Gurnick Academy Faculty Showcase: Dr. Guillermo Paredes

Date: August 31, 2023

Dr. Guillermo Paredes, MD.OB/GYN; ARDMS (OB); (AB), RVT, affectionately known as “Dr. G,” has been with Gurnick Academy’s San Mateo (California) Campus since 2006.

World Health Organization

Of noteworthiness, Dr. G worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the jungles of the Amazon, with a focus on infectious disease research. He became engaged with the WHO through a government initiative known as Focalization within the Amazon region in Peru. This program extended financial assistance, human resources, nurses, dentists, medical instruments, medical–surgical tents, medications, and even helpers to carry the equipment by jungle trails.

We arrived at the tribes in boats.

“We arrived at the tribes in boats, necessary for transportation along rivers that stretch almost 200 miles and are 300 yards wide,” says Dr. G, “sometimes taking 1–3 days to reach tribes. The rivers are home to tribes distributed along their banks, with a combined population of 28,000 inhabitants. Our role was to venture into remote regions where people faced elevated health risks. In these locales, life expectancy was merely around 48 years,” he says.

Big Problems

He continues, “We faced big problems there. There were diseases like Bat Rabies, Malaria, Tuberculosis spreading Yellow Fever, etc. Moreover, there was a distressing prevalence of maternal-neonatal deaths and other serious health concerns,” he says. “The best part was helping people who needed it without expecting anything in return. That felt like a special reward or even a blessing.

“Condensing the profound impact of those four years’ journey into a few lines is challenging,” he says. “But it transformed me fundamentally. It evoked within me a genuine sense of being a doctor, leaving an indelible mark that will endure. The lesson learned is that genuine care and compassion can create profound changes in the lives of those we assist and within ourselves,” says Paredes.

Textbooks

Over the years, Paredes has authored several textbooks used by Gurnick Academy students. One is Basics of Vascular Ultrasound, a 108-page book. Another is the Workbook for Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentations (2012). Both are published by Gurnick Academy.

Gratitude

Besides humanitarian efforts and academics, Paredes is respected by students. As one student recently noted, “Everything you teach is essential to our careers. I owe you a ‘thank you’ and a lifetime of gratitude for guiding us down the path to becoming a real nurse.”

Gurnick Academy asked Paredes previously, “As an employee with the Academy for years, what would you say motivates you to continue coming to work every day?”¹

Changed Lives

Paredes answered, “I believe in the organization’s mission and the philosophy that we have had as a school since Gurnick Academy was born. The impact it has on the students, seeing them change their lives, and working to make the school the best in the country are two of the many things that keep me committed.”¹

Paredes has been with Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts as a vocational nursing didactic instructor from July 2006 to the present (18 years). He holds an MD degree from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in San Marcos, Peru.~

Citations

^{1^a, b} “Celebrating Dr. G: Gurnick Academy VN Didactic Instructor.” Gurnick Academy HR Newsletter. August 1, 2023.