Every morning for the past 15 years, I have crossed the border to perform advanced medical procedures and challenging surgeries in my state-of-the-art hospital that features the latest equipment and technologies. Our Obesity Control Center facilities rival any hospital in the United States and because of that we have been designated by the U.S.-based Surgical Review Corporation as an International Center of Excellence.

I say all of this not to brag but rather to provide a more accurate perspective of Tijuana, a bustling metropolis that suffers from the worst, and most unfair, reputation imaginable. I am an American citizen and bariatric surgeon and I choose to practice in Mexico, though I have the skills and experience to practice anywhere in America. In fact, I have personally trained many of the world’s top bariatric surgeons, including over 100 in the United States alone. I was recently named one of the Top 15 Baratric Surgeons in America by Newsweek magazine.

Sadly the Tijuana shown in the movies is nothing like the one in reality. We are a major global center with thriving industries and leading thinkers and artists. Situated as the world’s busiest entry into Mexico, we attract some of the best and the brightest. Our buildings are modern, our facilities first rate.

Because of our advanced development, Hollywood actually has to go elsewhere to film the “Mexico” that they expect viewers will identify with. Apparently, it’s hard to film a street with modern hospitals, Costco, Applebees and Burger King when people have the perception that it is all dirt streets with chickens scattering in front of dilapidated jalopies that hiss and spit smoke.

I wish you could see the Mexico I do every day. Brilliant medical minds and technicians that provide healthcare services to scores of American every day. In fact, 85% of our patients are from the U.S. Most of the rest are from Canada. They choose us over their own countries.

Mexico. It’s more than sombreros and mariachis. It’s a true global community and it’s at your doorstop. Join me for a walk across the border some day.

Learn more about Dr. Ortiz at http://obesitycontrolcenter.com/