First Year Residents (PGY-1)

Hometown: Northridge, CA
Medical school: Harvard Medical School
Pronouns: she/they

I’m Julie, born and raised in the San Fernando Valley before I went to New England for high school, college, and medical school! It’s so wonderful to be back home with my family and serving my community.

Growing up in Los Angeles as a child of working-class immigrants, I saw the ways in which the U.S. healthcare system left many individuals behind, including my own family members. As a first-generation college student at Harvard, I studied Social Anthropology and completed my senior thesis on the ethics of community-engaged health research with indigenous communities. After graduating, I returned to LA to expand food access and health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic. I also did some ethnographic research in South Korea under a Fulbright, where I explored Jeju-Do’s wellness tourism industry in the context of the erasure of the island's history of political violence and ongoing militarism. I applied to medical school with an interest in primary care and community medicine, and I found my home in family medicine. My FM preceptors working in the safety net hospital system continually learned new skills that the community needed the most, whether that was fertility care, addiction support, colposcopies, LARC placement, gender-affirming hormone therapy, outpatient HIV management, abortion care, preventive medicine, menopause therapy, prenatal care, and more. Family medicine centers on lifelong accompaniment and meeting the needs of the community — values that are central to my practice of medicine.

I chose UCLA-Santa Monica Family Medicine for its unique combination as the best of all worlds: We both train in the County safety net hospital and clinic system (based in the San Fernando Valley, where I grew up!) as well as with UCLA’s amazing specialist and research community in Santa Monica/Westwood. As an academic program, we also have the opportunity to teach medical students at UCLA DGSOM. Coming from Boston and Harvard, where we lack a Department of Family Medicine, it is so cool to see family medicine work across so many settings and populations in our residency program. I was also so impressed with how happy and brilliant the UCLA FM residents were, and I can confirm that since starting the program, I am still so impressed with how brilliant my co-residents are :) They are the coolest people I know who do so many amazing things both within and outside of medicine!

Outside of medicine, I love reading and writing, hanging out with cats, cooking, spending time in nature/foraging/gardening, exploring tide pools, and spending time with my family, usually eating delicious Korean food with them.

Interests in FM: primary care, gender-affirming care, reproductive justice, women’s health, LGBTQ+ health, community medicine

Hometown: Reno, Nevada
Medical School: University of Reno, Nevada
Pronouns: she/her

I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada and went to undergrad and medical school at UNR. Growing up close to the mountains and Lake Tahoe, I spent my childhood skiing in the winters and hiking/exploring in the summers. My family is Basque and I’m a fifth generation Nevadan, but the first in my family to become a doctor. Most of the women in my family are teachers, so the importance of education and teaching was instilled in me early and I hope to teach often in my future career as a family doctor. 

I chose Family Medicine because I enjoy the breadth of knowledge we have and the chance to impact a person’s life over a long period of time. My bachelor’s degree is in Nutritional Science and in medical school I have loved women’s health and fertility. I love the idea of having a broad scope of practice and the flexibility to evolve my practice as I evolve as a person. I’m passionate about advocacy, policy work, and medical education so I see a career with these aspects in my future!

In my free time I love to be active. After I tore bilateral ACLs skiing, I’ve gotten into weightlifting and enjoy the gym. I also love skiing, tennis, and hiking. I completed my 200hr Vinyasa yoga teacher training in 2022 and enjoy continuing my practice on the mat. I’m an avid baker and love the kitchen. Finally, I’m an avid reader and love new and old books, TV, and movies!

Interests in FM: female and male reproductive health, lifestyle medicine, nutrition, sports medicine, obesity medicine, addiction medicine, LGBTQ care, teaching, pediatrics 

Hometown: Redwood City, CA
Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Hi everyone! My name is Megan Huynh, and I’m originally from Redwood City in the San Francisco Bay Area. After eighteen years in California, I decided to try out the East Coast for a change, and I went to college at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where I studied Healthcare Policy. In undergrad, I helped start a mutual aid organization to address resource inequities during the pandemic and also volunteered in my college EMS group. After graduating, I loved DC enough to stay at Georgetown for four more years, this time for medical school. My third year, I participated in Georgetown's Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship, allowing me to rotate in primary care specialties for six months, which confirmed my desire to practice in a specialty that allowed me to build long-term relationships with my patients. I also was fortunate enough to be selected for the AAFP's Emerging Leader Institute, where I received funding and mentorship to conduct a year-long leadership project on Asian American health data disaggregation. 

