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GENERATIONAL
PERSPECTIVES
JOSE DIAZ, MD JOSEPH DIAZ, MD JOSEPH DIAZ JR, MD
A Father’s
INFLUENCE
By Joseph D. Diaz, MD
In his last semester as a senior at Antonian High School, Dr. spected member of the San Antonio medical community that Diaz
Joseph D. Diaz found himself faced with a dilemma about his fu- was able to have such great success in his beginning years. His fa-
ture. Looking around, he felt that every student knew exactly ther was also a great mentor in teaching both his sister, Dr. Deb-
where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do. He did not. orah Diaz Murphy and himself the business of medicine with these
four lessons at the core: be fair, be generous, know your limits and
At that time, he was already exposed to the medical field by his ask for help.
father’s family practice on the south side of San Antonio and
through his sister Deborah’s experience as a sophomore in the St. However, the influence from his father that he values most is his
Mary’s University’s pre-dentistry program. Taking a closer look at desire to bring quality care to the socioeconomic underserved com-
the root of his dilemma was the awareness that he was questioning munity of the South Side of San Antonio. After 29 years of prac-
his ability to succeed. Once he made the decision to venture down tice, Allergy SA is the only clinic treating asthma, allergy and
the path of medicine, he became obsessed to the point that he immunology conditions in the community that played such a large
earned his B.S. in biology from St. Mary’s University in three years role in Diaz’s upbringing.
with highest honors, allowing him the privilege to attend the Uni-
versity of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. In the second half of his career, Diaz is fortunate enough to take
a stronger mentorship role for the next generation of medical pro-
His father, Jose Diaz, had a tremendous influence on his career fessionals in San Antonio. Not only is he able to mentor future
and that became most apparent as the opportunity presented itself physicians through a partnership with St. Mary’s University, but
to start his own practice. It was through his father’s legacy as a re- he is also able to pass down the lessons he has learned from both
22 San Antonio Medicine • June 2017
