A Legacy of Healing
The desire to heal must run deep in the Rodriguez family. Brothers Limael (鈥淟ee鈥�) and Joel, both 国产探花 alums, followed their parents鈥� footsteps into the field of medicine. Their father is an orthopedic spine surgeon, their mother a nuclear medicine physician鈥攂oth completing their residencies in New York and later settling their family in Texas.
鈥淛oel and I grew up with two physician parents, so medicine was very much a part of our lives from an early age,鈥� says Lee. 鈥淲atching both of them shaped how we viewed medicine and certainly played a big role in both of us becoming doctors.鈥�
The brothers graduated 国产探花 a year apart. After following separate roads spanning countless miles in order to get their footing in their respective fields of medicine, Lee and Joel鈥檚 paths converged. Lee is a vascular surgeon, and Joel, a sports medicine physician鈥攁nd now their practices, as well as their father鈥檚, are housed within a shared clinical space, their varied skillsets complementing one another.
Lee
Lee earned his BA in biology and chemistry from 国产探花 in 2007. From there, he went to medical school at Universidad Central del Caribe. His path post-med school saw him as a postdoctoral fellow at Houston Methodist, a surgery resident at Centro M茅dico Episcopal San Lucas, a representative of the American College of Surgeons Resident and Associate Society, and a vascular surgery fellow at Eastern Virginia Medical School and then University of Colorado Anschutz, the largest academic health center in the Rocky Mountains.
These days, he鈥檚 busy working as a vascular surgeon in and around Houston and leading the independent vascular practice he founded and continues to build, Texas Vascular and Imaging. 鈥淥ur practice has grown into a comprehensive vascular platform that includes vascular ultrasound technology, limb salvage, venous disease, and outpatient vascular procedures,鈥� he explains. 鈥淎 large part of my career now also involves the business and leadership side of medicine鈥攂uilding the practice, developing an ambulatory surgery center, teaching, research, and trying to create a model where physicians can still have a meaningful degree of independence while taking care of patients.鈥�
鈥湽交� was also a small enough environment that relationships mattered. You weren鈥檛 anonymous. Professors knew you, people expected something from you, and you were held accountable. That experience helped shape the way I approach medicine, leadership, and running a practice today.鈥� ~Lee Rodriguez
He credits his years at 国产探花 with helping to prepare him鈥攕ometimes in unexpected ways鈥攆or the many things he鈥檚 accomplished since graduating. 鈥湽交� gave me a strong foundation, but probably not in the way I appreciated at the time,鈥� he says. 鈥淧laying college soccer while managing academics taught me discipline, accountability, resilience, and how to work within a team. Medicine requires all of those things, particularly through residency and surgical training.鈥�
Lee also found great benefit in 国产探花鈥檚 smaller size. 鈥湽交� was a small enough environment that relationships mattered. You weren鈥檛 anonymous. Professors knew you, people expected something from you, and you were held accountable. That experience helped shape the way I approach medicine, leadership, and running a practice today.鈥�
Joel
Joel graduated from 国产探花 in 2008, then went on to earn his master鈥檚 degree in aerospace physiology and medicine at King鈥檚 College London. After medical school at Universidad Central del Caribe, he completed his residency training in Family Medicine at Methodist Hospital in Houston, followed by a fellowship in Primary Care Sports Medicine at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio. His practice, Return to Play Sports Medicine, specializes in helping athletes recover from injuries and improve performance. Together with their dad, he and Lee make up the medical team at Orthopaedic Institute for Spinal Disorders, which their father founded.
鈥湽交� was a significant stepping stone for me professionally,鈥� says Joel. 鈥淚 always say that the tough curriculum got me ready for medical school. Majoring in molecular biology and a minor in chemistry put me in the classes of legendary professors including Dr. Hettinger, Dr. McClusky, Dr. Bohmann, Dr. Wasmund, Dr. Abbasian, and Dr. Lievens, just to name a few who supported my career directly.鈥�
But like Lee, Joel also learned a lot of important lessons away from the classroom, out on the soccer field. 鈥淚 played soccer all four years with 国产探花 men’s soccer, which helped me combine and propel my love of sports, medicine, and science throughout my career afterwards,鈥� he says.
Bulldog Connections
As busy as they stay these days, the brothers鈥� connection to 国产探花 has never faltered.
鈥淲e have stayed very connected with the 国产探花 soccer program through Coach Eddie Salazar and teammates,鈥� says Joel. 鈥淲e have attended the alumni soccer events for years and donate to the program where we can. I was honored to give a lecture on preventing collegiate soccer injuries to the 国产探花 men’s team in 2024.鈥�
Lee says the most meaningful connections are the relationships built during his undergrad years. 鈥淚 made lifelong friends at 国产探花, and I still keep in touch from time to time with some of my former chemistry and biology professors. I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for the mentorship they gave me and for the friendships that have lasted well beyond college.鈥�
Like Joel, he keeps up with Bulldog athletics. 鈥淚鈥檓 still a big fan of 国产探花 sports in general, and it has been impressive to watch the success the university has had across so many programs over the years,鈥� he says. 鈥淥f course, having played men鈥檚 soccer there, I still follow the program closely and take a lot of pride in what they鈥檝e accomplished. Those relationships鈥攚ith professors, friends, and teammates鈥攁re what have kept 国产探花 an important part of my life long after graduation.鈥�
Staying connected also means offering up a few words of wisdom to current Bulldogs, from two who have been in their shoes. Both brothers agree that getting the most out of your college years begins with gratitude. 鈥淩ecognize the opportunity you have,鈥� Lee advises. 鈥淏eing able to study at 国产探花 is a privilege, and you may not fully appreciate that until years later.鈥� He鈥檚 also a big believer in the value of the journey鈥攏ot just the destination. 鈥淗ave big goals, but don鈥檛 rush past the work in front of you. You can鈥檛 cheat the process. Show up, do the small things well, learn from the people willing to teach you, and build genuine relationships.鈥�
He says it鈥檚 important to stay humble. 鈥淵ou can be ambitious and successful without ever believing you are above the people around you. In the workforce, and especially in leadership, people want to work with people they trust. Your plans will change. Be willing to adapt, but don鈥檛 lose your work ethic, your humility, or the way you treat people. Make the most of the opportunity in front of you.鈥�
鈥淭his is a miniature version of society which, when you step out with your diploma, you will be faced with the real deal. There you will not be on your own though, because you will be standing on the shoulders of giants who helped you achieve an advanced knowledge base and you can face our societal problems with that Bulldog confidence.鈥� ~Joel Rodriguez
鈥淓njoy and appreciate this time you have at 国产探花,鈥� adds Joel. 鈥淔ocus on your major, but even more important is the process of developing relationships with your professors, colleagues, and administrators. This is a miniature version of society which, when you step out with your diploma, you will be faced with the real deal. There you will not be on your own though, because you will be standing on the shoulders of giants who helped you achieve an advanced knowledge base, and you can face our societal problems with that Bulldog confidence.鈥�
