Dr. Antonia Novello

In 1990, the U.S. Surgeon General was Dr. Antonia Novello. She was the first woman to have this job. She was the first Latina, too. The Surgeon General is the nation’s main doctor. She does research. She tells the public what she finds. Novello taught about the dangers of smoking and drinking alcohol. She told the companies that make beer, wine, and cigarettes to stop trying to get teens to buy their products. She taught people how to keep from getting AIDS, too.

Novello was born in Puerto Rico. She earned a medical degree there in 1970. She always wanted to become a doctor. But she didn’t know that she’d one day be the most important doctor in America.

As a child, she had a health problem. It hurt a lot. But she did not get the operation she needed until she was 18. While growing up, Novello didn’t want other kids to feel sorry for her. Although she was in pain, she made jokes. She laughed a lot. She made friends with everyone. But she worked hard to earn good grades. Later she had a set of operations during medical school. Yet her grades did not fall. She always did her best.

Novello was shocked when she was asked to be Surgeon General. She wasn’t looking for a new job. President George Bush spoke to her himself. So Dr. Novello took the job. She left after three years. Today she still works to improve health care for women, children, and the poor.