Chief Residents Bios

I was born & raised in the Los Angeles area. Growing up in an immigrant Mexican/Guatemalan household, I was instilled with a strong sense of family and community. Unfortunately, I saw and experienced healthcare inequities that affect my community. Because of this, I grew up knowing that I wanted to be a physician. I attended the Honors College at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) for undergrad and earned by BS in Biochemistry with Summa Cum Laude honors. Afterwards, I completed medical school at Western University of Health Sciences-COMP in Pomona, CA. During medical school I was blessed with mentors, role models, and was involved with the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA). These opportunities, in combination with my life experiences, inspired me to become a Family Medicine physician so that I could care for patients of all ages in communities that are in need. Through meaningful relationships I hope to foster a sense of compassion and empathy to coach my patients and underserved communities to better health. Outside of medicine, I’m very much a “homebody” and love to spend time with family. I also love to powerlift! (but I love food so much so I am forever bulking.) 

Almost all of my life story takes place in SoCal, including childhood (Temecula), high school (Escondido), and medical school (LLU). Additionally, I spent time up in Napa Valley getting my B.S. in Biology at Pacific Union College, where I also met my future amazing wife, Erika! Growing up, I was blessed to have had my Dad as my main medical influence, being a family physician himself. Seeing his love for his work while also having time to be an involved father really inspired me to not only be a doctor but specifically a family physician. I’ve always cherished forming relationships with people and appreciate the broad practice scope that FM entails. My primary hobby is playing all sports: basketball, football, disc golf (fav 4th year activity), pickleball, golf, and most anything else. I’m also (painfully) a diehard LA Chargers fan, which has taught me patience and unwavering dedication amidst disappointment… 
Scholastic and life hardships are part of many individuals’ journeys. For me, reaching the other side not only took personal hard work and discipline, but also profound blessings from God and support from my awesome family and friends. Serving God through this profession is a dream come true for me, and I’m so excited to continue learning and give my patients the quality care they deserve here at LLU

I was born in South Korea and raised in Toronto, Canada. My family became Seventh-day Adventists thanks to a LLUSM alumni, who not only treated my brother without any charge when my family first immigrated but also invited us to attend the SDA church. Since then, my family has been able to live by faith in Jesus. His empathy, warmth, and willingness to help my family in our greatest need inspired me to pursue a career in medicine, a choice that has guided me ever since. After graduating from university, I traveled to Ethiopia on a medical service trip to provide free medical care for impoverished communities. It was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life. As I witnessed vast differences in basic needs and inequalities in health care between developing and first-world countries, my resolve to help underserved populations became stronger. After graduating from LLUSM, I am excited to continue my training here in family medicine. My clinical interests range from lifestyle and preventive medicine to sports medicine. Outside of medicine, I enjoy working out in the gym and watching soccer with friends and family.