Lucia Rivera, MS I
UCSF School of Medicine
President Emeritus, PreMedCC
Jayden Arevalo, MS I
UCSF School of Medicine
Catalina Bayardo, MS I
UCSF School of Medicine
Lauren Francis, MS I
UCSF School of Medicine
Marvin Gil, MS I
UCSF School of Medicine
Nkemka Chukwumerije, MS I
UCSF School of Medicine
Saturday November 7, 2026
10am-11:30am PST
Workshop Description:
For community college and university premedical students who want to understand what it really takes to reach medical school, this panel offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from students who made the journey to UCSF. Current UCSF medical students will share their experiences with academics, transferring, applications, clinical exposure, research, service, setbacks, mentorship, and the personal decisions that helped shape their paths. This is your chance to hear the realities behind the application and learn what they wish they had known when they were premed students. Come, ask your questions, and get answers about admissions, student life, preparation, challenges, and how to become a stronger applicant. Hear directly from the source instead of relying on second hand information, bad advice, or people who have no clue about the admissions process. Whether you are starting at a community college, attending a university, or preparing to apply, this conversation is meant to help you see that there is no single path to UCSF. Their journeys began with questions, uncertainty, and ambition just like yours. Your path to medicine can begin from where you are today.
About the Speakers:
President Emeritus, PreMedCC
Lucia Rivera is originally from the Southbay of San Diego and attended UC San Diego, where she majored in Public Health with a concentration in Medicine Sciences. She is passionate about pediatrics, community medicine, and global health, which has led her to the PRIME-Urban Underserved program at UC San Francisco, where she is an MSI. Lucia also enjoys time at the beach, hiking, reading, and exploring SF on foot.
Jayden Arevalo is a first-year medical student at UCSF School of Medicine in the PRIME-US program. He was born and raised in Stockton, California and earned his B.S. in Biology from UCLA in 2025. He is interested in specializing in Interventional Cardiology or Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Catalina is originally from Los Angeles and attended UCLA for undergraduate. She graduated in 2025 as a Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology major, and now attends UCSF in the PRIME-US program.
Lauren Francis was born and raised in the East Bay Area before attending UC Santa Barbara for college. There, she majored in Biopsychology and minored in Feminist Studies. She graduated in 2024, took two gap years, and is currently a first year in the UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Medical Program, where she is working towards both her masters and MD. Outside of school, she enjoys swimming and scuba diving as her favorite hobbies!
Marvin is a First Year Medical Student who graduated from UC Davis in Cognitive Science. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA.
Nkemka is a first-generation Nigerian American who was born and raised in Santa Clarita, California. He graduated from Wesleyan University with a double major in Biology and Science in Society. As the son of Nigerian immigrants of Igbo descent, his passion for service was shaped by childhood visits to his family’s village in southeastern Nigeria, where he witnessed the healthcare, educational, and economic disparities affecting many of his relatives and community members. These experiences sparked a lifelong commitment to using his education and opportunities in service of others. At Wesleyan, Nkemka co-founded the university’s first student-led premedical support network for Black students and launched a General Chemistry Colloquium to increase retention among premedical students and strengthen representation in the sciences. His understanding of health equity deepened through the completion of a community needs assessment in a historically marginalized New Haven neighborhood and later through an 11- month AmeriCorps National Health Corps service term supporting youth with complex healthcare needs as they transitioned to adult care. Through medicine, Nkemka hopes to build healthier communities through advocacy, relational care, and meaningful community engagement. Outside of medicine, he enjoys basketball, fitness, Afrobeats, and spending time with loved ones.
Register for Free:
What: From PreMed to UCSF: Medical Students Share How They Made It
When: Saturday, November 7, 2026, 10 AM (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.
