Class of 2027

Born in the Cabo Verde Islands, Dr. Raisa Ancheta spent her early academic years in Geneva, Switzerland, before settling in Keaʻau, Hawai’i. She earned a bachelor of business administration from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo and a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She earned her medical degree from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, where she served as president and treasurer of the Family Medicine Interest Group.

She received the AAFP Program of Excellence Award for developing a health equity series focused on advocacy, affirmation and health disparities in family medicine. She also supported the LGBTQIA+ community through initiatives that included providing medical education for Trans Orientations at the LGBTQ Center Orange County in collaboration with the UCI Gender Diversity Program. Her professional interests include transitional medicine, LGBTQIA+ health, women’s health, HIV care and addiction medicine. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, hip-hop dancing with her husband and spending time with her children. She speaks Spanish.

A San Diego native, Dr. Devora Beck-Pancer earned her bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communications and psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. While there, she completed an honors thesis on race in the criminal justice system, directed a tutoring and mentorship program for justice-involved youth and received the Chancellor’s Service Award for outstanding leadership and service.

She completed her master’s degree in public health with an emphasis in maternal, child and adolescent health at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health in 2022 and earned her medical degree from UCSF School of Medicine in 2024. While at UCSF, she served as director of the Disability Advocacy and Support Alliance and as student representative for community engagement curriculum development. She also received the CPCA Certificate in Community Health for her collaborative work with the Contra Costa Developmental Disabilities Council.

Her professional interests include community-engaged primary care, developmental primary care, lifestyle medicine and reproductive health justice. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her partner, dog and cat. She knows basic ASL and speaks Spanish.

Originally from Belmont, California, Dr. Ren Bruguera earned their bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Brown University in 2017 and their medical degree from UC Davis School of Medicine in 2024.

They are a recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Racial Justice and Health Equity Research Scholar’s Award, the Best Oral Presentation Award from the UC Community Health Conference and the Doctoring Award. Their professional interests include the social and structural aspects of medicine, reproductive and sexual health, LGBTQIA+ health, transitional medicine and harm reduction approaches to substance use and addiction. They also enjoy teaching and developing collaborative partnerships with community-based organizations, particularly those supporting marginalized communities.

In their free time, they enjoy local art, live music, cultural events supporting the queer community, hiking, cooking and singing. They sang as an alto with the Sacramento Master Singers from 2022 to 2024. They speak Spanish.

Raised in San Diego, Dr. Nicole Handloser earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from San Diego State University. She earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Phi Honor and Service Society.

She is a recipient of the Dr. Karl Stockhausen Memorial Empower Scholarship and has published first-author work in the MOH Journal of Medical Case Reports and the SM Musculoskeletal Disorders Journal. She served as president of the Emergency Medicine Student Interest Group and the Sports Medicine Interest Group and volunteered with Clinica Sierra Vista for homeless outreach in Bakersfield, California.

Her professional interests include aesthetic medicine and obstetrics. In her free time, she enjoys running half marathons, reading mystery and thriller novels, Pilates and listening to crime podcasts. She speaks Spanish.

Dr. Amanda Lee Cruz was born in San Pedro and raised in Murrieta, California. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in environmental studies from Johns Hopkins University in 2018 and her medical degree from the University of California, Riverside in 2024.

While in medical school, she completed a designated emphasis in medical Spanish and conducted research on residency training in reproductive health care for transgender people, which was published in the International Journal for Transgender Health. Her professional interests include transitional medicine, LGBTQ+ adolescent mental health, immigrant and refugee health, reproductive justice and street medicine.

In her free time, she enjoys reading memoirs and poetry, running, gravel biking, culinary tourism, live music and visiting art museums, botanical gardens and nature parks with her partner. She is currently studying Korean, Vietnamese and Portuguese and is fluent in Spanish.

Originally from Kerman, Iran, Dr. Nader Mehregani grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. He earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from San Diego State University and his medical degree from the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV.

He is a recipient of the SDSU ENS Emeritus Professor’s Scholarship and the Dr. Mohammed Massoud Memorial Scholarship. His professional interests include weight management, integrative medicine, geriatric medicine, public health and global health.

In his free time, he enjoys hiking, exercising, snowboarding, playing board games and spending time with his children and family at parks and beaches. He also enjoys volunteering with young people and their families. He speaks Persian and Farsi.

Raised in Barrio Logan, Dr. Karla Saenz Reyes earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from San Diego State University, where she served as vice president of the Flying Sams. She earned her master’s degree in medical sciences from Heritage University and her medical degree from Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2024.

She served as secretary of the Latino Medical Student Association and president of Medical Students for Social Responsibility and worked with underserved and underrepresented communities. Her professional interests include community and preventive medicine, teen and women’s health and approaches to care that address the root causes of disease.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, yoga, time in nature, good food, live music and dancing. She speaks Spanish.