I was born and raised in Manteca, California. At a young age, I had thoughts of becoming a physician. As a child, I did not know that my greatest role models would be my mother and father. My mother, known as a "saint" to the neighbors, is a very strong-willed woman who instilled in me moral values. My father served in the Air Force and ranked #1 in the nation in a National Bookkeeping contest. There was not a week that went by that he did not tell me to go to school and learn as much as I could. They both showed me relentless work ethic.

I attended Manteca High School and played four sports and was captain of the powerlifting team. Sports taught me discipline and the importance of being a team player. At Fresno State University, I achieved the Dean's List and graduated with a degree in Chemistry. After a brief time as a pharmacy technician at Valley Children's Hospital in Fresno, I also worked as a research chemist mixing resins.

I entered medical school at the University of California, Davis and continued my residency training in Internal Medicine at the UC Davis Medical Center. During my time there, I was a recipient of the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund and Student of the Year at the nation's longest running student-operated free clinic for the non-insured, Sacramento's Clinica Tepati.

While a resident at Davis, I was given the opportunity to see patients at Kaiser, South Sacramento. At that time, students were afraid of managed care and Kaiser. The rumors could not have been further from the truth. Kaiser Permanente is a leader in healthcare because it picks top physicians and allows them to practice medicine the way they see fit. I feel very fortunate to be part of this organization, and I feel our patients should, too!

Please help me to care for you by preventing health issues before they arise through a solid foundation of proper diet, regular exercise, avoidance of damaging habits, and moderation in all things. In this way, we can help you to THRIVE!