• Medical Education: Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) School of Medicine – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  • M.D., 7/2023

• General Surgery Residency: Baptist Memorial Medical Education Program (2026 - Present)

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Research Fellowship

• Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  University of Arizona College of Medicine, Department of Surgery
  August 2024 – June 2026

  • Led clinical and translational research projects from concept to publication.
  • Conducted institutional and national database research, statistical analyses, manuscript preparation, and grant development.
  • Participated in multi-institutional trauma collaborations, IRB development, and peer review activities.
  • Received the Core Facilities Pilot Program Grant for research examining frailty and immune-endocrine responses in geriatric trauma patients.

His dedication to scholarship, mentorship, and community service reflects his belief that excellent surgical care requires not only technical skill but also meaningful patient relationships and cultural understanding.

• Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
• Emergency General Surgery
• Surgical Critical Care
• Global Surgery
• Surgical Education and Mentorship

• Published Articles
  • Silence of the Brittle: The Role of Frailty in Pain Perception and Management in Geriatric Trauma Patients (Journal of Surgical Research, 2025).
  • The Alarming Surge of Driving Under the Influence-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes (Journal of Surgical Research, 2025).
  • A Narrative Review: Resuscitation of Older Adults with Hemorrhagic Shock (Transfusion, 2025).
  • Trends in the Management of Peripheral Arterial Injuries: A Five-Year National Analysis (Journal of Surgical Research, 2025).
  • Look Me in the Face and Tell Me That I Needed to Be Transferred: Defining the Criteria for Transferring Patients with Isolated Facial Injuries (Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 2025).
  • Prehospital Whole Blood Use in Civilian Trauma Care: A Review of Current Evidence and Practices (Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 2025).
  • Does Frailty Predict Readmission and Mortality in Diverticulitis? A Nationwide Analysis (Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 2025).
  • Predictors of Discharge Against Medical Advice in Pediatric Trauma Patients: A Nationwide Analysis (Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 2025).
  • Report Cards Are Out: Nine Years of Nonoperative Management for Blunt Abdominal Solid Organ Trauma (Journal of Surgical Research, 2025).
  • Uncovering Gender, Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Disparities Among Adolescent Survivors of Suicide Attempts in Trauma Centers (Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 2025).
  • After 4,000 Damage-Control Surgeries: Are We Doing More Damage? (Surgery, 2025).
  • How Volume of Neurosurgical Interventions Impacts Patient Outcomes: An Analysis of 30,000 Craniectomies and Craniotomies (Annals of Surgery, 2025).
  • Early Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Brain Injury Guidelines 1 and 2 Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: A Five-Year Analysis (Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 2025).

• Book Chapter
  
  • Castillo Diaz F, Huckeby R, Joseph B. Use of Direct Anticoagulants. In: Venous Thromboembolism in Trauma: Prevention and Treatment from Admission to Discharge and Beyond. Springer, 2025.
• Presentations
  
  Dr. Castillo Diaz has presented research at numerous national and international surgical meetings, including:

  • American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST)
  • Western Surgical Association (WSA)
  • Western Trauma Association (WTA)
  • Academic Surgical Congress (ASC)
  • American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress
  • Southwestern Surgical Congress (SWSC)
  • Pediatric Trauma Society (PTS)
  • Military Health System Research Symposium
  • Chest Wall Injury Summit
  • University of Arizona Department of Surgery Research Symposium

Leadership & Teaching

• Surgery Clerkship Clinical Instructor
  University of Arizona College of Medicine
  Taught suture skills, knot tying, instrument handling, and foundational surgical techniques to medical students.
• Medical Education Coordinator
  Arizona Trauma Association
  Assisted with organization of statewide trauma education programs, symposium planning, and academic programming.
• USMLE Step 1 Tutor
  Project IMG
  Mentored more than 20 international medical graduates through individualized educational plans and weekly teaching sessions.

Community Service & Global Outreach

Dr. Castillo Diaz has been actively involved in community service throughout his education and training. As a volunteer with Operation Smile, he participated in surgical missions in the Dominican Republic, serving as both a surgical assistant and translator for international cleft surgery teams. He also spent several years working with underserved children through the La Puya Calasanz Cultural Center, helping provide educational support and mentorship to students from disadvantaged communities.