Ivan Dominguez, MD

About

Hometown: Oxnard, CA

Medical School: New York Medical College

Graduate School: Columbia University, pre-med post-bacc

Undergraduate School: UCSD

Life Before Medical School: I grew up in Oxnard, CA and would walk by strawberry fields every day to get to my high school. I studied Bioengineering in college and after graduating from UCSD I worked in an MRI research lab doing fatty liver studies. Eventually I left that job to go on tour playing drums in a rock band, touring all across the US. I moved to NYC in 2013 and through playing in bands fell into work in medical surgical photography. At that time I was filming medical lectures and doing photography by day while playing in bands around Brooklyn by night. In 2015 I filmed a face transplant, which would plant the seed of pursuing medicine — but it was learning about the lack of Spanish-speaking physicians that fully gave me the push I needed to go back to school to become a doctor. I worked while taking classes at Columbia University and eventually got into medical school at New York Medical College. While on my 3rd year hospital rotations, patients kept opening up about their mental health struggles in a way they weren't doing with my peers — a sign to me that I had something unique I could bring to the field of psychiatry due to the breadth of my life experiences.

Why Community Memorial? In my eyes, what sets Community Memorial Healthcare apart is its central role as one of the main medical resources in the region, the collegial attitudes among the faculty and trainees, and the culture of education. I can't express enough how much the collegiality among peers creates a warm experience which only enhances the educational experience. The culture of teaching is strong and makes for excellent clinicians who are able to solicit feedback and grow in their practice. For me, coming back home to train in the 805 is a dream come true. I get to see family, friends, and work at a hospital with good culture. At Community Memorial Healthcare I'll fully get to be a community psychiatrist who is from the community.

Hobbies: Photography, painting, running, playing guitar and drums, rock climbing, and watching live music.