Joel Ramirez MDAssociate Director of Advising

Dr. Ramirez was born and raised in East Los Angeles County, California. He graduated with honors from the University of California, Irvine (UCI), with a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2013. During his time at UCI, he participated in peer tutoring and mentorship programs, and he served as a teaching assistant for numerous pre-medical and biology courses. Dr. Ramirez received multiple awards for excellence in tutoring and research. After graduating, he spent a year working aboard an ambulance as an emergency medical technician in Los Angeles County prior to matriculating to the top-ranked University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine.

In medical school, Dr. Ramirez continued to teach, mentor, and advise undergraduate and medical students. He spent a year between his third and fourth year of medical school as a National Institutes of Health TL1 Clinical and Translational Research Fellow. During this time, he became intimately involved with USMLE education, tutoring, and preparation. He received a 266 on Step 1 (99th percentile), 265 on Step 2 CK (95th percentile), 255 on Step 3 (98th percentile) and he scored in the 90th percentiles on all of his shelf exams. He also received honors in nearly all of his clinical rotations.

Collectively, Dr. Ramirez has taught a wide range of subjects for more than ten years and has experience tutoring for several board exams, including all of the USMLE exams. He is a passionate educator and strongly believes that with hard work, good direction, and resilience, every medical student has the opportunity to succeed and pursue their dreams. In his role as the director of medical school tutoring, he strives to ensure that every MedSchoolCoach tutor has the training, tools, support, and resources they need to provide students with an exceptional experience.

In addition to his passions for education, Dr. Ramirez has been intimately involved in medical school admissions. He has served on the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine admissions committee and has extensive experience reviewing applications, interviewing applicants, and providing recommendations for admission. In this role, he enjoyed learning how to review applications holistically, viewing applicants as unique individuals, each with their own experiences, skills, and passions.

Dr. Ramirez currently practices as an integrated vascular surgery resident at the University of California, San Francisco, where he continues to be involved in medical and surgical education. His interest in academic vascular surgery and commitment to being a leader in medical education remains steadfast. In his free time, Dr. Ramirez enjoys running, swimming, weightlifting, and exploring San Francisco with his friends and family.