Dr. Valery C. Vilchez Parra earned her medical degree from the University of Zulia Faculty of Medicine in Maracaibo, Venezuela. She completed her Residency in General Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, followed by Fellowship training in Colon and Rectal Surgery at University of California Irvine School of Medicine.
Dr. Vilchez Parra is active in both the national and international branches of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Her clinical and research interests include a multidisciplinary approach to the treatments of recurrent and advanced colon and rectal cancers, complex redo inflammatory bowel diseases conditions, pelvic floor disorders and anorectal disease.
Dr. Vilchez Parra has made significant contributions to research that directly impact our care in the field. She has over 28 peer reviewed publications and three book chapters. She has disseminated her results with poster, and oral presentations at multiple national and international conferences.
Dr. Vilchez Parra is a devoted mentor. Her reputation as such has lead her to be sought after and she currently mentors students in the UCI Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC), and the nurse practitioner programs. She also serves as School of Medicine advisor at UCI and Co-Director of the Summer Healthcare Experience (SHE) for underserved high school students.
Dr. Vilchez Parra does not limit her work to education and clinical care, but also to the critical societal issues that we,as leaders, must address. While maintaining an active clinical practice, she also founded the UCI Latino Physician Outreach group.