I chose family medicine because it aligned most with why I went into medicine in the first place—to build strong relationships with my patients, learn from my experiences caring for them, and advocate for my community, both inside and out of the clinic and hospital. I am absolutely thrilled to be training at UCLA (and finally back home in California!) because of its hybrid of academic and community medicine, which I know will help me become a well-rounded and culturally competent family physician. There are endless opportunities to learn in whatever area I hope to pursue, something especially appealing to someone who wants to do a little bit of everything in her future! The people here are also so kind, passionate, and multifaceted, and I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by co-residents as excited about family medicine as I am. 

Outside of medicine, I am a serial hobbyist (similar to my broad interests in FM!) and I enjoy everything from working out and doing yoga to baking and crafting. I also love exploring new restaurants and coffee shops, catching new movies at the theater, and reading anything I can get my hands on. 

Interests in FM: community health and advocacy, reproductive health, addiction medicine, academic medicine, LGBTQ+ health, palliative care

Hometown: Lakeport, CA
Medical school: UCLA-PRIME
Pronouns: she/her/ella

Heyyyy! My name is Denise and I am the proud eldest daughter of farmworkers born and raised in a small, rural agricultural town called Lakpeort in Northern California. My why medicine stems from my time migrating with my family to Oregon to work in the fields as a cherrypicker during the Summer. 

I was the first in my family to attend college and I received a BS in Human Biology and Society from UCLA after which I completed a post-bacc program at Charles R Drew. During my 4 enrichment years, I worked as a Community Health Rep for Tribal Leaders and as a Service Coordinator for the Regional Center where I feel like I learned about important social services that make a difference in patients' lives. For medical school, I attended UCLA PRIME-LA, which is a program that focuses on creating physician leaders and advocates to serve communities that face health disparities. I pursued an MBA at UCLA Anderson where I completed a capstone in Social Impact Consulting. During my time in medical school, I focused on bringing the stories of farmworkers and raising awareness of the impact that occupational health hazards have on their health. To do so, I co-founded a medical student organization called La Cosecha, translating to “The Harvest.”

For me, Family Medicine feels like home. I love the continuity, the patient education, the advocacy, and the patient relationship that become so crucial in managing a chronic condition. I chose UCLA for my residency because its large variety of locations and systems in which we practice will allow me to serve the needs of my community when I return to practice there. 

I am a Hufflepuff. Outside of medicine, I love going to the movies, the beach, hot tubing it, and hanging out with friends. 

Interests in FM: farmworker health, rural health, occupational health hazards, reproductive health, advocacy & community health, acupuncture, sports medicine 

Hometown: Media, PA
Medical school: Sidney Kimmel Medical College (Thomas Jefferson)
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Hi there - I’m Julia! I was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and got my first taste of the West Coast when I moved cross-country to study Human Biology at USC. The Covid pandemic hit in the middle of my junior year, leaving me some extra time to complete a specialization in computer programming. Outside of pre-med courses, I spent a lot of my free time volunteering with families in South LA through afterschool and summer programs, which served as my true introduction to the communities of Los Angeles.

I trekked back to the East Coast for a gap year and then medical school at Thomas Jefferson, eventually finding my love for family medicine after a long clerkship year of exploring. As a medical student, I dedicated much of my time to research, including a QI project and population health work, health policy (both at the Pennsylvania state level and national level through the American Medical Association), and medical education initiatives. These involvements definitely played a role in my specialty choice–family medicine’s multidisciplinary nature means I never have to choose between my interests and there will always be room for new ones! 

I am ecstatic to be training at UCLA for residency! From the first information session I attended during interview season, it was clear how well-trained, supported, and happy the residents were. I ultimately chose UCLA for the strong academic foundation and opportunities to care for multiple patient populations throughout Los Angeles.

