Benjamin Goldstein

Ben was born in Seattle and grew up exploring the surrounding forests and mountains with his family and friends. He then went to NY to attend Vassar College, where he graduated with a degree in Cognitive Science. He still wasn't sure what he wanted to do, and so bopped around for a couple of years working for an international education non-profit, serving in an Italian restaurant, conducting research on psychosocial pain treatments, and traveling. 

While trekking in Nepal, he decided to pursue medicine and then completed a premedical post-baccalaureate at Bryn Mawr College and worked for a year at the CA state COVID lab. He attended UCSD for medical school, and he was overjoyed to match here and join UCLA Med-Peds. Despite promising himself early in med school that he would never take two board exams ... the allure of understanding the progression of health over the lifespan, being able to care for vulnerable people and families of all ages, and the balance of personalities between pediatric and adult medicine was too great to turn away from. 

UCLA was everything he wanted in a program - the wonderful and diverse residents and faculty he met during his interview, the commitment to serving marginalized communities, and the breadth and depth of training experiences, sites, and health conditions. 

He's still determining his career interests, but so far is interested in hospital medicine, gender health/endocrinology, street medicine, palliative care, HIV/infectious disease, and medical education. At UCLA, he has joined the REACH committee as a Community Outreach coordinator to work with local high school students. He is also planning to get further involved with the Med-Peds gender health clinic and street medicine opportunities. 

He loves LA and is so happy to be back! You can find him spending quality time with his partner, going on adventures with his brother, eating tacos or ramen at the local spots, and hiking in the nearby mountains. When he needs a pick-me-up, he binges Avatar the Last Airbender or The Good Place.

Education:

Medical School – University of California, San Diego

Undergrad – Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY