About
Erik Bayona is a proud San Fernando Valley Bruin for life. He is from the Pacoima/Arleta area of the valley and first set foot on the UCLA campus as a 17-year-old freshman. Throughout college, Erik was involved in the UCLA Community Programs Office focusing on youth mentorship through which he hoped to motivate high school students from disadvantaged areas to attend college. After graduating with his B.A. in psychology, Erik continued to work in youth mentorship and education before taking the road less traveled to study his own personal interest in natural and alternative medicine. Through this experience, Erik gained a deeper appreciation for how nature informs science and how the application of science becomes the “art of medicine”. After completing a post-bacc program at Cal State LA, and now older and wiser, Erik has returned to UCLA as part of the David Geffen School of Medicine to complete his MD degree.
Undergrad Institution: UC Los Angeles
Hometown: Pacoima, CA