Dr. Guillermo Alvarez: “My father inspired me to pursue medicine and excel as a surgeon”

Like father, like son, this idiom perfectly summarizes the relationship between world-renowned surgeon Dr. Guillermo Alvarez and his father, Dr. Guillermo Alvarez Gonzalez. Dr. Alvarez shares how following in his father’s footsteps helped him in his journey to becoming a Master Surgeon. 

Being a third-generation doctor has worked in Dr. Alvarez’s favor. He learned and experienced the subtle qualities of being a surgeon early on from his father, his mentor. His father is a gastrointestinal surgeon, and so is he. When the curious question – ‘Have you performed surgeries together, you and your father?’ made its way to Dr. Guillermo Alvarez’s ears, this is what he had to say, “Yes. Indeed. We do, although rarely, perform surgeries together and even share the operating room. Observing my father do surgeries, being in his presence, and his grace have only helped me excel as a surgeon.”

After following his surgeon father’s footsteps and getting inspired by him, Dr. Alvarez decided to focus on weight loss surgery early on in his career. He felt that helping patients who struggle with obesity would be very gratifying. Dr. Alvarez tries to match his father’s determination to help his patients achieve a better quality of life and restore their confidence and will to live healthily. It’s from his father that Dr. Alvarez got a knack for understanding obese patients. He is also well aware of all the comorbidities that come along with obesity. Dr. Alvarez is why many family members have come out of obesity, including his mother for whom he performed weight loss surgery.

Dr. Alvarez has never regretted taking to this field of medicine. And he thanks his father for making his calling (which is not easy to come by for many people) so evident at such an early age. Dr. Alvarez mentions that the field of medicine is more than just a profession. One can accumulate wealth by doing other things, but he chose this field because it unites the quest for knowledge and understanding with a willingness to serve, to save lives. Since Dr. Alvarez grew up amid a strong family tradition of surgery, he could acquire the rare quality that makes a top surgeon – a keen insight into the pleasures and demands of being a surgeon.

Dr. Guillermo Alvarez, MD is a world-renowned Bariatric Surgeon. As a top expert in his field, Dr. Alvarez is one of the select few bariatric surgeons worldwide to be designated as a Master Surgeon in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation.