Alumni Profiles

Octavio Elizondo, D.D.S.

Dental graduate exudes community spirit

Even before graduating from the Dental School, Octavio Elizondo, D.D.S., was already showing a sincere commitment to members of the community.

In 1996 as a junior, he founded the student chapter of the Hispanic Dental Association. Rather than have the organization be just a support group for Hispanic students, Dr. Elizondo wanted his group to focus on outreach and education efforts. “We had an activity every month,” he said.

In recognition of his efforts, the Hispanic Dental Association presented him with a Distinguished Student Award at its annual meeting in Orlando that year.

As a senior, Dr. Elizondo stepped down as head of the student organization and served as student body president, again concentrating on outreach efforts.

Dr. Elizondo has worked hard all his life. Born and raised in a small town in the Valley, he was the oldest of six children. He began working at age 12, washing the lunch dishes in his school cafeteria to help out his family. Throughout high school he worked at a grocery store.

At Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and the elite Sul Ross Volunteers, he maintained copy machines, washed dishes and worked as a nighttime disc jockey, while still managing to get good grades and drill with the corps at dawn every morning.

Dr. Elizondo originally wanted to be a veterinarian. He changed his mind after attending a presentation given by Joseph Berrong, D.D.S., chairman of the Department of General Dentistry at the Dental School. That sparked an interest in dentistry and led to a job as a dental assistant to learn more about the career.

Dr. Berrong continued to mentor him throughout Dental School, and after graduation asked him to teach part time at the school. Dr. Elizondo was delighted to accept.

Now, in addition to running a successful private practice, Dr. Elizondo is a clinical assistant professor. He also is on the planning committee for the Hispanic Dental Association’s next annual meeting to be held in San Antonio.

Peter Ramirez, M.D.

Double alumnus establishing scholarship

Establishing an endowed scholarship requires diligence and commitment—qualities not lacking in Peter Ramirez, M.D. 

A graduate of the Medical School, Dr. Ramirez received his Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS) from the School of Allied Health Sciences. Now a practicing pathologist, Dr. Ramirez is looking to help current CLS students finance their education. A direct-mail campaign is focusing on professionals with similar backgrounds to Dr. Ramirez’s.

The youngest of six children, Dr. Ramirez grew up in Laredo. He was fascinated by biology in high school and received a full scholarship to Laredo Community College, where he earned an associate degree in 1978. Upon leaving Laredo, he enrolled in the CLS program at the Health Science Center to learn medical technology. After graduating summa cum laude in 1981, he went to work at University Hospital.

As a medical technologist, “I immersed myself into not only teaching residents about the work in the lab but learning from them the applications to direct patient care,” he said.

This spark of interest led Dr. Ramirez to enroll in courses on weekends and evenings in order to complete his pre-med requirements and then gain acceptance to the Medical School. He credits Dr. James Jorgensen, pathology professor, with urging him to get his medical degree.

“At first I thought I would pursue a career in internal medicine and infectious diseases,” Dr. Ramirez said. However, Dr. Nan Clare, a mentor, advised him to investigate the field of pathology.

With her encouragement, he took an elective in anatomic pathology during his fourth year of Medical School. “I just loved it,” he said. “It was nothing like I expected based on my experience during a previous pathology course. Essentially, pathologists are the physician’s physician. I found the work both challenging and fascinating. I had found my niche in medicine.”

Since graduating in 1990, he now works closely with medical technologists, histotechnologists and cytotechnologists; analyzes patient tissue samples; and works with radiologists and oncologists to diagnose and determine treatment for patients with cancer.