San Luis Obispo (SLO) pediatrician René Bravo, M.D., strives to galvanize his community each and every day. His passion for the practice of medicine and his belief that he has an obligation to serve others have made him not only a beloved pediatrician, but also a respected community leader. In fact, in 2017 he was named SLO Physician of the Year by the Central Coast Medical Association.

Dr. Bravo was called to pediatrics because taking care of the younger generation is taking care of the future.

“When you help a child, you potentially influence a human who will live and achieve far beyond your horizons. Investing in making and keeping children healthy affects the quality of the world we all live in,” says Dr. Bravo. 

During his 30+ year career in medicine, his goals as a pediatrician have never changed: to get to know the uniqueness of every child and to affirm, support, and empower families as they travel through the marvelous challenges of parenting.

Dr. Bravo also lives by the mantra that a small act of kindness can go a long way. “It doesn’t take much to affect a whole lot,” says Dr. Bravo. “We often think that our volunteer hours or our gifts to others will hardly have [an] impact. But we are wrong in thinking that. The reverberations of doing any part to make our communities better serves us all.”

Well known for his extensive community service, Dr. Bravo encourages other physicians to get active, stay involved and never underestimate the impact they’re able to have in their communities. Volunteering to be a team physician, conducting sports physicals at the local school or even using your office to station a food drive are all simple ideas he says can make a large-scale difference.

Dr. Bravo believes that physicians have an obligation to serve their communities, beyond the walls of their offices.

“As physicians, we are given a very unique role in society and sometimes the privilege requires a degree of obligation to serve. Seemingly small things mean a lot to others,” says Dr. Bravo. “Remember that it is impossible to stop being a physician even when you are ’not working.’ It is a role that comes with the degree.”

Leading by example, Dr. Bravo has been a positive influence in his local community and medical society. He has earned the respect of his colleagues and trust of his patients through his constant dedication to the job and empathetic heart to those whom he serves.