Raúl Leonel Castillo Rosix

Native of Santiago de Cuba and from a humble family, he was born in the Santa Úrsula neighborhood. He completed first and second grades at Primary School No. 26, located on Celda Street. Later his parents moved to Ciudad de La Habana, so he continued his studies at the Public School "República de Bolivia" (Soledad Street). Subsequently he enrolled at Superior School No. 1 "José Martí" in Centro Habana, where he completed seventh grade.

At age 12 he began working as an apprentice in a dental laboratory and later graduated as a technician. With the provisions of the revolutionary government he joined the study program and stopped working. He entered the Preuniversity Institute of Vedado through entrance exams, as well as the School of Dentistry of the University of La Habana and there, in 1965, he graduated as a Doctor in Stomatology with outstanding grades. He also completed studies in English and achieved the titles of Specialist of First and Second Degrees in Dental Prosthetics.

His work trajectory as a stomatologist is accredited by the 47 years of service he has, which he has carried out with a high spirit of sacrifice, discipline and professionalism in all the centers where he has worked.

In 1965 he performed his social service at the Rural Hospital "Patricio Sierra Alta", Los Llanos, Gran Tierra de Baracoa. He later served as Director of the Dental Clinic "Ramón López Peña" and the Provincial Teaching Stomatological Clinic of Santiago de Cuba. He currently works at the "Medical-Surgical Research Center" (CIMEQ) in La Habana and is a professor at the School of Stomatology of the University of Medical Sciences of La Habana.

For many years he has contributed to the training of thousands of stomatologists and specialists. His personal qualities of simplicity, modesty, optimism, elegance (as a respectful gentleman in all respects), as well as his kind, gentle and courteous character, in addition to his valuable sense of responsibility, distinguish him as a professor, educator and communicator.

His impeccable professional ethics, his high sense of duty, his excellent human relations with his colleagues, students, patients and family members, classify him as an unconditional worker, exceptional leader, competent professional, vanguard activist and honest revolutionary.

During these years he has held different administrative, political and teaching positions:
- Director of the Dental Clinic "Ramón López Peña" of Santiago de Cuba (1967-1968)
- Deputy Director of the School of Stomatology of the University of Oriente of Santiago de Cuba (1969-1970)
- Director of the School of Stomatology of the University of Oriente of Santiago de Cuba (1970-1973)
- President of the Cuban Society of Stomatology, South Oriente Branch (1976-1980)
- Main Professor of Prosthetics in the Faculty of Stomatology of Santiago de Cuba (1980-1997)
- Member of the Management Board of Scientific Societies of the Provincial Health Sector of Santiago de Cuba (1983-1993)

In all these positions he maintained a decisive role with prestige and dedicated work; he instilled in his successors and new generations the sense of belonging, as well as love for the profession and constant improvement to keep ourselves increasingly capable.

To his attributes as a magnificent leader and worker are added those of excellent educator, with a rich trajectory since 1961:

- Popular Literacy Instructor in the "Las Yaguas" Neighborhood in La Habana

- Teaching Assistant in the subjects Dental Materials and Dental Anatomy at the School of Dentistry of the University of La Habana (1964)

- Teaching category of Instructor Professor at the School of Stomatology of the University of Oriente until reaching in 1976 that of Full Professor of the Superior Institute of Medical Sciences of Santiago de Cuba

- Consultant Professor at the Faculty of Stomatology and CIMEQ in La Habana

He has the privilege of having participated as an alternate delegate of Cuba at the 58th Congress of the International Dental Federation (FDI) in Romania (1970), as a delegate to the FDI World Congress in Yugoslavia (1984), as a speaker at the I International Course of Prosthetics at the University of Pueblas, Mexico (1993), as well as at the VII Scientific Conference of the Scientific Association for the Defense and Research of Dental Prosthetics (ACADEN), in Andalusia and Marbella, in 2001.

From his beginnings he has contributed, and continues to contribute, to educational work: he provided scientific teaching advice in Holguín province, has taught more than 20 postgraduate courses, has supervised more than 14 residency completion theses, has 4 completed research topics; likewise, he has been a member of tribunals in student forums, in more than 50 state exams for residency completion in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Granma, as well as in evaluations for achieving teaching categories, the latter at the Superior Institute of Medical Sciences of Santiago de Cuba. He has published 3 monographs for Prosthetics teaching and 9 works in different scientific information media.

He is a noted innovator, having presented more than 45 scientific articles at municipal, provincial, national and international events and has been an advisor on numerous works.

He was a founder of the School of Stomatology of the University of Oriente, professor of the first courses for dental assistants and of those who currently work at the Provincial Teaching Stomatological Clinic of Santiago de Cuba. As a source of pride for him, he witnessed the birth of the children of many of us, who have had the privilege of receiving his classes and teachings, for which reason he is a professor of 2 generations and who knows if perhaps he could reach 3, with our grandchildren "what a beautiful dedication, with great rewards for Santiago, for being her son, and for La Habana, for his education".

He is a Full Member of the Cuban Society of Stomatology and Stomatological Prosthetics, Founding Member of the Cuban Society of Prosthetics, Buccomaxillofacial Section, Caribbean Medical Association and the Cuban Society for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

He has received numerous recognitions and decorations, but outstanding are the medals awarded by the Council of State: the Literacy medal, the "José Tey" and the "Frank País" of Second Degree, in addition to others such as the "Manuel 'Piti' Fajardo" for 25 years of service; the "28 de Septiembre", awarded by the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution and the one received "For Cuban Education", conferred by the Ministry of Higher Education.

He also holds the distinctions: "XX Anniversary of the UJC", awarded by the National Union of Young Communists; the "Lázaro Peña", conferred by the National Central of Workers of Cuba; the seal "XXX Anniversary of the fall in combat of the Heroic Guerrilla Fighter and his companions", by the National Central of Workers of Cuba; as well as the plaques for the 30th and 35th anniversaries of the Superior Institute of Medical Sciences of Santiago de Cuba and the "The historical footprint of Cuban Stomatology", conferred by the School of Dentistry of La Habana on the centennial of its founding.

Added to these distinctions is having been National Vanguard of the health union in 1985, 1986 and 1994. He has received countless recognitions, diplomas and certificates for his magnificent attitude: outstanding in the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Oriente (1973, 1974), outstanding worker of the year at the Provincial Stomatological Clinic of Santiago de Cuba (1989-1997), vanguard of the Stomatology Section, CIMEQ (2001-2003), as well as outstanding in the Department of Consultant Professors, CIMEQ (2008-2011). In March 2012 he obtained the commemorative seal "XXX Anniversary of CIMEQ".

He was a precandidatе for delegate to the V Congress of the PCC and for Member of the Central Committee by his grassroots organization. He has been recognized for his outstanding work during the stages of the South Summit of the Group of 77 and in the provision of resources for the XV Summit of Heads of State of Non-aligned Countries at CIMEQ.

As a collaborating member of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) he has obtained recognitions for more than 15 years in state security, for his active participation in support of task 98 in defense of the unity of the socialist homeland, for his outstanding contribution in providing resources for the IX Summit of Heads of State and Government and for 10 years as a MININT worker.