Dr. Yulsi L. Fernandez Montero was born and raised in Mexico before moving to the United States as a teenager. She faced significant challenges, including the educational and financial barriers that come with living without legal status. Starting higher education at community college, Dr. Fernandez Montero excelled and transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles, earning her undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in Chicano/a Studies. She was later accepted into the UCLA PRIME program, a prestigious initiative aimed at training physicians to serve underserved communities. Through the program, she completed both a medical degree and a Master’s in Public Health (MPH).
Dr. Fernandez Montero is board certified and has a passion for education, a deep commitment to social justice, health equality and advocacy, leadership, and URM mentoring. She is now part of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Faculty at the DavidGeffen School of Medicine at UCLA.