Outside of work, you can catch me trying a new coffee shop or restaurant, spending time with my fiancé and friends, or looking at adoptable dogs online!

Interests in FM:  reproductive health & justice, geriatrics, inpatient medicine, advocacy & community health, academic medicine

Hometown: Monterey Park, CA
Medical school: California University of Science and Medicine
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Hi I’m Sarah! I'm a SoCal native and grew up in the SGV. I went to undergrad at UCLA, so I’m thrilled to be back on the west side for my training. I had an early exposure to medicine after my family was in a car accident when I was young, and I've been wanting to become a doctor ever since. What drew me to medicine and what continues to inspire me to pursue this career is the connections we make with others. I love that Family Medicine is all about building trusting, longitudinal relationships from the womb to the end of life. It's truly so amazing the breadth that FM can cover, making every day a new learning experience. 

As the first physician in my family, I've come to see the privilege I've had in pursuing higher education and how it's impacted my own decisions about my health. My goal as a doctor is to be able to share medical knowledge and educate my patients so that they are able to have the agency and tools to make the choices that are best for them. I chose UCLA FM because of their unique training in both community and academic settings (and of course, the best residents!!) I'm excited to join my fellow colleagues in becoming advocates for our patients and centering our care around their needs. 

Outside of medicine, I love anything related to food, from eating out at restaurants, cooking dinners with friends, baking, and going to farmers markets. I love coffee and tea (and I'm so grateful to live in a city that does too!!) I also enjoy playing volleyball and thrift shopping :)

Interests in FM: community medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, immigrant health, lifestyle/culinary medicine, medical education 

Hometown: Sylmar, California 
Medical school: Keck School of Medicine of USC
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Hi everyone! My name is Alexa Montes De Oca. I’m a California girl, through and through. I grew up in Sylmar, California and my parents both immigrated here as teenagers: my mom from Zacatecas, Mexico and my dad from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. My path to medicine was ingrained in me ever since I was eight years old when my mom told me the story of my life-saving intussusception surgery at 8 months old at CHLA and, from then on, I wanted to heal others in a similar way that I experienced personally. 

I went to UCLA for undergrad where I majored in Psychobiology and during my gap year, I worked as a birth and postpartum doula where I learned some of the most special lessons in this field. For medical school, I snuck into enemy territory and went to USC. Here, I used my background as a doula to co-found the Patient Support Program through which I trained medical students to support patients at Los Angeles General Medical Center (LAGMC) through labor and abortion. I also taught diet and exercise classes to the surrounding community and mentored underrepresented students in medicine through LMSA. I found Family Medicine late in my 3rd-year clerkships when I realized it would grant me the privilege of assessing and supporting every aspect of someone’s care and, not just once, but over and over again. I believe the relationships you build with your patients in primary care is so special and unlike any other.

I chose UCLA for its strong alignment with my career goal of integrating academic and community medicine and its commitment to serving vulnerable populations in the Valley, a community I have called home for all of my life. The residents were also so kind, fulfilled, and WELL, something I really wanted to be in residency.

Some of my interests outside of work include traveling near and far (Lake Como, Italy is pictured above!), shaking through lagree workout classes, trying new matcha lattes, and watching musicals— anything involving good food and good times with the people I love!

Interests in FM: reproductive health, underserved populations, integrative medicine, academic medicine, community medicine

Hometown: Leesburg, VA
Medical school: Loma Linda University 
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Hi I’m Kasia! My full name is Catherine, but I go by Kasia which is the shortened Polish version of Catherine! I was born in Poland, but moved back to the U.S. when I was two years old and grew up in Ashburn, Virginia. I spent much of my childhood playing soccer which led to me playing soccer at my undergraduate school at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. After undergraduate, I decided to do a year long service program through FrancisCorps where I lived in a community with 7 other people and served at a hospice home in Syracuse, New York. This experience was foundational for me in sparking my interest in Palliative Care and service to vulnerable communities. After spending 5 years in the cold, I was ready for sunny California and set off to Loma Linda University for medical school with my now husband. There I learned how to intertwine my Catholic faith and medicine by seeing medicine as a way to be God’s hands and feet in serving those in need. I also was able to join the Lifestyle Medicine track and get incredible training and exposure to the field of Lifestyle Medicine. 

