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John J. Alvarez, M.D.
Gastroenterologist
About John J. Alvarez, M.D.
He began his journey into medicine while pursuing his undergraduate degree. He had the opportunity to shadow internists at Thomason Hospital in El Paso, TX, and he was amazed by their ability to diagnose and treat complex diseases. After that experience, he felt there was no other career path that would be more satisfying than that of a physician. He chose gastroenterology because it requires a strong background in Internal Medicine as well as a surgical understanding of the human body.
Dr. Alvarez graduated from Trinity University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, followed by a Master’s degree in Public Health from the UT Houston School of Public Health. He next attended medical school at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine, where he also completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine.
Dr. Alvarez received specialty training at Baylor Scott & White, and he worked with an innovator and specialist in the field of endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). That training has helped him to establish himself as a gastroenterologist in San Antonio.
Although all aspects of gastrointestinal disease fascinate Dr. Alvarez, he is especially interested in pancreatic and biliary diseases. Because of his specialized training, Dr. Alvarez has the advantage of diagnosing and treating a wide range of pancreatic and biliary diseases. Endoscopic ultrasound is a great tool that allows him to view, evaluate, and biopsy organs and benign or malignant tumors, both within and outside of the gastrointestinal tract. The use of endoscopic ultrasound in combination with ERCP has decreased the need for ERCP as a diagnostic tool over time, thus minimizing the associated risk of performing this particular procedure.
When he’s not working, Dr. Alvarez enjoys many different types of exercise, including weight lifting, golf, basketball, tennis, snowboarding, and riding his mountain bike. He also likes to listen to live music.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX
Master of Public Health, University of Texas Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX
Doctor of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine San Antonio, TX
Internship, Residency in Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
Fellowship, Gastroenterology Baylor Scott and White Health Central Texas, Killeen, TX
Memberships/Affiliations
Officer and member, Gastrointestinal Interest Group (2011-2012)
Vice President, Latino Medical Student Association(2009)
Member, American Medical Association
Member, American College of Gastroenterology
Member, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Reviews
Dr. Alvarez listens intently. He views patients labs and makes through recommendations of labs, xrays, procedures to help patient's diagnosis.
Your customer service at your Christus, Santa Rosa location is exceptional. They provided nothing other than first class service. The weight was a little long, but that’s OK. Even though he was the bearer of bad news, Dr. Alvarez Treated us with first class treatment .Thank you all for your help.
Dr. Alvarez makes me feel at ease. I have complete trust in him
Doctor was very professional, friendly and willing to answer my questions.
Me Explicó Exactamente Mis Preguntas.
Great visit. The wait time was minimal. Met w Dr Alvarez. Had a good visit...nothing major to review. He spent enough time as needed to review my results from my last procedure.
This was the best experience I had with an EDG procedure! The entire staff was very informative and a pleasure to have!
Dr Alvarez was very interested in what I was going through. He ordered test which I need to put my mind at ease.
Pleasant experience and staff was the best
Terrific staff, easy to get in touch with, and Dr Alvarez is excellent, professional and friendly.
Husband had a colonoscopy 2 days ago. Dr J Alvarez was excellent professional compassionate courteous. His staff also. I recommend him highly. The parking is easy also. Aldridge
Very good visit! Dr. Alvarez is a good and very caring doctor. Staff - friendly and professional.
Dr Alvarez is very professional and takes the time to listen to my concerns. He is an excellant doctor
He’s got a great personality and he’s very knowledgeable about his job. You can tell that he is also very concerned about the patient’s well-being. He is going to keep working it until he finds out what’s causing the problem. I wish there was more doctors like him.
Dr. Alvarez is very kind, and his attitude fosters an atmosphere of trust. Given the type of procedure, this is essential. He was precise and correct in performing the colonoscopy. I did not suffer from any pain or discomfort afterwards. Thank you Dr. Alvarez for your first words when I woke up, which were… “You do not have cancer”… words that brightened my awakening. He is the man👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I'M AURORA G. GARCIA, ENRIQUE GALLEGOS IS MY BROTHER AND I AM HIS POA. WE WERE VERY PLEASED HOW HE INTRODUCED HIMSELF, HIS APPEARANCE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL. HE ALSO EXPLAINED TO ENRIQUE THE SITUATION HIS HEALTH ISSUES ARE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH DR. JOHN ALVAREZ.
My visit with Dr Alvarez was great
The Dr was very knowledgeable and explained my diagnosis thoroughly; he had a treatment plan that is very helpful in diminishing my back pain.
He is very kind and good listener.
Highly professional effective medical care.