One of the best known and foremost Dominican gastroenterologists. He was born in Santo Domingo in June 1952. He received his medical degree from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, UASD, in 1976. After completing his law internship, he studied internal medicine at Padre Billini Hospital in Santo Domingo. In 1978 he moved to the city of London in the United Kingdom where he studied internal medicine at Hammersmith Hospital from 1978 to 1979, then moved to St. Mary’s Hospital until 1981. From 1981 to 1983 he stayed at Wesst Middlesex Hospital and in 1983, after studying internal medicine, he studied gastroenterology and hepatology at the Royal Free Hospital, as a research fellow and assistant to Professors Sheila Sherlock and Roy Ponder. Both internationally recognized professors in gastroenterology and the study of liver disease, Dr. Santana is one of the first Dominicans to receive training in this subspecialty. In the same way, he received a degree in the history of medicine in 1981. In 2002 he also obtained a degree in health management and hospital management. During his years in London he was a diplomat at the Dominican Embassy in London and in 2005 he received the rank of Ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He is a member of Dominican Medical College, of the British Medical Association, of the Royal Society of Medicine, London. Likewise, it belongs to the Medical Research Society, London, to the Latino Association
Since returning to the country in 1986, he has delivered more than 50 lectures in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Guatemala, San Salvador, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Uruguay, Morocco, Poland, Ireland, Italy. It maintains an active participation every year in: American Congress of Gastroenterology (AGA), Pan American Congress of Gastroenterology, Central American Congress of Gastroenterology and World Congress of Gastroenterology, World and European Congress of Hepatology.
He currently practices the profession at the Dr. Abel González Advanced Medicine Center, and is also the Medical Director of the Helicobacter Pilori Diagnostic Center. He is also a medical advisor to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic and the Banco Popular Dominicano. Active member and past president of the Arroyo Hondo Rotary Club, he is a member of the Dominican Society for the History of Medicine.
Dr. Santana is an important asset of Dominican society not only because of his professional work, but also because of his great human qualities. In these times of pandemic, he said so in an interview “We take advantage of these days to write to our colleagues and dear friends who we had distant from time constraints.” An excellent professional and extraordinary person!