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, a member of the UCR School of Medicine class of 2025.

Patlan sought advice from his uncle, a certified nursing assistant, who suggested that he become a licensed vocational nurse (LVN). Though Patlan had never heard of the occupation, he contacted a nearby school from a number he saw on television. Two weeks later, he quit his grocery store position and enrolled.

For Patlan, who had never attended college and was caring for his young daughter at the time, the one-year, full-time program felt like the hardest year of his life. “I didn't know how to learn, I didn't know how to study, and I just pushed through it,” he recalled. “When I got out of it, I was like, ‘I never want to be in school again… I'm done.’”

In fact, Patlan’s time in school was just beginning. He will graduate from the UCR School of Medicine in June, but completed a long and challenging path, with many intervening years of study, to reach this point.

From the food industry to vocational nurse to medical school

As an LVN working with hospice patients, Patlan found that he enjoyed making a difference in the lives of patients and their families. He became close to one patient in particular, sharing stories with each other about their lives during his visits. A few months later, Patlan was at his side when the patient passed away. “When I walked into the room, there was just a look of relief in his eyes that I was the one that was able to be there with him in those final moments,” Patlan said. “Being so lucky to be in a profession to have such an impact made me want to continue.”

Patlan’s partner, Yoana Torres, who had enrolled in junior college as a nursing major after Patlan completed his LVN program, encouraged him to return to school. Initially planning to join her in pursuing a nursing degree, Patlan’s success in his classes sparked his interest in attending medical school instead. His counselor directed him to major in biochemistry as the first step toward becoming a doctor. “I had never heard the word biochemistry in my life, but I was like, if that's what I have to do, then I'll do it,” Patlan said.

Patlan transferred to UCR for his bachelor’s degree, choosing the university in part to stay close to his kids. Throughout his undergraduate education, he worked full time as an LVN, balancing studying and his job with his role as a parent.

Committed to the Inland Empire

When it came time to apply for medical school, Patlan stuck with UCR–partly because of its location near his family, and partly because its mission to improve healthcare in the Inland Empire resonated with him. “I'm born and raised in the Inland Empire, and my plan was always to be a physician in the Inland Empire,” Patlan said.

The SOM’s Longitudinal Ambulatory Care Experience (LACE) program, which pairs first- through third-year SOM students with local physicians to provide hands-on clinical experience, helped Patlan immediately start working with the local patient population. His experience seeing the same patients over the years at Orange Crest private practice with Harold Jackson, DO, increased Patlan’s desire to work in the area. “The mission is to keep doctors here, and I'm seeing what it's like to do that, which makes me want to be a doctor here,” Patlan said.

"It has taken a great deal of dedication [for Paul] to reach this milestone of graduation," said Jackson, noting the difficulty of starting a medical education, particularly as a parent. "Each year, and even each month, [Paul] grew in knowledge and confidence," Jackson added. "I am pleased that he has found a local residency as he will make a great contribution to the medical community in the Riverside area."

Patlan’s volunteer efforts at the student-run Riverside Free Clinic and Coachella Valley Free Clinic also strengthened his ties to the community while keeping him grounded through the rigors of medical school. On one occasion when Patlan was feeling particularly burnt out, his clinic volunteer hours felt like an obligation until one patient expressed their gratitude for his time. “I went home feeling like a weight lifted off my shoulders and it really reminded me of why I chose to pursue medicine,” he recalled.

Despite his own challenges through medical school, Patlan dedicated time to helping other students. He served as Emergency Medicine Student Clerkship Coordinator during his final year of medical school with the goal of helping his fellow students avoid the confusion and difficulties he faced during his own clerkship experience. “I just wanted to be able to give back to the students coming behind us, so that they hopefully wouldn't have to struggle as much as I and some of my classmates did,” said Patlan. “I've really set aside time and tried to give what I think is good advice.”

In the future, Patlan hopes to continue giving back to his community, especially younger students. “I want to show young kids that think that they don't have a future, or that this future is impossible, that they can do it,” he said. “I probably wouldn't have listened to somebody when I was their age, but I hope to… spark a thought in their mind that may change the trajectory of their life.”

Completing a 10-year path

Patlan will soon begin his residency program in emergency medicine at Riverside University Health Systems as his next step toward becoming a doctor. Noting that many patients visit the emergency department because they have no other option, he said their interaction with physicians may shape their view of the entire medical system. “It can even have implications as far as whether they’re going to follow up with what you say,” he said in explaining his reasons for choosing the specialty. “I realized that in the emergency room you can have those interactions every single day.”

Patlan said his four kids are used to both parents being in school and therefore think little of it. However, his partner, who achieved her goal of becoming a registered nurse, often points out Patlan’s accomplishments as he approaches the end of medical school 10 years after first enrolling in junior college. “She reminds me, hey, this is a big deal, you need to be proud of yourself,” he said.

Patlan’s parents are also proud, as well as his uncle who originally started him on his healthcare career path. Patlan recently called his uncle before his first residency program interview to thank him. “He was like, ‘Man, why are you making me cry at work?’” Patlan said. “He's beyond happy that he was able to kick me in the right direction from just one simple conversation.”

For Patlan, it came down to finding his direction and staying the course. “No matter what you're going to do, the time is going to pass,” he said. “You might as well do something you enjoy.”