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Josefina Vazquez M.D.
Josefina (Dedieu) Vazquez was born in Cuba in 1927. She was one of four children born to her parents. Her father was a security guard and her mother a teacher. They lived a modest life in Oriente, ...view moreJosefina (Dedieu) Vazquez was born in Cuba in 1927. She was one of four children born to her parents. Her father was a security guard and her mother a teacher. They lived a modest life in Oriente, the easternmost province of the country. At the age of four, she moved to Havana with her two aunts. She was educated and groomed to become a doctor, just like her aunt Maria Julia.
In the early 1950s, Josefina met Hiram Vazquez at the University of Havana Medical School. They were study buddies and eventually fell in love. After earning their MD degrees, they married in 1953. They had two children, a daughter in 1954 and a son in 1956. They lived and worked in a rural community called Guasimal, in the south central region of the island.
Young and idealist, Josefina’s husband was an active follower of Castro’s revolution. However, when they discovered that Fidel was affiliated with the Communist government of the USSR and planned to remain in position as “elected” president of the republic, they decided to leave Cuba in search of a government where they could thrive.
Josefina followed Hiram to the USA. They restarted their medical careers by passing the rigorous exam required for foreign medical graduates to practice in the USA. Then they recompleted their internships. They also took the Texas State Medical Board Exam to practice in that state. Since Oklahoma accepts the Texas credentials, they were eligible to work in both.
They were offered positions with the Veterans Administration and moved to Ardmore, Oklahoma. A year later, they started a private practice there. After twenty years, they retired and remained in Ardmore.
Josefina’s life was full of upheavals and changes. Everyone who hears her tell her story suggests she should write a book. So she finally decided to acquiesce to their requests and wrote her autobiography. She is an intelligent person, a dedicated doctor, and a giving mother.view less