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A Southern California native and second-generation Mexican-American, Erick Tarula, MD ’09, has built a career rooted in purpose and advocacy.

A 2009 graduate of the CDU/UCLA Medical Education Program, Dr. Tarula is a neurologist and serves as an Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is also the Equity and Inclusion Curriculum Director for the School of Medicine and Public Health.

For Dr. Tarula, the path to medicine was never about prestige, it was about service.

“There were a couple of times when my family was sick, and we had to navigate that without proper advocates or knowledge,” he recalled. “We tried to do everything we could at home before ever going to a clinic or hospital.”

Those early experiences shaped his commitment to ensuring that patients, especially those from underserved communities, are heard, respected, and cared for with intention.

A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Tarula chose CDU not only to return home, but to serve the very community that shaped him. “Serving the Southern California community was important to me because it’s familiar, it’s family and friends,” he said. “The mission and vision of CDU really resonated with me, and it’s something I still carry forward in my work.”

Through the CDU/UCLA program, Dr. Tarula and his peers were immersed in clinical experiences that reflected the realities of the communities they served. “We were expected to experience what the community was experiencing and what the doctors were experiencing,” said Dr. Tarula. “Those experiences hit home and made it more real.”

Today, Dr. Tarula carries those lessons into his roles as a physician, educator, and leader. As a founding member of the Medical Organization for Latino Advancement (MOLA) Wisconsin, he also helps build pathways for mentorship and representation, something he wished he had earlier in his own journey.

“I got to where I am by sheer luck,” he said. “I didn’t have a mentor to guide me. The work I do now is about being that person for someone else and helping them get their foot in the door.”

In the classroom and clinical settings, Dr. Tarula challenges students to center their patients’ voices and examine their own assumptions.

“I teach my students to believe in their patients and to have an open mind,” said Dr. Tarula.

His approach to teaching and leadership is grounded in inclusion and he hopes that the next generation of physicians will carry that same mindset forward.

“Remember why you came into this field in the first place,” Dr. Tarula advises. “There’s so much training in medical school and residency and it will try to mold you, just make sure that you keep your core intact and the reason why you entered the field.”