This year, the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) is proud to honor Dr. Cristian Carrillo, a primary care provider serving the County of Monterey, with the Sanford A. Marcus Service Award. This award honors a physician whose commitment to their patients, profession, and community embodies the very best of what it means to practice medicine with integrity and purpose.
His journey to becoming a family medicine physician is rooted not only in education and training, but in family, community, and a profound sense of duty to give back.
A Calling Rooted in Family
Growing up near San Jose, CA, as the third of four children in a close-knit family, Dr. Carrillo learned early on the meaning of resilience and determination. His parents immigrated from Mexico in the 1970s, arriving in the United States without knowing English and building a life for him and his siblings through hard work, perseverance, and mutual care.
Those early lessons were reinforced by another formative presence in his life: his grandmother. Living with diabetes, she required regular trips to the doctor, and starting at just 13 years old, he served as her interpreter at medical appointments. Through those visits, he developed a close relationship with her physician, Dr. Wu, whose patience, skill, and humanity left a lasting impression.
When his grandmother began insulin injections, Dr. Wu taught the family how to administer them. Dr. Carrillo quickly became the designated injector due to his care and gentle touch—she would jokingly ask, “Where’s my doctor?” whenever it was time for her insulin shot. She saw in him what he hadn’t yet seen in himself.
Over time, her condition progressed. In the hospital, as she neared the end of her life, his grandmother mistook him for a physician when he visited and told his mother how nice he looked in his “white coat,” except he wasn’t wearing one. But to Dr. Carrillo, it felt like a sign.
“If there was ever a sign that this is what I’m meant to do, that was it,” Carrillo said.
Choosing Family Medicine to Carry Forward a Legacy
Dr. Carrillo went on to become the first doctor in his family and a first-generation college graduate. While studying medicine at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA, he was one of only a handful of Latino Spanish-speaking students in his class. During his clinical rotations, he repeatedly witnessed the gap in care faced by Spanish-speaking patients and the level of trust that is formed when language and culture are shared between patient and provider.
Those experiences led him to choose family medicine and become a primary care provider, where he could care for patients across generations and make the greatest impact in underserved communities.
“It was how I saw myself giving back to my neighbors and the community. Those are the values my parents instilled,” Dr. Carrillo explained.
When times during medical school and clinical rotations felt overwhelming, he would think of his family and remind himself:
“This is not as hard as what my parents had to overcome—coming to a new world essentially where they did not speak or understand the language and learning trades to raise a family. If they can do all that, I can study and pass my exams.”
That perspective stayed with him throughout the duration of his medical training. From getting married at the end of his first year of medical school, welcoming his first child during his third year, and the decision of where to complete his residency.
During his fourth year of medical school, Dr. Carrillo did a rotation at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, CA, and something clicked.
“The patient population, the culture, the mission—I could envision my future there,” he said.
He completed his residency from 2018 to 2021. Today, he continues to serve patients in the Salinas Valley, including migrant farm workers and other vulnerable populations who too often struggle to access consistent, culturally competent care.
Patient and Provider Advocacy
For Dr. Carrillo, advocacy is not separate from medicine—it is an extension of the values he learned growing up.
“My family taught me that if you saw something that didn’t feel right, you spoke up,” he said. “Even if you weren’t sure, you should still say something and not let it go.”
His siblings and his parents taught him that when you see a neighbor being harassed or going through a hard time, you either speak up or lend a helping hand. This mindset translated into his professional career.
When conversations began with his colleagues to organize for parental leave, it quickly snowballed into a conversation about working conditions and the ability to provide the best possible patient care. Shortly after, a unionization effort was underway.
“Unionizing was about building something better for us and for our patients who depend on us,” he said.
Through organizing and bargaining, Dr. Carrillo advocated for protections that would safeguard both physicians and their patients.
Dr. Carrillo’s principles and values were tested when his advocacy for his patients led to his termination from Alisal Health Center. But he wasn’t alone. His community and his union rallied to his defense, launching a fight to reinstate him. Their collective action proved what Dr. Carrillo had always believed: when you stand up for what is right, your community stands with you.
His reinstatement months later was more than a personal victory, it was a testament to the power of solidarity and community. Proof that speaking up, even at a great personal cost, can lead to meaningful change.
Grounded in Purpose
Today, when Dr. Carrillo takes care of his patients in the hospital, his grandmother often crosses his mind. He is intentional about ensuring that the families under his care know who he is and what the care plan is. He takes the time to explain what’s happening with their loved ones, to answer every question, and most importantly, to make sure they know they are not alone.
Dr. Carrillo represents the very best of what a leader in the medical profession can be: a provider who understands the communities he serves.
As he continues his work as a physician, he carries forward the legacy of everyone who believed in him—his grandmother, his parents, and countless community members who needed a doctor who truly understood them. And through his advocacy in the union, he ensures that the next generation of physicians and patients will benefit from a healthcare system that values dignity, equity, and care above all else.
The UAPD is honored to have Dr. Carrillo as a member of our union and to present him with this award. It is a testament that the most powerful medicine comes not just from education and training, but from family values, resilience, and the courage to speak up for what is right.