I love the breadth and freedom family medicine offers to address so many aspects of holistic care with our patients. I especially love lifestyle medicine and talking about not only the importance of nutrition and exercise, but in having community and a support system. I love trying out new healthy recipes and created a medical student cook book during medical school that focuses on quick and easy whole-food plant based recipes! As a family medicine physician, I hope to build long lasting relationships with my patients focusing on a holistic approach that incorporates lifestyle medicine while also being able to pursue a fellowship in Palliative Care. I could not be happier to have the opportunity to train at UCLA-Santa Monica and to learn from physicians who truly put the community needs first while also having incredible academic rigor. Best of all, my co-residents are amazing, selfless and giving people who I am so lucky to be alongside during this journey. 

Outside of medicine, I love anything outdoors including hanging out at the beach, running, hiking, camping and just enjoying the California sun. I love going on new adventures and exploring the many things California has to offer including going to Disneyland! I also love to cook and to get fresh vegetables at the many farmers markets Santa Monica has to offer! 

Interests in FM: palliative care, primary care, lifestyle medicine, obesity medicine

Hometown: Carlsbad, CA
Medical School: Creighton School of Medicine- Phoenix
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Hi, my name is Erin! I grew up in Carlsbad, CA, and moved up to LA for undergrad, where I played soccer at Pepperdine and majored in Sports Medicine. After college, I spent a year living in Santa Monica and working as a medical assistant. I then moved to Phoenix for medical school, where I fell in love with the opportunity to connect with and serve the community through our free clinics. I also found a passion for humanities in medicine and thinking about how our patients’ stories shape the way we care for them. One of my favorite parts of medical school was helping start a Nutrition and Medicine program, where we taught patients at our local free clinic about nutrition and how small changes can make a meaningful difference in their health.

I knew I wanted to be a physician after working in clinics as an undergraduate and realizing that I had found what felt like the best job in the world. I love being able to show up for people when they need someone in their corner, and I am a big believer in the power of a story. I feel incredibly privileged to build longitudinal relationships with patients, get to know the people behind their medical problems, and advocate for the things that matter most to them. 

Coming back to Los Angeles as a resident physician has been a dream of mine, and I feel incredibly grateful to be at UCLA. I am drawn to the blend of academic and community medicine here, and to the opportunity to learn from mentors who are helping me become the kind of doctor I want to be. Most importantly, the residents here are some of the most thoughtful, brilliant, and genuine people I have met, and I feel lucky to learn from each of them.

Outside of medicine, I love doing anything outdoors, running, playing soccer, and recently getting back into surfing. I also love reading, finding good coffee shops with my fiance, and spending time with my kitten, Vinny.

Interests in FM: sports medicine, nutrition and lifestyle medicine, women’s health, community medicine

Hometown: Sierra Madre, CA
Medical school: Keck School of Medicine at USC
Pronouns: she/her/hers/ella

Hi all, my name is Megan Tcheng. I grew up in Sierra Madre, CA, tucked right up against the San Gabriel Mountains. Make sure to ask me about the black bears that love to steal the fruit from our front yard!  After journeying off to the Midwest for college and spending my gap years in Boston and Washington DC, I finally made it back to LA for medical school — and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to leave again!

My first exposure to medicine came through my father, who was diagnosed with kidney failure in his early 20’s and received a kidney transplant just as my parents were preparing to start a family. Growing up, I learned how to unscramble the names of his immunosuppressive medications and understand how medical advancements helped keep his body functioning, seemingly against all odds.

Throughout my training, I’ve sought ways to act as an advocate for patients, in the same way my father’s doctors helped him navigate his ever-changing medical needs. As a street medicine volunteer, I partnered with unhoused patients to improve their access to healthcare services and build a network of resources within their communities. Similarly, as a member of USC’s Primary Care Program, I taught health engagement classes at our local Wellness Center to raise awareness about chronic disease management. 

Ultimately, after residency, I hope to pursue a career that embraces the interdisciplinary nature of family medicine, with a specific focus on women’s health and community medicine. UCLA stood out to me because of its focus on providing broad-spectrum training in a wide range of different clinical environments. 

