Dr. Lilia Feria
Class of 2014
Dr. Feria graduated from Sonoran in 2014 and focuses on community health, pediatrics, women’s health and general family medicine. After graduating from Sonoran, she completed a preceptorship/residency at a community healthcare clinic in Mesa that focused on women’s health. She worked at the Sonoran Roosevelt Community Health Clinic.
We asked Dr. Feria what the secret to her success is and why she loves what she does. She told us, “What makes me successful is following my passion. Everything has been working in non-profit community medicine. Even at school, I tailored my clinical shifts and experiences in helping underserved communities. I followed my heart and let my feet do the rest.”
In terms of advice to new graduates, she also emphasized passion. She stated that identifying your passion is critical and then you can gain extra skill in whatever that particular niche is. “Look for a variety of experiences outside of what you have been doing so you can see how other people in that particular field practice.” She said it is important to know what you want so you will be excited for each day.
Work-life balance is also an important part of any career, so we asked Dr. Feria how she handles this. She said that while work-life balance is different for everyone, she likes to be 100% focused on where she is in the moment. “I am a mother and a wife so those have always been my priorities at home. When I am at the clinic I am focusing on patients and when I am at home my dedication is with my family. I don’t blend the two.”
When she is outside of work Dr. Feria loves to host parties with her family and cook a lot of food. She told us, “I have a very lively and vibrant household filled with family and friends.” She also emphasized that she always wants to be a good example for her son.
Finally, we asked her about why she loves being an ND and she told us the biggest thing is that she is not limited in terms of treatment plans. Not being limited to just using a prescription pad is something unique to being an ND that makes the profession so rewarding.