Rena Ahuja, M.D.

Rena Ahuja, M.D.

Primary Care Provider


Hoag Hospital

Newport Beach, CA USA


I think that if you’re motivated and you really want something, then you can get there. You just have to stay persistent.

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
I first became interested in medicine when I was young as a result of having grandparents that I had to care for.
I completed an internship at Kaiser, spending time in each department. This confirmed my interest in medicine.
After receiving my BS in Biology from UCLA, I took the foreign medical school route.
There were no guarantees I’d make it back home. I had to be open to being anywhere and the challenges that came with that. After graduating, I returned to the United States.
I worked as a hospitalist at Hoag Hospital. This led me to Arizona to complete the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine led by Andrew Weil.
I completed the offsite program while my husband and I opened an independent outpatient practice.
We started my practice from scratch, with zero patients, from a room that my husband and I were renting out. Now, I welcome patients at a constant pace, while also being on staff at Hoag Hospital.
Keep following my journey

Education

High School
Bachelor
Biology
University of California, Los Angeles
Doctorate
Medicine
American University of the Caribbean

Career

Primary Care Provider

I combine conventional and integrative methods of preventative medicine to care for patients.

Career Roadmap

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

Day to Day

When it comes to duties, work days are relatively the same. Although, the patients who visit may vary. I get to know my patients the day I meet them and then in every follow-up visit. I do my best to treat them as a whole, focusing on the cough they came in for but also asking them how they’re doing and if anything else is going on. I feel like every day is different because no one person is alike.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for everyone

You can major in anything you want, you just have to have the pre-med classes. There might be something more interesting that you have a better aptitude for. Go with your heart. There are various ways of getting a career in medicine. If you change your mind along the way, there are other careers that are affiliated. We need physicians because there’s a lack of primary care today. If somebody really has a passion for it, then they can do it.

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Peers:

"Starting your own practice is too tough. You might not be able to sustain it."

Challenges I Overcame

School Stress