Rodrigo Jiménez

Santiago Cabrera as Rodrigo

A newer resident of Port Charles, Rodrigo Jiménez moved to the city in early 2018 after having spent three years in four different countries while serving in Doctors Without Borders. A skilled trauma surgeon, Rodrigo was hired by General Hospital shortly after his move, and has since become a dedicated staff member.

## The Journey to Doctor

Born in Artesia, New Mexico, to Rubin and Paloma Jiménez, Rodrigo was the third and final child for his parents, completing a very happy family. Alongside happy, the Jiménez family was extremely close knit, and decently well off thanks to Rubin's accounting company. Both Rubin and Paloma wanted the absolute best for their children, often wholly supporting their dreams and aspirations for the future, even those that were unlikely to pan out.

As the youngest child, Rodrigo's parents were expecting him to be the kind of terror that a youngest child tends to be: daring, attention seeking, and gregarious. Instead, Rodrigo turned out to be the exact opposite.

From child to young adult, Rodrigo had more of a tendency to keep to himself rather than go out and socialize. He focused more on his studies and a small group of friends rather than entertaining the idea of going out to parties. Rodrigo only double downed on this idea after some mandatory volunteer hours in high school led him to volunteering at the local free clinic, where his interest in medicine began.

Rodrigo would soon start to volunteer outside of classroom requirements, and he doubled down by taking summer classes in order to graduate from high school a year early. Graduating at the tender age of sixteen, Rodrigo was quick to look into medical schools, both of his parents proud and happy to support in the cost of tuition his scholarships did not cover.

By eighteen, he made his decision: the UC San Diego School of Medicine. Moving away from home took some adjustment, and while he visited his home as much as possible during his years away, he could never see himself doing anything else.

For a while, Rodrigo was torn between a couple different medical fields including oncology and neurology, but he eventually decided on the path to become a trauma surgeon. It was a competitive field, one with high stakes, undeniable pressure, and intense training. With an abnormally cool and collected demeanor, Rodrigo passed his classes and labs with flying colors. His internship and residency went just as well, and by the time he was twenty-eight, he was officially Dr. Rodrigo Jiménez. Instead of getting settled at a local hospital in San Diego or moving back home to apply for a position at Artesia General Hospital, Rodrigo decided to take off in order to get involved with Doctors Without Borders. There were parts of the world that desperately needed a doctor, one who genuinely cared about their patients no matter the circumstance, and Rodrigo wanted to be that for them.

During his three and a half years in Doctors Without Borders, Rodrigo spent time in Afghanistan, Haiti, Nigeria, and Syria. He feels that he's done a lot of good in those countries, but he's also seen more grief, suffering, gruesome injuries, and loss in a very short period of time. It was beginning to take a toll on him, and after a particularly devastating loss, Rodrigo decided to take some time off and move back home.

After spending about eight months in Artesia with his family, Rodrigo was able to mostly recover from his time overseas and readjust to civilian life. However, with the local hospitals and clinics being fully staffed, Rodrigo had to search elsewhere to find a job as a trauma surgeon. This led to General Hospital extending a job offer during the summer of 2018, and considering their reputation, Rodrigo happily accepted.

## New to Port Charles

Rodrigo officially settled into Port Charles in July of 2018, where he was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome given to him by the General Hospital staff. Despite being on the quieter side, Rodrigo has made a few good friends during his year in Port Charles, including Lucas Jones, Sabrina Santiago, and Patrick Drake.

He was very devoted to his job and a bit oblivious to the attentions of women. This could be seen when he met Isabella Sanchez, who came to him needing medical attention. Despite being repeatedly hit on by Belle, he did not seem to pick up on her signals. The closest she came to getting him to agree to anything was buying him a coffee if she happened to see him outside of the hospital.

## Personality

At his core, Rodrigo is a kind and generous man who will consistently put everyone he cares about first, regardless of the situation. He has a big heart and a lot of devotion, both of which were a convincing factor in his decision to become a doctor. Though he can be shy in the early stages of getting to know someone, once he has come around, Rodrigo is easy going, good-humored, and caring.

Rodrigo is also level-headed and calm under pressure, which aides him in his work. He is difficult to anger, and often takes time to think things through before reacting, which can often give people the impression that he's even quieter than he is. However, this tends to go unnoticed by Rodrigo, as does most things concerning himself. This has resulted in a lot of missed signals from women who would like to get to know him better, as Rodrigo can be somewhat oblivious to attention or interest that is given to him.

## Important Relationships

* Lucas Jones: The first friend he made while working at General Hospital. The two have forged a good friendship, and Lucas often invites Rodrigo to join him and Brad for holiday dinners.

## Crimes Committed

* Illegally used his own blood to give an injured child an emergency transfusion
* Assisted in several instances of illegal border crossing
* Withheld information from law enforcement officials

## Health and Vitals

* Preformed multiple surgeries without proper protection from disease
* Suffered a concussion and temporary hearing impairment after the hospital he was stationed at overseas was attacked in a bombing