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Peña, 39, is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Minnesota and the chief of Foot and Ankle Service. He drives cars at track days as a hobby.

Peña’s love of fast cars was born in Brazil and blossomed once he moved to Madrid when he was five. He quickly added medicine to his passions.

“I had the fortune that at very early years, I’d say probably 8 or 10 years old, I really knew I wanted to an orthopedic surgeon,” Peña said. “Not just a doctor, an orthopedic surgeon.” Peña’s motivation came from his fascination with how the human body works. By age 18 Peña was in medical school in Spain and by 22 he was on his way to become an orthopedic surgeon.

Halfway through medical school, Peña had come to the conclusion that medical training in Spain wasn’t ideal and decided it was time for a change. The U.S. medical system has a high reputation in Europe, Peña said. He would move to continue his medical studies.

“The problem was that I didn’t know how to speak English,” Peña said. So for the 18 months leading up to his move, Peña took English classes.

Peña arrived in 1992. “It was a complete catastrophe. I could not understand anything, nobody could understand me,” Peña said. “I would get constant headaches by 9:30 in the morning.” After two weeks of life in the states, Peña had enough and was ready to return to Spain. When he talked to his parents about returning home, they supported Peña and encouraged him to remain in the U.S. for a little while and try to enjoy himself.

“For a long time I never felt like I was being myself,” Peña said. “It is unbelievable how much the way you talk is part of your personality. When you don’t control the language you are speaking, you lose all the subtleties. In my case, being a sarcastic person, even losing your sense of humor.”

Peña began doing research at the University of Minnesota. He became more familiar with the language, despite being “completely, completely clueless” when it came to the never-ending acronyms and abbreviations in the medical field.

Peña slowly adjusted to the “planned” American culture and embraced his opportunity. “I would play games with myself, that everyday I would learn at least five things,” Peña said. “It was pretty obvious that I was becoming richer as a person and an individual, it’s an extremely satisfying feeling.”

Peña remained at the U of M for his orthopedic residency and completed that training in 2000 before spending a year at the University of Western Ontario pursuing a sports medicine fellowship. Between 2001 and 2003, Peña spent short periods of time in Oslo, London, and back in Madrid practicing and completing training. In late 2003, Peña returned to Minnesota as a faculty member in the orthopedic department where he remains today.

“[The best part of the job] is knowing that I make a difference in people’s lives,” Peña said. He has a hard time imagining doing it any other way.

“If I were not going to become a doctor and you grant me a wish list, what I would have been is a professional race car driver,” Peña said. “I am very much a speed junkie.”

Peña started on motorcycles, racing around city streets, and tracks when available. But he stopped riding when a friend was in an accident while chasing Peña through the city. Peña decided he needed two intact hands if he was going to be a surgeon.

Years later and an ocean away, Peña is back on track. The thought that he needs his hands to be a surgeon has stuck with him. Peña now drives cars.

“I can afford to ride a motorcycle,” Peña said. “But I prefer not to do it because I think it’s a little more dangerous and I may finish my career on that unlucky Sunday morning.” Safety measures in race cars such as a roll cage and HANS device mean less worries for Peña.

“I don’t have any concerns for my physical integrity when I drive the car,” Peña said. “I may be naïve but I’m convinced that if one day I smash the car and roll it five times, I will walk out of the car. I will be extremely sad, but I will walk out of the car.”

Medical supplies salesman Eric Schroeder, who works with Peña, generally agreed with Peña’s assessment. “I think driving cars fast, he might wreck the thing and get hurt but you never hear about people breaking their hands in a car accident,” Schroeder said. “I don’t think it’s a risk of his career at all.”

Peña hopes to compete in the Porsche Club of America in 2009. He laughed off the idea of him racing professionally but kept his options open for the future.

“The sky is the limit in driving,” Peña said. “I don’t think I’m the next Kimi Raikkonen but I don’t think I’m slow either.”