Dr. Luis Pineda's medical career has taken several unexpected turns, but each helped him define his theories on healing. A native of Guatemala, where he completed medical school, Dr. Pineda accepted a colleague's challenge to take the test to do a residency in the U.S. He passed easily and then felt he needed to do something with that open door. He came to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he gained knowledge but did not enjoy the snow and cold. That led to the decision to move to Birmingham, Alabama, for a hematology/oncology fellowship.