordinarily important responsibility. But that’s my journey.
SP: Thank you for sharing. What was your undergraduate major, and where did you complete your studies? What was your experience like during your college and medical school journey?
Dr. Q: My major as an undergraduate was psychology, believe it or not, and that’s important to mention because I did my undergraduate studies in two places. I first attended a community college in Stockton, California, in the San Joaquin Valley. Then I transferred in 1991 and completed my undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley. I did my honors thesis in neuroscience, which is where I became interested in medicine, particularly in areas like long-term potentiation and addiction. That work helped me gain acceptance to Harvard Medical School.
One of the most important lessons I always share with students is this: it’s important to dream big, but don’t let your dreams define you. What defines you is your passion and your inner drive. People often ask me if I always wanted to go to UC Berkeley or to medical school, and the answer is no. What I wanted was to be the best student I could possibly be. When I got into UC Berkeley, I focused on doing my best there. I knew I wanted to become a doctor, so I applied to many medical schools. It just so happened that I was accepted to top programs, but truly, I would have gone wherever I was accepted because my goal was to become a physician, a scientist, and someone who helps people.
That sense of purpose comes from my grandmother, and it’s a lesson I continue to share with my students throughout my life.
SP: You mentioned your grandmother. Did you also have mentors or influential figures who played a crucial role in guiding you during high school, college, or your medical training?
Dr. Q: Absolutely. I write about it in my book, Becoming Dr. Q, which was originally released by UC Press in 2011 and re-released in 2013 by Mayo Press with a new introduction and additional chapters at the beginning and the end. It really speaks to that journey.
I had incredible mentors along the way. At UC Berkeley, Joe Martinez played a major role in my life. He also came from humble beginnings and was a professor of neurobiology there. Later, in medical school, Ed Kravitz and Dave Potter also had a profound impact on me. Like me, they came from very humble backgrounds.
And then, of course, there’s my family, my mom, my dad, my siblings, my wife, my kids, and now, my patients. If you look at my life, there has never been a lack of role models. We stand on the shoulders of giants. It would be arrogant for any of us to believe that we accomplish things entirely on our own. We achieve what we do because of the people around us who give us support and positive energy.
I truly believe in that positive energy. I rely on the people around me to make me stronger. I learn from them, I recognize their value, and I try not only to acknowledge it, but to celebrate it.
SP: Thank you for sharing and thank you for being a role model to so many students, including me. You’re also deeply involved in mentoring young students in research. Could you share your journey and what motivates you to do so?
Dr. Q: I would say it’s very simple. My desire to mentor students comes from the fact that I was mentored, and I continue to be mentored today. Just before speaking with you, I was in a meeting with two scientists and two clinicians, many of them much younger than I am, and they were teaching me the art of believing that we can find cures for cancer, which is the work I do.
My passion for mentoring students also comes from the fact that they help me stay young. They allow me to keep dreaming and thinking. I believe that when you surround yourself with extraordinary talent, something stays with you. In my case, I learn from them far more than they learn from me.
I always encourage my colleagues: keep mentoring, keep teaching, and surround yourself with people who are brighter than you. When you do that, the world becomes a much more exciting place.
SP: You are the author of Becoming Dr. Q: My Journey from Migrant Farmworker to Brain Surgeon, which has been incredibly inspiring to me and many others. Could you share your inspiration and process for writing this book?
Dr. Q: Well, it’s interesting. The main reason I wanted to tell my story was simply so I wouldn’t forget it. At first, I wanted to write it for my own kids. But then I realized there was a broader interest. I began writing Becoming Dr. Q around the time of the show Hopkins, which some people may remember. It came out in 2009 on ABC, was a seven-part series, and received a Peabody Award. I was featured in both the first and last episodes, and it brought a lot of attention to the work we do.
That experience inspired me to share my story more fully. As you may know, the book was later picked up for a potential film adaptation by Brad Pitt’s Plan B and Disney, which is still a work in progress. But ultimately, I wanted to tell the story as I experienced it, the way I saw the world, and the contributions of Hispanics like myself, or any immigrant who comes from humble beginnings to the United States, which is still a land of opportunity.
For me, it’s inspiring not because of me, but because I’ve drawn inspiration from so many others. If you read the book, you’ll see stories of my family, my patients, and my mentors. Every single one of them has inspired me. I wrote the book as a way of thanking them all for allowing me to be part of their journey.
SP: I really loved your book. It was so inspiring. What do you find most fulfilling about your work as a doctor, a mentor, and an author?
Dr. Q: As a doctor, what I find most fulfilling is the ability to give my patients hope. As a mentor, what I find most fulfilling is the realization that I’m not just mentoring. I’m also being mentored by those around me. I often learn far more from them than they learn from me.
As an author, what I find most fulfilling is the ability to tell stories. I’ve written many scientific papers, as well as over ten books in neurosurgery. I’ve also written my own book. Ultimately, I find storytelling to be incredibly meaningful. It’s something that has been part of human life for millions of years. I’m excited to share these books and continue telling these stories.
SP: Can you describe a particularly challenging situation you've encountered in your career and how you handled it?
Dr. Q: Well, you know, what I find most challenging in my career is the fact that sometimes, many times, despite my best efforts as a scientist, a clinician, and a compassionate physician, I cannot cure. I can control diseases, but with many of the cancers I treat, I cannot cure them. And that truly breaks my heart, to see my patients go through that.
When I first started, I didn’t fully understand the emotional weight of caring for patients. Over time, I realized that every time you care for someone, you give them a part of yourself. You give them your heart and your passion, which I still believe is essential. And in return, they take a small piece of your heart. Individually, those pieces may seem small, but over time, they accumulate and leave lasting scars.
What I’ve found most challenging is recognizing that emotional toll, the impact of losing patients over the years. It took me a long time to understand it. But in recent years, I’ve learned to seek support, to talk to colleagues, to speak with a therapist, and to connect with others who understand what it means to care deeply for people and to lose them. That’s how I’ve learned to cope by acknowledging it and asking for help.
SP: Thank you so much for sharing that. What advice would you give to those interested in pursuing a career in medicine?
Dr. Q: The first thing I always tell them is to aspire to care for people. Medicine will come to you organically, but you may end up helping others through different paths, through science, through law, or by becoming the best architect or engineer you can be. Whatever it is, always aspire to help those around you.
If medicine becomes your tool, then so be it. But don’t focus on the tool. Focus on the objective: helping people in their moments of greatest need. One day, you’ll find your calling, your sense of purpose. And it’s not something that just appears. It’s something you build over time through that commitment.
SP: Is there anything else you would like to add or share?
Dr. Q: The only thing that I'd like to share is that the world is becoming more and more connected. As you know, I also lead a foundation, Mission Brain, and anybody can go to my webpage, https://www.doctorqmd.com/, or they can go to my foundation, https://www.missionbrain.org/. And you'll see the work that we're doing. And what I’ve realized is that the world’s young, bright minds are beginning to understand that what people once told us about frontiers and borders between countries no longer holds in the same way, especially with the technology we have today, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and our ability to connect globally.
The next generation will find solutions to problems we never even imagined existed, and solutions we never thought possible. It is your responsibility to help solve the challenges that affect humanity. Don’t wait for someone else to come with the answers. We can find them ourselves if we work together.
If we collaborate across the world, if we begin to break down the barriers that others have placed in front of us, borders, divisions, the idea that we are different because of our skin color or religion. We will realize something important. Those differences don’t divide us; they are what make us human, and they are what make us beautiful.
SP: Thank you so much Dr. Q!
About the Author
Sarah Park (’29) is a freshman at Harvard College concentrating in Neuroscience.