Ruiz, Raul, 1972-

<p>Raul Ruiz (/rɑːˈuːl/; born August 25, 1972) is an American physician and politician serving as the U.S. Representative for California's 36th congressional district since 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party.</p>

<p>Born in Zacatecas City, Mexico, Ruiz grew up in Coachella, California. He was the first Latino to receive three graduate degrees from Harvard University, attending Harvard Medical School, the John F. Kennedy School of Government and Harvard School of Public Health. He worked as an emergency physician at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California, before assisting humanitarian efforts in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In what was considered a major upset, Ruiz defeated redistricted incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Mary Bono Mack in the 2012 election with a 52.9% to 47.1% margin. He was reelected to Congress in 2014 with 54.2% of the vote, after what was considered one of the most competitive congressional races in the country; in 2016 and 2018, he received about 60% of the vote.</p>

<p>Ruiz was born in Zacatecas City, Mexico and raised in Coachella, California. His parents were farmworkers. He graduated from Coachella Valley High School at age 17 and went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1990, graduating magna cum laude before attending Harvard Medical School (HMS). He was the first Latino to receive three graduate degrees from Harvard University: a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from HMS, a Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government and a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) from the Harvard School of Public Health.</p>

<p>U.S. Representative Raul Ruiz, M.D., grew up in the community of Coachella, California, where both of his parents were farmworkers.</p>

<p>Dr. Ruiz achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a physician through public education. After graduating from Coachella Valley High School, Dr. Ruiz graduated magna cum laude from UCLA. He went on to Harvard University, where he earned his Medical Degree, as well as a Masters of Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government and a Masters of Public Health from the School of Public Health, becoming the first Latino to earn three graduate degrees from Harvard University. He completed his Residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and a Fellowship in International Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. During his training, Dr. Ruiz served as a consultant to the Ministries of Health of both Serbia and El Salvador.</p>

<p>Dr. Ruiz returned home after completing his medical training and began working as an Emergency Room doctor at Eisenhower Medical Center. Recognizing the physician shortage crisis in the Coachella Valley, Dr. Ruiz started a pre-medical mentorship program for young aspiring doctors, which has grown to include over 100 local students.</p>

RUIZ, Raul, a Representative from California; born in Zacatecas, Mexico, August 25, 1972; graduated from Coachella Valley High School, Coachella, Calif., 1990; B.S., University of California, Los Angeles, Calif., 1994; M.D., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 2001; M.P.P., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 2001; M.P.H., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 2007; physician; associate dean, University of California-Riverside School of Medicine, Riverside, Calif., 2011-2012; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Thirteenth and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 2013-present).