Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet Dr. Roberto Palomares
Read through our Q&A to meet Dr. Palomares:
Q: What is your role in veterinary medicine?
Dr. Palomares: “Through my clinical service, research, teaching extension and veterinary consulting in Georgia, USA and worldwide, promote animal health and reproductive performance of food animals to finally impact their productivity and profitability; therefore, contributing to the development of communities and the society. Inspire future veterinarians around the world to pursue their dreams without forgetting to always help others with an attitude of service and love.“
Q. What brings you joy as a veterinarian?
Dr. Palomares: “As a theriogenologist, or specialist in animal reproduction, we work daily evidencing the miracle of life. Every time I diagnose an animal to be pregnant or assist a difficult parturition helping to save babies and dams’ lives, with a successful result, I feel so happy and confirm that I am doing what I love. In the same way, it makes me so happy to help improve the health of individual sick animals or herds.
Also, contributing with my students’ formation not only professionally but also in their personal development. It brings me joy to see my veterinary and graduate students to succeed becoming proficient clinicians or researchers in their specific areas of interest. In addition, it makes me so happy to be able to collaborate with many colleagues worldwide.”
Q. Does your family have any traditions that are especially important to you?
Dr. Palomares: “We celebrate our birthdays with thematic parties that always include a Piñata. We enjoy ‘picking and fighting’ for candies, exactly as during our childhood. That is hilarious!!
We also celebrate Christmas and New Year as the two most important dates of the year. During these days we perform an activity we call “Intercambio hecho a mano”, which consists of exchanging hand-made gifts. That is the rule: It needs to be made by hand, so you can imagine how fun it is to see the creativity, it is a joke!!! Sometimes too crazy…”
Q: What is your proudest moment in veterinary medicine?
Dr. Palomares: “Difficult question… Everyday is a time to be thankful for the wonderful opportunities I have had in my veterinary medicine career and personal life.
I enjoy thinking and telling others that dreams can make true with faith, hope, discipline, consistency and love for what you do and for others. I remember when I arrived this country 16 years ago and see where I am right now. It is definitively the ‘American Dream” . This is an amazing country. I love the USA and Venezuela.”
Q: How has your heritage influenced your path in veterinary medicine?
“Being Latino has opened so many doors due to my Venezuelan culture and language. It is wonderful to share our culture with students and peers. I have always felt that warmth and interest from people about my culture in our vet and cattlemen community.
“Being Latino also represents a great opportunity to interact much better with herd managers and workers at the farms I assist, which are mostly Hispanic. This has had a tremendous benefit in animal health and herd production.”
– Dr. Roberto Palomares
In addition, it has been great to represent the USA helping colleagues abroad, particularly in many countries in South America (e.g. Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, etc). Being able to share our research, clinical exertise and life experiences with many countries in Latin America, speaking “their” same language is definitively priceless.”
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