About Dr. Martinez When Dr. Martinez was 18 years old, his father underwent open-heart surgery. Rafael was so impressed by meeting the surgeon who had successfully treated his father that he was inspired to become a physician himself. During his medical studies, Rafael was fascinated by internal medicine and its requirements for broad and in-depth knowledge. Today, he is a board-certified pulmonologist with more than 20 years of experience as a physician, and that passion for knowledge and advanced skills continue to grow.