When a friend asked James Elkins, UCR School of Medicine class of 2025, to help at an immigration shelter as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Elkins imagined migrants as people escaping persecution to find safety in their new home. “I had this thought in my head that I'm going to...

A few months ago, a patient at the Coachella Valley Free Clinic had an uncommon reaction to a routine blood pressure test. Seeing the high blood pressure reading, the patient began hyperventilating until UC Riverside biomedical sciences master’s student Valeria Barrientos spoke to her in Spanish, helping to calm her...

The University of California, Riverside School of Medicine celebrated the graduation of 74 students in the class of 2025 at its annual Commencement and Hippocratic Oath Ceremony on Friday, June 6, 2025 at the UCR Student Recreation Center. See a photo gallery of the event Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences...

Marina Joseph: Overcoming Self-Doubt to Thrive in Medical School A few days before Marina Joseph’s very first final exam as a medical student, her bag containing her laptop, iPad, and all her notes was stolen. At the time, Joseph, a member of the UCR School of Medicine Class of 2025...

Isaac Owusu-Frimpong, financial administrative officer in the Division of Biomedical Sciences, was named the recipient of the UCR School of Medicine Values in Action Award (VIAA) at the quarterly Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Owusu-Frimpong was honored for his "unwavering commitment to the SOM values," and for...

UCR Health announced on Tuesday, June 3, a major expansion of its clinical footprint, with a signed letter of intent targeting an initial 21 acres in Riverside at the intersection of Valley Springs Parkway and Gateway Drive. The vision for the site will include an outpatient diagnostic center and possible...

Cutting meat at his grocery store job one day, then 19-year-old Paul Patlan had a realization. “I was like, if I don't do something, this is going to be my life and I'm never going to be able to give my children the childhood that I always wanted,” recalled Patlan...

Beginning medical school during the pandemic, UCR SOM class of 2025 graduate Jennifer Pinal studied in a cramped back house with no air conditioning, repurposing second-hand furniture to create a makeshift study space. As a single mother, she balanced medical school with her kids’ Zoom classes, grocery runs, and keeping...

At a community presentation in San Diego several years ago, Declan McCole, PhD, a professor of Biomedical Sciences at the UC Riverside School of Medicine, recalled speaking to a patient about his work on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) when the patient’s husband approached. “He had tears in his eyes, and...

On Monday, the UCR School of Medicine hosted the Biomedical Sciences 50th Anniversary Symposium, marking the culmination of the department’s yearlong anniversary celebration. The event welcomed alumni, former faculty and staff, and current faculty, staff, and students to reflect on the impact of Biomedical Sciences over the years while looking...

Ninety minutes before the start of the 2023 School of Medicine Gala at the new SOM Education Building II, a blown circuit breaker in a nearby building threatened to derail campus catering’s plans. But the more than 300 guests in attendance had no idea that anything was amiss, thanks in...

In early March, researchers from UC Riverside visited Washington, DC, with an important message: If the United States loses its position as a global leader in science, other nations will take its place--and may withhold new discoveries impacting public health, security, and other vital areas. The visit, led by Scott...

The UCR School of Medicine’s Center for Healthy Communities (CHC) and Inland Empire Street Medicine (IESM) program partnered with Temalpakh Farms, run by the Augustine Band of the Cahuilla Indians in the Coachella Valley, to host a two-day nutrition presentation for Nova Academy High School students on April 15-16. The...

The UC Riverside School of Medicine welcomed the community on Saturday to Open House 2025, an annual on-campus event that invites attendees to learn about the school and the path to pursuing a medical career. This year’s event drew a record attendance of over 1,200 guests, including students of all...

The UC Riverside School of Medicine presented its annual Faculty, Staff, and Student Awards at a dinner on Thursday, March 24, 2025 at the UCR Alumni and Visitors Center. Senior Associate Dean of Medical Education Pablo Joo, MD, was the host of the event. Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and...

Adwoa Osei, MD, FAAP, has been named the associate dean for medical education quality and compliance at the UC Riverside School of Medicine. Her appointment begins on July 1, 2025. "Dr. Osei has been an integral part of our School of Medicine for years, shaping our curriculum, mentoring students, and...

On Friday, the UCR School of Medicine hosted match day for the class of 2025. The annual nationwide event gives medical students the opportunity to find out, all at the same time, the residency program where they will spend the next several years of their medical education. Watch the Match...

Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Sciences David Lo, MD, PhD, of the UC Riverside School of Medicine has been appointed to the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Scientific Review Panel on Toxic Air Contaminants. The appointment is for a three-year term. The panel meets quarterly and is charged with reviewing proposed...

The UCR School of Medicine hosted the 41st annual Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)-West Regional Conference on February 8, 2025. About 700 people attended, making it the largest West Regional Conference for LMSA according to Jennifer Pinal, the co-vice president of conference of LMSA West. See photos from the event...

Every day in the office is different for Antonio Garcia, MD, a family medicine physician in Riverside and an alumnus of UC Riverside School of Medicine. “One day, you’re treating a teenager, the next thing you know, you’re removing a skin tag or doing an abscess drainage, and next you’re...