Victor M. Gonzalez, Jr., MD ’15, would just like to say thank you — to the educators who believed in and encouraged him throughout his academic career; to the University of Wisconsin–Madison mentors who hosted him at a summer program as a curious high schooler and who welcomed him back years later as a medical student; to his partner, Krystal Gonzalez, who makes having both a robust career and a rich family life possible; and to the profession that fulfills his intellectual curiosity and interpersonal nature by allowing him to help people achieve a better version of themselves.
“To get to where I am, I definitely couldn’t have done it alone,” Gonzalez says. “I am part of this collective group that is behind me. Without them, I would not be here.”
As a psychiatrist in San Antonio, Texas, Gonzalez seizes new opportunities every day to honor his forebears by using his skills to make life more livable for those struggling with their mental, emotional, and behavioral health. But his giving back takes many forms beyond his private practice. For instance, he is an adjunct professor in the Psychiatry Residency Program at the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, for which he formerly served as an associate program director. The school helps train the next generation of clinicians in community-centered care and treats underserved populations. Gonzalez trains residents and provides care at Televero Health, a telepsychiatry practice that strives to increase access to mental health care. Through Televero, Gonzalez serves patients as far south as his hometown of Laredo, Texas, on the U.S./Mexico border.
“What drives me is knowing that I can help others, I can connect with others, I can teach others, and I can give of myself in ways to make this place better,” Gonzalez says.
Here, he reflects on many aspects of his career and life.
You devoted years to educational exploration and made a career switch before medical school. Describe that time.
I attended a magnet high school for health and science, so it was something that I thought I was going to do. I went to college at Duke University, where I continued to enjoy my pre-med classes, but I really fell in love with chemistry, and I guess I got cold feet. I was two weeks away from taking the Medical College Admission Test, and I thought, “Is this really what I want to do? I haven’t explored anything else.” I decided to pause and explore chemistry.
I ended up at the University of Illinois, where I realized I really liked chemistry, but I wasn’t sure if I loved it enough to stay in that field for the rest of my life, so I got into business consulting. I really enjoyed using the critical-thinking skills from my lab work, but I saw that in business consulting, maybe I could use some of my soft skills, my interpersonal skills.
I learned a lot about industrial and organizational psychology, but at the end of the day, it led me to realize that I still wanted to be involved in a field where I could use my knowledge of science and my analytical skills and find a career that was more fulfilling. That’s where medicine came back into the picture.
It’s a decision I definitely would make again. I loved exploring these other fields and knowing this was the right path for me.
I had no idea I was going to become a psychiatrist when I started medical school at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. I thought I would go into family medicine or internal medicine. But after my psychiatry rotation, I had that “aha” moment and thought, “This is a field where I could really use all my skill sets.”
I don’t know what I am going to be doing in five years, and that’s a good thing. Right now, this is what I love. But as the trajectory of my career has shown, it’s about being curious and not being afraid of failure, not letting fear drive you and keep you from doing these things. The less fear I’ve had, the more I have been able to do. I hope to instill that in my patients and residents so we are able to move forward boldly to make this a better place.
Was it always your goal to open a private practice?
Not at all. Like a lot of things in my life, I had no idea what it would lead to.
It has never been my only job, but it has allowed me to approach mental health in a way that focuses on the patient — getting their needs met and meeting them where they are. I don’t have the restrictions of seeing a certain number of patients in a certain amount of time. I have more flexibility, and the patients seem to enjoy that.
This has allowed me to do things like more therapy. I know it’s easy to get into this mindset of, “As a psychiatrist, we just prescribe medicine.” But we do so much more than that, and it has allowed me to utilize all my skill sets and provide more robust, wrap-around care for patients.
Being in my private practice, I am fulfilled because I can help my patients in more ways than one. I pride myself on not just prescribing medications but being able to do psychotherapy and helping patients understand themselves. That’s a journey that I am fortunate to be part of.
What led you to focus on adult and geriatric psychiatry?
I really enjoy the dynamic of not just being able to help geriatric patients but also, to a certain degree, help support family members because they are prone to caregiver burden and burnout.
Also, I didn’t want to lose some of my medical skills. One of my initial fears when I went into psychiatry was, “Am I going to use my medical knowledge?” Well, I have used my medical knowledge every day, and especially as a geriatric psychiatrist working with older adults who have medical complexities. You have to be aware of those and how they can influence mental health and how medicines can influence physical and mental health.
Does your patient demographic face any common struggles?
I think depression and anxiety tend to be common in that population, but also cognitive disorders, like dementia. We also have older adults who maybe, throughout their life, have not sought help. Perhaps the stigmas of mental health that preceded us were the barriers that kept them from seeing a psychiatrist, but I think that’s where we can facilitate conversations and normalize their experiences.
The cognitive disorder side, I feel, is where there’s a lot of need for education to help people understand how these disorders come about, to set expectations about the course of illness, and to help caregivers prepare for what’s to come. The goal is to improve the patient’s quality of life and make sure caregivers are taken care of or supported so they can offer the best care to their loved ones.
How do you take care of your own mental health?
It’s about always maintaining a running list of my priorities and values. High up there, I have family and profession. My profession is in my top two. As long as I can fulfill my roles in both of those in a very satisfactory way, that keeps me going. I make sure to spend time with my family, such as traveling and taking time for dinners and activities together.
With work, it’s all about enjoying every day, expressing gratitude, and saying, “I am living this dream of helping others and being able to be in this profession that I absolutely love even though it comes with its challenges.” I’ve been in places previously where it wasn’t fulfilling. Being able to reflect on those days makes even the hardest days worthwhile; this keeps me going. Every day, you have the opportunity to have an impact on people’s lives.
You recently established the Dr. Gloria V. Hawkins Medical Student Scholarship. What inspired you to honor your former mentor in this way?
People like Dr. Hawkins have always been there for me. I met her in high school when I did a summer program at UW–Madison. To look back and say, “Yeah, this kid from South Texas is going to go to the UW to do research”—it left a big mark on me as far as what I was capable of doing and what could be done if more people were given those opportunities.
I am one of many, many individuals Dr. Hawkins has helped throughout her life. She was the director of the summer program that got me to UW–Madison, and she has led many similar programs that have helped underrepresented minorities and students of color that have opened doors for people like me. Now that I am at a point where I can give back, it was a no-brainer for me to honor a great mentor and such an instrumental figure in my life.
I hope this creates an opportunity to honor her, not just for what she has done, but in the years to come. My hope is that we keep remembering her and people like her who help others. If we all contributed in a similar way, we could transform this world for the better.
If you are interested in contributing, you can make a gift in honor of Gloria Hawkins, PhD.