A Community-Based Medical School for the 21st Century
The UC Riverside School of Medicine held its tenth Commencement and Hippocratic Oath Ceremony on Friday, June 5, 2026 at the UCR Student Recreation Center. The event marked the SOM’s first unified, shared commencement across degree programs, with 78 Doctor of Medicine (MD) students, 34 Master of Biomedical Sciences (MS)...
As an emergency medical technician (EMT) from 2017 through 2019, Andrew Huang routinely saw seizures as one of his most common calls. He treated several patients in car accidents only to be dispatched to their houses a week later when they had a seizure; other calls were for patients hit...
When a child received a diagnosis for a cardiac issue on one of her pediatrics rotations, Helen Setaghiyan knew exactly what to do. “I ended up talking to the mom about how I received an unexpected diagnosis and the challenges I faced, and how my family navigated that situation,” recalled...
When Andrew McLain started at the UC Riverside School of Medicine in 2020, he was sure of one thing: He did not want to specialize in emergency medicine. For the former emergency medical technician (EMT), “I initially told myself I wasn't going to do emergency medicine because as an EMT...
After studying microbiology in college in Arizona, Jennell Jennett considered becoming a doctor. Yet while working in a primary care office after earning her bachelor’s degree, she soon understood that it wasn’t her ideal career choice. “I realized direct patient care maybe wasn't for me,” recalled Jennett, who will graduate...
Alicia Junker knew she wanted to focus on veterans health for her Master of Public Health (MPH) thesis at the UC Riverside School of Medicine. But initially, Junker, a member of the MPH program’s inaugural class of 2026, had trouble choosing a specific topic. In memory of a friend and...
During one of his pediatrics rotations in medical school, Javier Prieto encountered a young patient with a tumor growing in his kidney. “His relatives had already had kidney problems, so hearing that his kidney would be taken out caused fear within his family,” recalled Prieto, who will graduate from the...
On Friday, the UC Riverside School of Medicine hosted the inaugural UC Summit on Methamphetamine. The daylong event provided a space for leaders in addiction medicine, faculty from UC campuses, researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and more to come together to address the increasing impact of methamphetamine use across California. The summit...
On Saturday, the UC Riverside School of Medicine welcomed the community to campus for Open House 2026. Held from 10 am until 2 pm, the annual event showcased the SOM and illuminated the path to pursuing a career in medical fields. Despite the possibility of rain, over 1,000 people attended...
Every evening, when Doan Khong, MD, came home from his family practice in a medically underserved neighborhood in San Francisco, he brought his work with him. He described his patients, his days, and his purpose. His four daughters listened. “I don't ever remember hearing him complain about seeing patients,” recalled...
Medical students across the nation waited with anticipation on Friday morning to learn where they would spend the next few years of their medical training. At the UCR School of Medicine’s Match Day event, students gathered with their family members and friends to celebrate the news. See the photos taken...
Most of the focus for the Office of Career and Residency Advising (OCRA) comes during Match Week, when fourth-year students find out the location of their residency programs. Yet the job is a year-round commitment to helping students work toward the next stage of their careers. With the results being...
On Wednesday, the UCR School of Medicine Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) hosted the UCR SOM’s first Lunar New Year celebration. The event welcomed over 200 members of the UCR and wider community for traditional activities tied to the holiday...
When UC Riverside medical student Jonathan Ogbogu recently received a $10,000 external scholarship, the UCR School of Medicine featured the story on the SOM News website and shared the announcement on social media. “It was one of the most liked stories I've ever seen on our social media,” said Ross...
Growing up in southwest Virginia, Katherine Browder, assistant dean of Strategic Initiatives and chief of staff of the UCR School of Medicine, frequently saw friends and neighbors who were unable to access quality medical care for their families. The experience awakened her strong sense of fairness. “Anything I can do...
At the 2025 National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) conference in June, a man from the audience congratulated UC Riverside School of Medicine student Joslyn Santana and her mother after Santana received an award. “He said, ‘When I see your daughter go up there, I can see my daughter,’” Santana recalled...
As a medical student, Mahsa Khayat-Khoei, MD, found neurology complex and interesting, but also somewhat intimidating. “You get to study neurons and different diseases that affect different areas of the brain, but there was no treatment, which was disappointing,” recalled Khayat-Khoei, now a fellowship-trained neuroimmunologist at UCR Health. Then she...
As a community-based medical school, the UC Riverside School of Medicine focuses not just on training future physicians but on collaborating with community members to improve health in the area. This effort extends to practicing community-engaged research, an approach in which investigators and community members work together to identify relevant...
A photo of the ribbon cutting for the UCR School of Medicine Education Building II captured the moment the building officially opened, but for Vladimir Oge, MPH, director of Strategic Initiatives (SI) at the SOM, the shot signifies much more. “That I contributed to something that truly is going to...
On Friday, the UCR School of Medicine held the Health Matters Forum Watch Party at the SOM Education Building II. Hosted by Michelle C. Burroughs, DHA, MPH, director of community engagement and outreach at the UCR SOM Center for Healthy Communities, the event welcomed individuals at UCR and interested members...
