Chapter 1 Flashcards
(10 cards)
What early life experience led Juan Romagoza to consider the priesthood?
Juan grew up in a deeply religious household near the main church in Usulután. At 13, influenced by his devout family and daily mass, he joined a seminary in Santiago de María.
Why did Juan Romagoza leave the seminary and question his faith?
He found the seminary lifeless and unsafe—particularly disturbed by a predatory priest. He missed the communal spirit of Usulután and came home an atheist.
What experience sparked Juan’s calling to medicine?
At age eight, Juan watched his grandfather die of a heart attack while the family waited hours for a doctor. This and other family ailments inspired him to see doctors as “high priests.
How did Juan describe medicine’s role in his life?
He said medicine was like a religion for him, a higher calling through which he could serve others.
What kind of student was Juan, and how did he get into medical school?
Juan was his school’s valedictorian and earned a scholarship from the Casa Presidencial to attend the University of El Salvador for a 7-year medical program.
What disrupted Juan’s medical education in the 1970s?
El Salvador faced political unrest, protests, and government crackdowns that repeatedly shut down the university. Juan used the downtime to volunteer at hospitals.
What was Juan’s medical specialty, and where was he working in early 1980?
He aimed to become a heart surgeon and was doing his surgery residency at San Rafael National Hospital in Santa Tecla.
Who was the patient Juan treated the night of the shooting, and why was his presence at the hospital dangerous?
The patient was a student protest leader from MERS who had been shot by police. Protesters feared hospitals because state forces often abducted the injured.
What traumatic event did Juan witness in the ICU?
Armed men in uniforms and civilian clothes entered the hospital, identified the student, and executed him in his bed. Juan survived by lying on the floor.
Why did Juan collect the bullet casings after the shooting?
He wanted to remember the event and preserve evidence of what had happened.
