Gerardo de la Llera Domínguez

Professor Gerardo de la Llera is Honorary President of the Cuban Society of Surgery. Professor Emeritus, Full Professor and Consultant in General Surgery at the Medical University of Camagüey Branch. He works in the Surgery Faculty of the General Calixto García University Hospital.

His father was a businessman connected to Medicine and his mother had been a laboratory technician. Gerardo de la Llera, during his childhood spoke 4 languages, Spanish, English, French and Italian, and studied with the best professors in Cuba's capital in private schools.

He completed his first and second education studies at the "Instituto Edison" school, where he also completed his high school degree graduating as a Bachelor of Sciences in 1947. He then entered the University of Havana in the School of Medicine, where he graduated as a Doctor of Medicine in 1954.

During his studies from the second year onwards he studied and also worked as an assistant to a well-known surgeon. His work as an assistant consisted of assisting operations performed at the former Quinta Dependientes, now the Clinical Surgical Teaching Hospital 10 de Octubre, in addition to preparing patient clinical histories in the pre-operative period, which gave him skills in the specialty he would pursue after graduation.

Upon completing his studies, Gerardo de la Llera went to Chicago in the United States just as many graduates of that era did, to complete a rotating internship at a hospital approved by the American Medical Association, the Jackson Park Hospital.

Shortly after he returned to Cuba to take the position of internal medicine doctor and it was his responsibility to work at the General Calixto García University Hospital, where he worked until 1959. At that time he was already married and from that marriage he had two children, Elina and Gerardo.

He joined the Rebel Army, although he maintained his work at Calixto García Hospital. In the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) he went through several commands, among them the Tactical Forces of the East under the command of Commander Manuel (Piti) Fajardo, who expressed himself in writing in a letter in a positive way about his performance.

Later he carried out the mission assigned by the General Staff to collect in 1960 in the city of Boston in the United States two revolutionary combatants who were recovering in a hospital in that city. Meanwhile his work in other military departments was as head of war-disabled, in the Casablanca Arsenal, in the Carlos J. Finlay Military Hospital and in the former National Revolutionary Police Hospital (PNR), as a surgeon in both.

At the same time that he developed his military tasks, he fulfilled functions at the University Hospital "General Calixto García" as a surgical resident and later as a specialist in the Service.

In 1961 he began to teach surgery, for which he held the position of Assistant Professor and began in this new task, still without any prior experience.

In 1961 he worked as a surgeon and Professor of Surgery at the General Calixto García University Hospital. That same year, at the request of the country's surgical leadership and the MINSAP, he was transferred to the Clinical Surgical University Hospital "Joaquín Albarrán" where he remained until 1969. During that time, he held positions as head of surgery and Deputy Director of the Hospital.

Subsequently, and always at the request of the leadership of Surgery in Cuba and the MINSAP, he has been in three Teaching Hospitals, including in Camagüey, the Carlos J. Finlay Hospital and the 10 de Octubre Hospital from 1967 to 1983. During this period of time he also held several administrative positions, such as Deputy Teaching Director at the "10 de Octubre" Hospital and Vice Teaching Director of the Province of Havana City.

Again at the Clinical Surgical Teaching Hospital "Joaquín Albarrán" to hold the position of Vice Dean of Teaching of the "General Calixto García" Faculty and at the same time Vice Teaching Director of the University Hospital.

During that time he remained as Full Consultant Professor of Surgery at the "General Calixto García" Faculty and held the position of Secretary of the Caribbean Medical Association (AMECA), as well as the Vice Presidency of the 120 Years Club. For these merits in March 2004, he was awarded the Special Teaching Category of "Professor Emeritus" by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences of Havana.

In 1999, he was elected by surgeons of the country as President of the Cuban Society of Surgery, a position he held until the next election at the 2004 Surgery Congress, where he received the honor of being named "Honorary President of the Cuban Society of Surgery"

Professional Categories
Internal Medicine Doctor at Jackson Park Hospital. Chicago. USA. (1954)
Internal Medicine Doctor of Surgery University Hospital "Calixto García". Position obtained by university record (1955)
Surgery Resident University Hospital "Calixto García"(1958) Position obtained by competition.
Specialist of 1st Degree in General Surgery (1960)
Specialist of 2nd Degree in General Surgery (1967)
Specialist of 1st Degree in Health Administration (1980)
Scientific-Teaching Categories
Teaching Instructor (1959)
Assistant Professor of Surgery (1961) Position obtained by competition.
Full Professor of Surgery (1977) Position obtained by competition.
Doctor in Medical Sciences
Full Consultant Professor of the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences
Professor Emeritus of the ISCM-H.
Honorary Academic of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Granada. Andalusia. Spain (May 2000)

Participation in Events
International Congresses: 49
As a speaker in scientific activities: Lectures (108), Panels in round tables and symposiums (73), Free Topics (128) and Posters (69).

