Ashley Sandoval

Ashley Sandoval

Pediatrician


Kaiser Permanente

Long Beach, CA USA


Try things! Shadow people doing something you are interested in. Seeing a day in the life of someone is invaluable.

Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Ashley Sandoval

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
My mother was a psychologist and I always found that field interesting.
Attended the University of California, Irvine (UCI) where I was a psychology major, but after taking a cognitive neuroscience class, I decided to pursue a career in medicine.
At the time, biology was an impacted major at UCI, which prevented me from switching—I decided to continue studying psychology while taking my medical school prerequisites at a community college.
Eventually, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and began working on various research projects in order to gain the experience needed to apply to medical school.
Applied to over 30 medical school programs and got into New York Medical College.
I was initially interested in neurosurgery, but through my medical school rotations, I discovered that I was truly passionate about working with kids and decided to pursue pediatrics.
At the end of my four year program, I began working at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC).
I am now working as a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente in Long Beach, CA.

Education

High School
Bachelor
Psychology
University of California, Irvine
Doctorate
Medicine
New York Medical College

Career

Pediatrician

I work in pediatric medicine where I treat a child's physical, emotional, and developmental health.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Medicine
Science
Helping People

Day to Day

My days are a little hectic right now because I have a 1 year old child. So, I start my day early and drop him off at daycare. My work day starts at 830am and I work till about 530pm. I end up seeing about 25 patients a day where I do everything from conducting routine physicals, treating fevers, and even seeing children with serious illnesses. A good day at work is when you see healthy kids, but I am always prepared to deal with the serious cases that can come through the door.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for college students

Reach out to people when you need help and don't be afraid to ask. Don't feel like you have to rush into medical school right away. Age ranges in med school are really diverse. Take time to grow as a person and this will make you stand out more in the field of applicants. Shadow or interview with a pediatrician if you can. Try different things!

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

undergrad
Bachelor
Psychology
doctorate
Doctorate
Medicine

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

"Maybe this isn't the right career for me."

Challenges I Overcame

Changed Major
Financial
Gender Discrimination