She never left the classroom. Not even during the 14 years she served as academic vice-dean of the Faculty of Medicine did she stop teaching undergraduates. Until January 2024, she climbed to the third floor of the school to meet with her students and teach Genetics—the subject she had taught since 1978, back when the Camagüey Institute of Medical Sciences didn’t even exist.
Hilda Elena Iglesias Carnot never planned on becoming a doctor. She says her parents encouraged her to study medicine, but she was afraid of death and unsure how she would handle it. So she chose Biological Sciences instead, graduating from the University of Havana in 1973. Who could have imagined then that she would devote nearly half a century to educating future physicians? Not even her, despite being the daughter of a doctor and a teacher.
“My parents were born in Matanzas. My father came from a very poor family, and my mother from a more privileged one, but they shared a deep love and revolutionary spirit. When they got married, she was already a teacher and he was in his third year of medical school. He had to take out loans to finish his degree, and when he finally graduated, he struggled to find a job. It wasn’t like it is today. He filled in on night shifts for more experienced doctors who paid him for it, but that wasn’t enough to support a family. Eventually, with help from my godfather, he landed a position at Central Francisco—what’s now known as Amancio Rodríguez.”
Although she was born in Havana, Hilda Elena doesn't consider herself a Habanera. Her parents chose to have the birth in the capital due to the poor conditions in the countryside. But 40 days later, they returned to the batey (small village in the countryside) —the workers’ settlement near the sugar mill—where she spent the best years of her childhood.
“I was raised at that sugar mill, and honestly, those were the happiest years of my life. My father was the town doctor, which made him something of a local figure, and my mother taught the community’s children to read. We lived humbly, but we were surrounded by love.”
She completed sixth grade in Matanzas while living with her paternal relatives, separated from her parents and brother. “My father was arrested at the mill during the early days of the Revolution. That was a big concern, as my brother and I were still little. He told my mother to go to Havana or Matanzas, where the family was, but she refused to leave him. So they sent me to Matanzas.”
After the Revolution triumphed, the family relocated to Camagüey, where her father sought better educational opportunities for his children. He began working at what was then called the Mutualismo Integrado de la Colonia Española, now the Pediatric Hospital.
Hilda Elena enrolled in pre-university school at Casino, where she met her future husband, the father of her only son and her lifelong companion. They later moved to Havana to pursue their studies together, marrying after she graduated. He had lost a semester due to his father's illness.
“How did your career begin after graduation?”
“People assume I went straight into Medical Sciences, but from 1973 to 1978, I worked at the Genetics Rescue Company in Jimaguayú. That’s where I did my social service. I was the technical head of the programs, and it was an amazing experience.
“I first trained at ICA—the Institute of Animal Science—where I specialized in genetics. At the time, there were German researchers working on animal behavior studies, and I found it all incredibly exciting and innovative. ICA later recommended me for a position at Rescate, where we had a fantastic, energetic team. We were young and eager to make a difference.”
In 1978, she joined the University of Medical Sciences—though it hadn’t yet been officially named as such. She was pregnant, her husband was about to leave on a mission to Angola, and her parents were aging. These circumstances led her to shift her focus from animal to human genetics.
“I was facing a lot of challenges. When I heard they were hiring professors for various subjects, I applied for a position in Genetics, which was my area of expertise. I was accepted. I had to study medicine too, of course, so I hit the books hard. But it was a great beginning. I reconnected with friends from Amancio who were already doctors. We were a tight-knit group. The Medical Sciences Institute was just starting to take shape.”
Though her heart always remained in the classroom, Hilda Elena also took on many leadership roles. She served as head of the Genetics subject, led the Department of Morphological Sciences, oversaw research in the Vice-Dean’s Office for Research and Postgraduate Studies, and was ultimately appointed academic vice-dean of the Faculty of Medicine.
“Even as vice-dean, I stayed closely connected to my students. I had a lot of responsibilities, but I always made time to teach. Sometimes I’d get home late, because I wouldn’t tend to my administrative duties until I’d finished in the classroom.”
Her students’ affection for her is evident. She earned it through her humility and example—never raising her voice, always listening, always helping. Hilda Elena loves her school. She says so, and she proves it every day.
“I kept teaching until January 2024, when I was asked to take on responsibilities related to faculty evaluation processes. I’m older now, and I have countless challenges—including health issues—but I never mind going to school. Many of the professors I work with today were once my students, and they show me deep respect. I believe that when you do things with love, that respect comes naturally.”
Given the difficult times, when studying often feels like a sacrifice, Hilda Elena sees the professor’s role as more vital than ever. “We need to talk with our students, earn their respect, and support them when they’re struggling—not add to their burden. When I was teaching, I created an environment where students felt safe to share their problems with me. As vice-dean, I could sometimes even offer them financial help through small loans during hard times. Today, when I see some of them working in hospitals, I feel so proud. Some tell me, ‘Professor, without your help, I wouldn’t be a doctor.’”
Although she no longer teaches directly, Hilda Elena remains a presence at the University of Medical Sciences—the institution that has been part of her life for nearly five decades. She’s the kind of professor students never forget. She says that hearing someone call out “professor” on the street is one of the most beautiful things in the world. She beams with pride when she walks into a hospital and sees a former student.
That pride is mutual. Generations of doctors remember the professor who never stopped learning, who never stopped caring. This August, she will turn 79, and her drive to contribute shows no signs of fading. Her legacy is one of humility, respect, and quiet strength.
“Can you imagine? I’ve been at the school since 1978.”
Can anyone ask for more to feel truly happy? Perhaps just a note like the one she once received from a student who wrote, with heartfelt gratitude:
“Professor, thank you not only for teaching us to be doctors, but for teaching us to be good people.”
Her story is woven into the fabric of medicine in Camagüey. It lives on in every doctor she taught, every life she helped shape. That has been her path—and it will always be her joy.
Translated by Shelsia Alyeh del Pozo Milera (3rd year English Language Student)
Corrected by Linet Acuña Quilez