BS, U.C. San Diego
MA, Samuel Merritt University

My mom always said, “Someone in this family has to go into medicine, with a name like Heal!” She got her wish – I knew I wanted to be in the medical field from a young age. I was (and still am) repeatedly awed by the complex systems that come together to sustain life. I grew up in rural Chico, California with a family that spent every possible moment in nature. I was able to feed my biological curiosity by spending countless hours sitting in trees watching insects, studying frogs and worms in the backyard, and taking apart flowers piece by piece to wonder what each part’s natural purpose might be.

I chose University of California, San Diego for my undergraduate degree mostly because of the school’s great reputation in the science fields. I worked my way through school doing odd jobs like driving buses and transporting patients for the MRI department at Children’s Hospital. I graduated with a B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience. Shortly after graduation I entered PA school for my Masters in Physician Assistant studies at Samuel Merritt College in Oakland. Once I was a PA, I took two months off to study Spanish in Guatemala. I currently live in Alameda, with my husband and two children, and work in both the Berkeley and Alameda offices for Bayside.

It’s such a pleasure working here – a continuous challenge and a pleasant patient population, as well as great colleagues. Our supervising physician for the family practice division of Bayside, Dr. James Eichel, is a wonderful mentor. I look forward to serving your medical needs as part of the Bayside team for many years to come.