Ulin Sargeant, MD

Listening.  I begin by listening. 

When a patient comes to my office, the first question I ask is, “How can I help you?”  After that, I sit quietly and say nothing. That’s because what comes next can be crucial. I believe that it isn’t just what a patient says, but how it’s said. Their tone, body language, and what they choose to share about an issue contains information about the person and the problem. I aim to “hear” these subtleties. So, I’d say that listening is an important part of my job, and I tend to give patients more time to talk.

I became a physician because I am drawn to both science and human stories. Medicine allows me to understand how the body functions while I get to learn what matters most to each individual. I value the privilege of being invited into conversations about fears, goals, family history and aspirations. Nothing is more rewarding to me than when a patient recognizes their capacity to influence their own health—when they turn knowledge into action and intention into healthier daily habits. I believe my role as a physician is not to dictate the visit but to support the patient by providing information and helping them feel empowered to take the helm of their own health.

My clinical interests include women’s health, preventive medicine and weight management. Also, being in the MDVIP model gives me the tools to better help patients manage their chronic conditions . I try to learn about the whole person — background, culture, responsibilities, strengths and challenges — and through evidence-based care, education and experience, I aim to shape recommendations that can align with those realities. I recognize that health is not one-size-fits-all and that sustainable change can grow from partnership and effort.

I practice internal medicine in Duarte, CA, just outside of Los Angeles at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. I see patients from Monrovia, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and other San Gabriel Valley and greater Los Angeles communities. Some patients travel many miles to see me because they appreciate a physician who can listen, ask questions, and help them make more sense of their health in the context of their lives. I am also affiliated with USC Arcadia Hospital in Arcadia.

My educational journey shaped how I practice today. In my undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California, I first saw how community and environment shape health. My Master of Public Health from Boston University, with dual concentrations in public health law and health services, broadened my knowledge of medical ethics, health systems and communities as well as individual health and prevention. These, and other experiences during medical school at Temple University and residency at Yale New Haven Hospital, ground me in evidence-based medicine while reminding me that health begins before and extends beyond a medical office.