Miami Proud: Firefighter injured in accident realizes his dream of becoming a doctor

FORT LAUDERDALE – Becoming a doctor is no easy feat. Now imagine doing it as a second career after an accident that nearly killed you.

One such South Florida physician is making Miami Proud with his passion and persistence.

“Emergency medicine is the heartbeat of the hospital and the community,” said Dr. Christopher Nunez.

He knows that firsthand and from all perspectives. First as a paramedic, then as a patient, and now, as a doctor at Broward Health.

“For the last 20 years of my life I was a paramedic firefighter here in the city of Fort Lauderdale,” Nunez said. “After 19 years, I was involved in an accident and I could no longer be a fireman. So I decided to go to medical school.”

Nunez loved his job with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. But one morning in 2017, he was riding his bicycle and collided with a van on State Road A1A. It was his turn to be taken to the hospital as a trauma patient.

He underwent multiple surgeries and made an incredible recovery, but was unable to do his old job. So at 41 years old, he decided it was time to follow his dream of becoming a doctor.

“The biggest obstacle is the amount of studying you have to do. You have to spend six to eight hours every day of the week studying,” Dr. Nunez said. “The amount of material they say is like trying to drink out of a firehose, which is kind of perfect for me.”

He drank it all in, combining what he learned in medical school with what he learned on the job as a paramedic firefighter. Now, he’s working alongside the doctors he used to hand patients off to.

“Deciding to not let anything stand in his path, overcome adversity and apply to medical school later than a traditional medical student would, it’s just been an inspiration to all of us. We’re thrilled to have him,” said Dr. Jason Mansour at Broward Health’s Emergency Medicine Department.

Dr. Nunez hopes his days as a patient are over. He just had his last neck fusion surgery a few weeks ago, just in time to start his intern year of the residency program at Broward Health.

“The fact that I’m walking when I should have been paralyzed kind of gives me the drive to do what I’m doing now,” Dr. Nunez said. “I want to give back. I want to feel like I have a second chance.”

Now 46 years old, Nunez has three years of residency ahead of him. He says he’d like to stay working at Broward Health once he completes the program.