Fri Oct 10, 2025: Our Path, Your Turn: Kaiser Med Students Share their Journeys

Susana Caman Plascencia is a medical student with a passion for serving Latine and rural populations. She was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and raised in Quincy, Washington. Growing up she experienced the challenges that accompany immigration and living in underserved rural areas. With the help of her family and community, she overcame those challenges to pursue higher education. She received bachelor’s degrees in biology and philosophy from Central Washington University and is now a third-year medical student at Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine. Her goal is to give back to her community as a primary care physician, providing language appropriate and culturally competent care to Latine patients and rural communities

Jacqueline Chavez Ochoa is a first-generation college graduate who is a current first year medical student at Kaiser. She was born in Mexico but moved to Hoover, Alabama when she was three. She attended Emory University through the QuestBridge Match Scholarship. At Emory, she studied Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology as well as minoring in sociology. As a first generation, low-income student she is passionate about increasing access to higher education and she was a Matriculate college advisor for three years. As an advisor, she mentored high school students through their college application cycles. After graduating college, Jacqueline took two years before starting medical school. In that time, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at Georgetown University in DC and volunteered as a Spanish Medical Interpreter at a free clinic. She navigated the medical school application process as a non-US citizen and is happy to answer any questions or provide guidance for those in a similar boat.

Nicolaas Ulgade is a first-year medical student at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine in Pasadena, CA. He grew up in Los Angeles County in a Mexican American household and earned his B.S. in General Biology from UC San Diego. Before medical school, he worked as an EMT, volunteered at a homeless shelter and food bank where he organized vaccine clinics and connected patients to essential services, and conducted Alzheimer’s research through the MADURA program. His experiences growing up in a medically underserved area have shaped his commitment to advancing health equity and mentoring aspiring medical students from underrepresented and first-generation backgrounds.

Sophia Vera is a first-year medical student from New Jersey with a deep commitment to advancing health equity, particularly within Latinx communities. She studied Neuroscience at Duke University, conducting research on repetitive behaviors in ASD and OCD, and worked as a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company, focusing on healthcare and life sciences. Sophia has led initiatives like McKinsey’s Health Equity Roundtable, bringing together medical leaders—including the founder of the Latino Medical Student Association—to explore actionable solutions for reducing disparities. She also volunteers with unhoused populations and the disability community. Outside of medicine, Sophia enjoys crocheting, singing, and spending time with family.