Karina Chavez, MD
Kaiser Permanente Oakland
Friday October 3, 2025
5pm-6:30pm PST
Workshop Description:
Ready to see how a first-gen, single mom turned her lived experience into a life of service in medicine? Join Dr. Chavez, a Northern California primary care physician at Kaiser Permanente, for a candid conversation about building a path to medicine from community roots. Raised in Modesto in a farm-working family, Dr. Chavez earned a B.A. in psychology from UC Berkeley and her M.D. from the UC Davis School of Medicine, with a focus on care for urban, underserved, and undocumented patients. She then completed Internal Medicine residency at Kaiser Oakland’s inaugural Health Equity and Disparities track and now practices in Northern California, where she mentors students and advocates for language access and culturally responsive care. This session goes beyond inspiration to strategy: course planning, meaningful clinical and community experiences, personal statements with purpose, and thriving as a nontraditional applicant and parent. Come, ask your questions, and get the answers you need. Hear directly from the source—not second-hand opinions, myths, or people who have no clue about the admissions process—so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
About the Speaker:
As a NorCal native, I was born and raised in Modesto into a large agricultural farm-working family. After completing a B.A in psychology at UC Berkeley, I completed medical school at UC Davis School of Medicine with an emphasis in working with urban underserved and undocumented patients. As someone who grew up understanding the challenges of healthcare access and language barriers first-hand, it has always been a priority for me to gravitate towards efforts in working to bridge the gap for these communities. For this reason, I completed my Internal Medicine residency at Kaiser Oakland Medical Center through its first-ever Health Equity and Disparities track. I am now a primary care physician working for Kaiser in the Northern California region, where I love to mentor students and empower my patients.
Register for Free:
What: First-Gen, Single Mom, MD: Caring for Urban Underserved
When: Friday, October 3, 2025, 5 PM (Pacific Standard Time)
You will receive an immediate email confirmation of your registration from Zoom. PLEASE check your SPAM or JUNK folder, as the email might be directed there. Additionally, you will receive an email reminder from Zoom ONE hour before the event, sent to the same email address you used for registration.