Publications
Book "An Opera Group in Havana. Testimony". Published (Extramuros Editions, Havana, Havana, 2007)
Article "An Opera Group in Havana. Testimony". Magazine of the National Library. "José Martí" Year 97, No.1-2, January-June 2006
Literary Publications of Radio Nuevitas. Short Stories
Publications on CIRURED (WEB Page): (Reflections on Opera, Madama Butterfly. Analysis, Giacomo Puccini. The Preventable Death of a Genius, Death of Enrico Caruso. History of a Medical Error, The Surprise. (Story), The Request (Story), Negro Chiquito (Book of Stories)
Book "History of Couples". Pending publication
Co-author with Ana Estévez in the book "Negro Chiquito".
1st Literature Prize "Histarmed 2009 Contest" The Surprise and The Fortune of the Encounter. (Stories)
1st Narration Prize "November 27, 2010 Contest". Walking His Steps (Story)
1st Testimony Prize "November 27, 2011 Contest". The Academy of Isidro.

He has conducted important research on the topics of Intraperitoneal Infections, Colon and Rectum Cancer and Acute Pancreatitis, among others and in the area of medicine he has 77 publications, including 65 research papers, has been a collaborator of 5 books and appears in 7 audiovisual works.

Decorations and Distinctions
Medal 250th Anniversary of the University of Havana 1728-1978. Awarded by the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba. (1979)
Recognition Diploma delivered by the Government of Nicaragua (1982)
Manuel Fajardo Medal. Awarded by the Health Workers' Union of Cuba (1983)
José Tey Medal. Awarded by the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba. (1984)
Distinction XX Anniversary. Condition of Founder of Higher Medical Education awarded by the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Holguín Cuba (1984)
Distinction for Cuban Education. Awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education of Cuba (1989)
Francisco de Miranda Order 2nd Class. Awarded by the Government of the Republic of Venezuela (1991)
Frank País Order II Degree. Awarded by the Council of State of Cuba (1993)
Diploma for University Dignity. Awarded by the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences Cuba. (1994)
Medal of the Pan-American Association of Anatomy. Venezuela (1996)
Recognition Diploma as founder of teaching delivered by the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences of Camagüey Cuba (1999)
Order of the 70th Anniversary of the Cuban Society of Surgery. Awarded by the Society itself (1999)
Carlos J. Finlay Order. Awarded by the Council of State of Cuba. (1999)
Member of Honor of the Cuban Society of Surgery. (1999)
Corresponding Member of the Surgery Academy of Peru. (2000)
30th Anniversary Medal of the "Ricardo Palma" University. Peru. (2000)
Honorary Academic of the Royal Academy of Surgery of Granada. Spain. Medal and Diploma. (2000)
Medal "XX Anniversary Carlos J. Finlay of the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences of Camagüey" (2000)
Recognition Plaque awarded by the Ecuadorian Society of Surgery (2001)
Foreign Corresponding Member of the Paraguayan Society of Surgery (2001)
Diploma of RECOGNITION for participation in University Brigades of Social Work (B.U.T.S.), signed by Commander in Chief Col. Fidel Castro Ruz (2001)
Medal of the 40th Anniversary of INDER. (2003)
Professor Emeritus of the ISCM-H (2004)
Distinguished Guest of the City of Acapulco Juárez. Mexico (2004)
Diploma for participation in the Ethical Dialogue in the Country (2004)
Diploma for 50 years as a Graduate (2004)
Diploma and Medal in his first Class of the Venezuelan Social Security Institute (IVSS) (2004)
Order "Andrés Bello" 2004. Awarded by the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela delivered in Venezuela in 2005
Recognition Plaque awarded by the Ecuadorian Society of Surgery. (2005)
Recognition Plaque, awarded by the Institute of Higher Studies in Health "Dr Arnoldo Gabaldón" of Maracay. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (2005)
Lifetime Honorary President of the Cuban Society of Surgery.(February 15, 2005)
Invited to the IX Congress of the SNTS (February 15 and 16, 2005)
Recognition Diploma for the XLIII Anniversary of the Victory of Playa Girón (2005)
Recognition Diploma, Ciudad Guayana. Rep. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (June 4, 2005)
Member of Honor of the Venezuelan Society of Medicine and Surgery of Trauma (2005)
Recognition Diploma for outstanding work as FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY of the Sector, awarded by the MINSAP and the SNTS
Letter of Recognition as Expert given by the Organizing Committee of the 50th Anniversary Event of the "Joaquín Albarrán Clinical Surgical Teaching Hospital"
Letter of Recognition as Distinguished Worker of the Center (Faculty of Medical Sciences "General Calixto García") on Latin American Medicine Day
Recognition Diploma at the Consultant Professors Event (December 2006)
Recognition Plaque, given by the Institute of Higher Studies in Health of Maracay, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
National Vanguard. (1991, 1992, 2002, 1993, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Lázaro Peña Medal 3rd Degree. Delivered by the Council of State
Proposed by the National Health Workers' Union as a National Labor Hero.
Certificate of Recognition as Arbitrator of the Habanera Magazine of the Medical University of Havana. (2012)
Diploma as Honorary Member of the Society of Health Sciences Educators. Havana Chapter. (2012)
Certificate as winner of the 1st Prize of the November 27 Contest in the Testimony genre (2011)
Medal and Certificate of the Lázaro Peña Order of Second Class. Delivered by the Council of State. On May 1st, 2013 in the Protocol Hall "El Laguito", after participating in the Tribune during the parade. (2013)