About
Zeus was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States with my family when he was seven. He was placed in an ESL class and learned English in his first grade class in Oxnard, California. After one year his family moved to Gardena as his mother was offered a teaching position at a public elementary school in Compton and he enrolled in this school as well. He enjoyed his time at this school even though school shootings during school hours were not uncommon and lock-downs where teachers would turn off the classroom lights and close the doors to try to calm his and my classmate’s anxiety. He excelled at school and participated in a poetry contest where he represented his school and recited “From Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes, after little more than a year of coming to this country. During this time his family did not have health insurance and obtaining care when they were sick was challenging. Life certainly was not a crystal stair for his family, and neither is it for most people, but living through these experiences made him more sensible to the medically underserved. During middle school he was taught 7th grade science by Dr. James, a retired Indian cardiologist who described to him the wonders and power of medicine and science. This planted the seed of medicine in him. He graduated valedictorian from my middle school and attended Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School where he further explored a career in medicine through summer programs like “Jovenes Por la Salud” and coursework. At UCLA he involved himself in clubs like Chicanos for Community Medicine where he had the opportunity of speaking to physicians who encouraged him to seek a career in medicine. At one of these meetings he was presented with the opportunity of participating in a summer fellowship where he became more knowledgeable of medical issues afflicting certain medically underserved areas in Los Angeles. This inspired him even further to do my part to lessen the shortage of physicians in these areas. His experiences at the hospital this first year in medical school have given him a taste of the fulfillment and satisfaction this career provides. He continues on his life mission to provide exceptional care and improve people’s health, one patient at a time, both in and out of the hospital. In his spare time he enjoys playing soccer, going camping, and reading. He wants to eventually do a triathlon and go whitewater rafting.
Undergrad Institution: UC Los Angeles
Hometown: Oxnard, CA