His frequent 20-mile runs and passion for poetry routinely exemplify his intense focus on life.
Born and raised in East Los Angeles, Romo, who was among the 50th graduating class at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, grew up in an environment that didn’t lend well for an aspiring medical student.
“East LA is not the greatest neighborhood in the world,” he said, recalling the terrifying time his cousin was shot, leaving him with a gun in his face.
Spending his summers in La Villita, Mexico with his grandparents, Romo credits this second home as instilling his traditional values, a respite from America’s fast pace.
As a teenager, his family saved enough to buy a home in Riverside, California, about an hour from East LA. There he made friends and joined the track team. Of course, the humble doctor pointed out he wasn’t the best, but rather “the number four guy on the team.”
In college at UC Riverside, Romo focused on his studies, his running and his growing passion for spoken word poetry.
After his acceptance to AECOM in Morris Park, Romo continued his running on Pelham Parkway. He also taught young students about poetry and healthy living.
Having graduated on June 5, Romo will soon begin his residency in pediatric medicine at Jacobi Hospital.
While he said he’ll continue to make a home in the Bronx with his wife and Belmont native Dina Rodriguez, Einstein personnel said they see great things in Romo’s future.
“My expectation is that he is going to be an excellent physician and be an advocate for his patients, beyond providing primary care,” said Nilda Soto, assistant Dean of Diversity. “He’s going to be the kind of person who will take a stand for issues of the quality of healthcare.”
