Dr. Reinaldo Morales II, a general surgeon, grew up in Kansas and received his medical training in St. Louis, Missouri. He has worked as a burn/trauma surgeon in the military and now as a general surgeon. All contribute to a well-traveled and highly experienced professional.
He has since settled in the Rio Grande Valley, where he now calls the region home.
From Missouri, he reached the Lone Star State and San Antonio via the Air Force to work at the Burn Unit at the San Antonio Military Medical Center. “I was there for four years, doing a burn fellowship initially, then I was deployed for seven months in Afghanistan,” Morales said. “When I returned, I primarily performed general surgery until I left the military in 2019.”
He said he does not see as many burn patients in the region, but his skills apply to other local needs.
“I haven’t yet had a big burn come in that needed skin grafting,” he said. “However, I use a lot of the same principles with wound management. We have a lot of diabetic patients who have bad infections, where we may have to cut out a lot of tissue. Sometimes, part of the closure includes skin grafting. So there are parts of my burn training I still use.”
His admittance to the U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program put him in a great position to get financial help with his schooling and gave him a chance to work in unique conditions for a surgeon. He has also helped advance the education and research in his fields by contributing to numerous publications and presenting at the national level.
He has also helped advance the education and research in his fields by contributing to numerous publications and presenting at the national level.
Life in the Valley
He has been in the Rio Grande Valley for two years but has quickly gained the respect of patients and fellow physicians alike. “The Valley operates very differently than places I’ve been before,” he said. “There are a ton of physicians and medical facilities. There is a huge medical community, but there is such a large population that there is always a need for more physicians and more recruitment.”
He said that because of all the clinics and hospitals, there is no shortage of care, which works for both patients and doctors.
“It’s a good system to be in from a work standpoint. I always have plenty of work,” Morales said. “From a patient standpoint, it’s good for the patient because they have a lot of options.”
He went on to say the personality and culture of the community are noticeable.
“I’ve never met a population of patients that is so grateful and thankful for everything that you do for them. The culture here is very gracious, warm, and compassionate,” Morales said. “It’s great to be introduced to that, and I am fortunate to participate in that.”
RGV Health Resurgence
Morales has been in the area for a couple of years but is already seeing the fruits of hard work and medical education pay dividends to the Valley.
“The local medical school is now keeping people down here for school and recruiting people to attend,” he said. “That greatly increases the chance that people are going to want to stay and serve this region when they graduate and complete [medical] school. That helps fill gaps in this area.”
Morales said that families are closer-knit in the Rio Grande Valley compared to other places he has worked.
“It’s very family-oriented here,” he said. “It is rare to have a patient that doesn’t have any family with them or someone they want you to talk to or visit with after surgery,” Morales said. “That is unique to this area. Having the experience of working in other areas, it’s common in other places for someone to have no friends or family — that doesn’t happen in the Rio Grande Valley.”
From medical education to family values, a man who comes from the heartland has found his adopted home in this unique and special place where healthcare and family meet in a one-of-a-kind way.
