Kimberly Ochoa Carrasco, a 2025 Pisacano Scholar, is a fourth-year medical student at California Health Sciences University, College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM). Raised in Ceres, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, she is the proud daughter of two Mexican immigrants. Growing up, she witnessed both the resilience and the struggles of her community, many of whom faced barriers to healthcare access. These early experiences shaped her passion for service and her vision of becoming a physician.

Kimberly earned her Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, where she pursued a track in Human Health Science. During college, she traveled to Peru with MEDLIFE, volunteering in mobile health clinics that served indigenous communities. At UC Berkeley, she was also a proud member of the Biology Scholars Program and Chicanos in Health and Education.

After graduation, Kimberly traveled to Shanghai, China, where she taught children science with Ivy League Camps USA. This experience broadened her global perspective on education, equity, and the universal importance of mentorship in shaping future generations. After returning from abroad, Kimberly worked as a community health worker at one of the largest federally qualified health centers in the Central Valley. She visited migrant farmworkers and transient encampments to provide screenings, education, and navigation support. She also served on the Stanislaus County Redistricting Commission, advocating for fair political representation of marginalized communities.

Her professional journey continued as a clinical research coordinator at Stanford’s Pediatric Health Literacy Lab, at Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center’s Oncology Department, and at her institution with her culinary medicine instructor. Her passion projects focused on reducing literacy-related disparities among both English- and Spanish-speaking populations. This work has led to publications in Nutrients and the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

At CHSU-COM, Kimberly served as president of the Latino Medical Student Association, where she created spaces for inspiration and support among underrepresented students. As secretary of the Student Association of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, she highlighted opportunities within the specialty.

Her commitment to mentorship also shines through her role as a chief mentoring officer with MiMentor, a nonprofit dedicated to guiding aspiring health professionals. Once a mentee herself, she now pays it forward by advising students, presenting at workshops, and celebrating mentees’ medical school acceptances.

Her dedication has been recognized with numerous honors, including the National Hispanic Health Foundation’s Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship, the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Program Alumni Scholarship, and induction into the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

Kimberly envisions her future as a family physician in California’s Central Valley, where she hopes to continue advocating for underserved populations while working at the intersection of clinical care, mentorship, and policy. Her passion for advocacy is rooted in the legacy of her late father, the first Latino city councilman in Ceres, whose dedication to community continues to inspire her path in medicine. Outside of medicine, she enjoys brewing coffee with her abstract latte art, playing racquet sports, and exploring restaurants and coffee shops with friends and family.