When Rene Bravo, M.D., was 13 years old, he was diagnosed with lymphoma. He received treatment at City of Hope, a leading cancer care hospital in Los Angeles. Although it was a difficult time in his life, Bravo’s illness proved formative. It was the compassionate care from the pediatric oncologists there that inspired Bravo to become a doctor himself.
“It’s the piece that tells you the why,” said Bravo, who has been a pediatrician for more than 40 years. Even in partial retirement, he continues to see patients — his favorite part of the profession — and advocate for them. He currently serves as the president of the California Medical Association (CMA).
Throughout his career, Bravo has provided healthcare for children along California’s Central Coast while also advocating for those in need. “Helping the underserved, the underprivileged, I think that has been an important part of my career, because that’s really dovetailed with my faith,” he said. Advocacy has also shaped Bravo’s leadership. As president of the CMA, he serves as a legislative advocate at both the national and state levels and helps guide and craft policy decisions that affect doctors and patients throughout California. “Essentially being the president of the nation’s largest medical association is about advocacy and representation,” Bravo said.
His current presidency builds on decades of service within the medical community. Bravo has held previous board and trustee roles with the CMA as well as the San Luis Obispo County Medical Society and other medical organizations. He also served the United States Pharmacopeia, a nonprofit organization that sets standards for the safety and quality of drugs in the United States and abroad, for 20 years. While these leadership roles helped prepare Bravo for his current position, it is his love for children and families that provides his motivation for the often challenging work of advocacy.
“You know, the desire to serve never ends,” he said. “On the topic of serving, of servant leadership in the context of being a believer in Jesus Christ … we don’t have to wonder about where we should go sometimes, because Christ gave us the greatest example of how to love and serve our fellow humans. And he didn’t make our love for people conditional. It’s for everybody.”
Bravo’s commitment to service has also taken him beyond the medical community in California. Early in his career, he served with a Nazarene orphanage in Central America. More recently, he has participated in medical missions in Romania, Argentina, and Cuba.
Bravo has remained closely connected to Point Loma, a place he credits with deeply shaping his life and vocation. “I can tell you that Point Loma has always been a precious place to me, because it’s there that so many key decisions and encounters happened that really directed my future,” he said. “I met my wife there, which was the greatest gift that came out of Point Loma, I’ll say that unapologetically. And I met a lot of really important people who I still share relationships with. And frankly, I developed a deeper relationship with the Lord … It’s a very special place.”
“We don’t have to wonder about where we should go sometimes, because Christ gave us the greatest example of how to love and serve our fellow humans.”
Today, Bravo serves as president of Research Associates, the alumni auxiliary that supports undergraduate science research at PLNU. He is also a member of the university’s Board of Trustees.
“I think it’s really important that we speak to the future leaders of society, many of whom are coming through the Point now,” he said, explaining his commitment to the university, “and make sure that they understand that serving and leading and working to make this world a better place is congruent with the calling of the Gospel. And it’s congruent with the roots that we have as a denomination. And it’s also congruent with our witness. If we understand where we come from spiritually, we can serve the best.”
