Even though Confesiones UPRRP 2.1 has slowed down, the confessions about this individual certainly hasn’t. A former homo cabronus, Arturo decided to change from ADMI, to join all the beautiful sleep deprived students the NATU faculty has to offer. They always say the first impression counts, but clearly they haven’t met this guy. Always full of surprises, a genuine love for his future and some might even call him a legend. Without further ado, meet this week’s campus profile.
Name: Arturo J. Taboas Rodríguez
Age: 22
Major: Natural Sciences – Interdisciplinary Studies (Pre-Med)
Classification: Senior
Hometown: San Juan, P.R.
HCUPR: Tell us about yourself.
Arturo: First of all, I’m a future ophthalmologist. Alright, now that’s out of the way. Some people in the uni know me for my Facebook comments on many groups or the “Confesiones” page (which I’m pretty sure that most of those confessions came from friends of mine), others because professors keep calling my name for being way too distracted in class or half-asleep and then somehow being able to pass the class with a good grade. I love football and the best team in the world is FC Barcelona despite some lost people say it’s Real Madrid. Also, I tend to talk with a lot of sarcasm and irony, something that can make some people love me and other people do the opposite of loving me.
HCUPR: What made you decide to change faculties?
Arturo: Well, the truth is that I just wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do with my life when I was a high school senior. Actually, my initial plans were going to law school, which it’s not a bad plan. People still tell me that I could make a good lawyer. However, I was told that I needed a background that gave me plenty of job security and thus, I chose accounting at first. Now, since in my first year here at UPR, I never studied for anything and I was hanging out all the time, I failed most of my classes. Enter second year, I say to myself “Ok, Arturo, now let’s get serious” and I decided to give accounting a second try. Turns out that I realized, right at that first semester of my second year, that accounting just wasn’t for me. I entered this small crisis moment in which I was just thinking, “What am I gonna do with my life?”. I just have to owe it to a dear friend of mine who just “suggested” that I give natural sciences a try, being that my family is full of medics, maybe I should try going for medicine. And so as it turns out, this was the best decision I made since I actually feel in place here, like I belong on this track. (Thank you, Ivanna).
HCUPR: What are your goals? Long term and short term.
Arturo: Short term: Get straight A’s this semester and get a good MCAT score since I plan on taking it this year.
Long term: Get into some prestigious clinic (Mayo Clinic for example) to do my ophthalmology practice and perhaps go further into neuro-ophthalmology. After I’m done with that, I want to come back here to Puerto Rico since this island NEEDS medics. In other words, when I’m done pursuing my professional career, I want to stay here in my island.
HCUPR: Someone who inspires you and why?
Arturo: I have to say my dad in here. Not only because of his success as a doctor, but because everyone respects him everywhere he goes. He’s the best in what he does and yet doesn’t get full of himself, he remains down to Earth and always does what he does with the only intention of helping the patients. If I get to be only half of what he is in a near future, I’d be more than satisfied.
HCUPR: Favorite quote and why?
Arturo: I can’t say like an “all-time” quote, but there’s this song I heard on Spotify the other day that got stuck in my head. It’s “Ongoing Thing” by 20syl. The main chorus says:
“Don’t give it to me easy, I like a little challenge. Winning feels better when you take a little damage”
Every time I hear that it motivates me in whatever I’m doing. (Studying, gym, etc.)
HCUPR: Best memory you have.
Arturo: There’s too many good ones but I think I’ll go with a trip I made to Barcelona, Paris and Madrid back in the summer of 2013. I mean, I love to travel, especially when it’s to Europe.
HCUPR: If you could trade place with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
Arturo: Footballer Gerard Piqué. He plays an important role in the team he’s always been a fan of (Barcelona), he’s pretty much set for life, has Shakira as his wife and if you hear him talk the guy is just a boss hahaha.
HCUPR: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Arturo: Considering I have about two years left to finish my bachelor’s degree, then comes medicine which are about four more years, after that comes the specialty, which ophthalmology takes about three and I did mention I want to do neuro, that adds one more year. Well, in 10 years I’ll just be getting started in my career if everything goes well!
HCUPR: Anything you’d like to say to the audience?
Arturo: Be the best you that you can be and when you reach that best, try to improve it. Also, reminder that Real Madrid got eliminated by Celta from Copa del Rey.
HCUPR: Describe yourself in 3 words.
Arturo: Ambitious. Humorous. Sarcastic.