UCSF Fresno’s success and growth are a direct result of the dedication and inspiration of our faculty, staff, residents, fellows, students, alumni, partners, donors, and friends. In each issue of Focus, we introduce you to the people who contribute to the greatness of UCSF Fresno through informal interviews.
In this issue, we feature Yolanda Tinajero, MD, UCSF Assistant Professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Inspire Health Medical Group provider, and San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education (SJV PRIME) Associate Director. Tinajero was an SJV PRIME student herself, served as faculty at UCSF from 2022 to February 2026 and in March 2026 she was excited to return to Fresno to begin her work with UCSF Fresno.
Where is your hometown? Where did you grow up?
I was born in Sanger and grew up in Corcoran in Kings County.
Where did you go to high school, medical school, and residency?
I went to Corcoran High School and then UCLA where I received a B.S. in Biology. For medical school, I was in the SJV PRIME at the UC Davis School of Medicine. I had the honor of completing part of my medical education at UCSF Fresno. I completed my residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences in San Francisco.
What is your title, and what does a typical day look like for you?
My title is Assistant Professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology at UCSF Fresno. A typical day is quite varied - each day may look a little different. There are days when I am assigned to labor and delivery at Community Regional Medical Center where we evaluate patients in triage, manage labor and delivery, perform vaginal deliveries, cesarean deliveries, and provide postpartum care for our patients. On other days, I may be assigned to clinic where I am primarily the preceptor for our OB-GYN resident physicians. In clinic, we provide prenatal care, evaluate patients for their gynecologic needs and perform procedures including endometrial biopsies, colposcopies, contraceptive management and provide routine annual gynecologic exams for our patients at the United Health Center Women's Health Center. I also perform gynecologic surgeries where I teach residents hysteroscopic or laparoscopic procedures for the management of abnormal uterine bleeding, fibroids, adenomyosis, ovarian cysts, ectopic pregnancies, etc.
I also serve as the Associate Director for the UCSF San Joaquin Valley PRIME at UCSF Fresno. I work with a cohort of 12 medical students and our mission is to engage in learning experiences where we teach our learners about the various health disparities faced in the San Joaquin Valley, complete scholarly projects focused on improvement of health in the Central Valley and hopefully, inspiring the next generation of future physician leaders for the Valley.
What is your favorite part of your job, or what gets you most excited about our mission?
There are many different aspects that I enjoy about my job. Perhaps the most rewarding is being able to use my lived experience as a Latina from the Central Valley to connect with my patients and provide the support so that they feel empowered to make decisions about their health. Clinically, I enjoy the wide variety of clinical practices that OB-GYN lends itself to such as outpatient, inpatient, procedural and the opportunity to have continuity of care with patients. It keeps me on my toes and challenges me to stay up to date and to help me maintain my goal of providing comprehensive reproductive health care for my patients.
What is a project or accomplishment here that you are most proud of?
One of the recent projects that I successfully completed was summer programming in conjunction with the UCSF School of Medicine, UCSF Fresno, UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence, and SJV PRIME while partnering with multiple community organizations to create seminars, conferences and learning opportunities that exposed high school students, college students and medical students to addressing health disparities in the communities that we serve in the Central Valley.
How long have you worked at UCSF Fresno and what brought you here?
I began working at UCSF Fresno in March 2026. I have always been inspired to return to the Central Valley, my home, to practice medicine in this region. I am inspired by the communities that I grew up in. Through life experiences, I was inspired to address some of the health disparities that I encountered through delivery of equitable health care. I feel passionate about addressing the workforce shortage through medical education in the classroom as well as in clinical spaces and having the opportunity to do so at UCSF Fresno through its medical education programs made this a reality.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
I believe in the mission of providing comprehensive reproductive health care for the members of our community. It inspires me to continue challenging myself to provide as much evidence-based care to our patients as possible. I enjoy creating a safe space for my patients to ask questions, feel heard, and feel empowered to make decisions for their health and wellbeing.
Being a first-generation learner in college and medical school, I believe in the power of medical education. I was lucky to have great examples of dedicated physicians who worked hard to care for their patients, and this has inspired me to do the same in my career. I enjoy doing this through mentorship, medical education in the classroom, and clinical spaces. I hope that through these interactions, I can inspire the next generation of physicians in the Central Valley that I will be able to call colleagues in the future.
If you could instantly learn a new skill, what would it be?
I really need to learn how to swim.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two children and my husband. I am genuinely very happy to be back home and spend time together with our family and friends. It is a nice feeling to be able to set our roots here.
What is a fun fact about you that your colleagues might not know?
I don't know how to swim but really would like to pick up that skill - especially because that’s a wonderful way to cool down during the summer. I can also make some pretty tasty guava and cheese empanadas that go well with a nice cup of coffee.