Outside of work, you’ll usually find me digging into an overly ambitious craft project or taste-testing a new recipe. I also love planning mini field trips to explore new picnic spots, restaurants, and hiking trails all around LA — please share any and all recs! 

Interests in FM: women’s health, pediatrics, community medicine, and street medicine, and a little bit of everything in between!

Hometown: Redlands, CA
Medical school: California University of Science and Medicine
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Hi! I’m Amily :) I was born and raised in the Loma Linda/Redlands, CA area as a child of refugees from the Khmer Rouge. Naturally, this had a huge impact on my upbringing, and my parents never failed to emphasize the importance of community and serving others. I ended up majoring in Neuroscience at UC Riverside, and while in undergrad I also started working at LLUMC as a scribe in their emergency and behavioral health departments. My experiences there solidified my interest in medicine and showed me what it means to care for the medically underserved. I was lucky enough to be able to stay in the area for med school at CUSM, where it felt like I was able to give back to the community that raised me. Throughout my time there, I realized that the thing I loved the most about medicine was building meaningful relationships with patients. FM is unique in that it gives you the opportunity to help people not just through medicine alone, but also through providing an empathetic ear and creating connections within continuity of care over a whole lifetime. With my upbringing, I think this is especially important in vulnerable populations that have historically lacked trust in the medical system.

I'm so excited to be starting residency at UCLA and serving its incredible, diverse community. So much of FM is understanding the people you serve and finding the best ways to help them, and it feels like this program really equips you with all the experiences you need to do that. I haven't fully decided what I want to do after residency, so it's comforting to know I'll be prepared for anything. A big reason I chose UCLA was also the people in the program itself. I immediately felt at-home during my sub-I, but I was also always pushed to grow and felt like everyone here was genuinely rooting for me. It was a singular experience, and I feel so lucky to be returning!!

Outside of medicine, I'm an avid knitter, cop show enthusiast, amateur gardener, and mom to two senior bunnies with my partner, Caleb!

Interests in FM: primary care, palliative care, community medicine, women’s health

Hometown: Bedford, NH
Medical school: Johns Hopkins University SOM
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Hi! My name is Clare Zarka. I grew up in New Hampshire but have been working my way towards warmer weather ever since. I moved to Philly to attend Temple University, dreaming of one day becoming a doctor. My plans took a detour as I got involved in different street outreach and community programs while simultaneously growing in my faith. After graduation, I decided to join the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and moved to San Jose to work at a drop-in center for people experiencing homelessness. JVC changed my life! Here, I discovered that working with unhoused individuals was where I felt most fulfilled and most needed, and where I experienced the deepest sense of connection, meaning, and joy. It’s also where I met my biggest role model, a nurse and living saint, who added a drop-in center, case management services, a reentry program, and mobile medical units all from a free clinic. She simply listened to the needs of her patients, and I realized pursuing medicine did not mean abandoning this population, but instead provided a unique position for advocacy and accompaniment.

I moved back to the East Coast for med school where I was involved with longitudinal accompaniment programs like Refugee Health Program and Patient Partners for people with housing insecurity. Seeing the barriers my patients faced in accessing care, I was drawn to family medicine’s commitment to breaking them down. In situations that can feel futile or forgotten, I love being able to say to anyone, with any concern: we are here for you, we will do everything we can to figure this out, and we will be back too. Family medicine’s broad scope, procedural training, and adaptability to patients’ needs felt like the perfect fit for caring for people experiencing homelessness.

I was initially drawn to UCLA because of the opportunity to work on a family medicine team at a community hospital while also learning evidence-based medicine within an academic institution. Ultimately, though, it was the people at UCLA who sealed the deal. Everyone I met was incredibly kind and down-to-earth, confident in their training, and genuinely excited to be doing what they do. I could feel how much people cared for and supported both their patients and one another, and I knew I wanted to learn in that kind of community. I’m so grateful to be here and to learn from everyone in this program!

In my free time, you can find me reading on the beach, running on the beach, or laying on the beach!

Interests in FM: street medicine, community medicine, medical education