Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Antonio (Tony) Hernandez
Q: Tell us a little about your background.
A: I was born in Honduras and came to the United States with my family when I was a sophomore in high school. We moved to the Houston area and I graduated from high school in Spring in 1990.
Q: How did you come to Texas A&M and the College of Medicine?
A: After attending Tomball College for a year, I transferred to Texas A&M in the fall of 1994. I graduated in 1997 with a B.S. in Biomedical Science. During my undergraduate education, I was a Howard Hughes Medical Scholar, which was a research program sponsored by the Biochemistry Department that paired me up with a mentor. My mentor was Dr. Rod McCallum, who is a professor in the Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department at the College of Medicine. I was also involved in the Bridges to Medicine program, which was geared toward preparing students for the MCAT.
Q: Why did you choose the A&M College of Medicine?
A: I had been accepted to a couple other medical schools, but I had ties to the College of Medicine because of knowing people like Dr. McCallum and Filo Maldonado, as well as my involvement in programs. I really just felt comfortable at A&M, so there wasn't much debate about where I wanted to go. It was a great experience and a lot of opportunities followed my time there.
Q: What is one memory that stands out in your mind about your time at the college?
A: One small thing I'll always remember is that we only got one radio station, oldies, in the gross anatomy lab. Now, anytime I hear an oldies song from the 50s, it takes me back to the gross lab.
Q: Why did you choose to specialize in OB/GYN?
A: I initially thought I wanted to go into cardiology, but I had OB/GYN as my first clinical rotation during my third year of medical school. Of all my rotations, it was the one where I looked forward to getting up in the morning and learning something new. Every delivery is different, nothing in the field is routine and the miracle of witnessing childbirth never gets old. I was able to assist in the delivery of my first daughter as a third-year medical student, and that experience really sealed my decision to choose OB/GYN as a specialty.
Q: Tell us about your residency experience.
A: I matched with Methodist Hospital in Dallas for my residency. I feel extremely lucky to have matched with them because they have a strong program in maternal and fetal medicine. I was exposed to many high-risk pregnancies and trained under some great MFM doctors who really took me under their wing. Through this experience, I learned a lot about how to manage patients.
I was the OB/GYN chief resident for the 2004-2005 year, which raised the level of my responsibility, challenged me and prepared me for private practice. As chief resident, I took on more administrative duties and interaction with other residents and staff. I also had the opportunity to rotate through Parkland Hospital and Los Barrios Clinic, a clinic for the Dallas indigent Hispanic population.
Q: Why did you choose to settle in Mansfield to start your private practice?
A: The Methodist Hospital System is currently expanding and is building a hospital in Mansfield which is scheduled to open in December of 2006. The growth in the Mansfield area is tremendous – there are currently 60,000 residents, but it is predicted that the population will increase to 85,000 in three to four years, so it's a great place to be for a new doctor. I moved here with my wife of 11 years, Doris, and our two daughters, Sophia (5) and Hannah (1).
Methodist is sponsoring my practice for two years and I will move over into their professional building next year when the hospital is complete. The Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of my practice on August 15, so that was nice. I had the opportunity to meet many community leaders and other local residents.
Thanks for checking in Dr. Hernandez, and we wish you the best of luck as you start up your private practice!
