OUR OBESITY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN
Dr. Rafael J. Sepulveda found his interest in health and wellness through coaching sports in Puerto Rico while pursuing a degree in General Biology. He pursued his initial medical training in the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, which further emphasized the importance of a multicultural approach to medicine and interpersonal interactions with patients. After receiving his MD degree, He continued his medical training by pursuing a Fifth Pathway Internship Training from New York Medical College. With an understanding that medicine as the way to bring better quality of life to his patients, He pursued an Internal Medicine residency at Universidad Central Del Caribe- Internal Medicine Program he became interested in the effects of sleep in chronic illness and recovery from acute medical conditions. After completion of residency training, Dr. Sepulveda was welcomed as part of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis Tennessee, which he completed in 2017. During this time, He was involved in busy hospitals such as Memphis VA Medical Center and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital as part of his training. In August 2017, Dr. Sepulveda relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and has been practicing his subspecialty for the last 4 years. He became interested in the effects of obesity in his patients and farther methods to manage and treat the disease of obesity. In 2020, He was board certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine to specifically treat patients affected with obesity. Besides his Obesity Medicine Board Certification, He is currently board certified in Internal Medicine and Sleep Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine Dr. Sepulveda continues to be eager to use his training and knowledge to improve the health of our community in Sonoma County while using concepts of internal medicine, obesity medicine and sleep to treat the disease of obesity. He is fluent in English and Spanish.
Dr. Sepulveda’s focus and skills include:
-Nutrition and Diet Modalities
-Physical Activity Prescription
-Pharmacotherapy for Obesity
-Behavioral Interventions for Weight loss including Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral therapy
-Pre-Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss
-Post-Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss and Maintenance
-Malnutrition
-Sleep Hygiene Interventions and Disorders
Evaluation of weight-related disorders such as:
– Heart Disease and Stroke
– High blood pressure
– High Lipids and Cholesterol
– Diabetes mellitus type 2
– Arthritis
– Metabolic syndrome
– Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
– Obstructive Sleep Apnea
– Thyroid disorders- Mood disorders
– High blood pressure
– High Lipids and Cholesterol
– Diabetes mellitus type 2
– Arthritis
– Metabolic syndrome
– Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
– Obstructive Sleep Apnea
– Thyroid disorders- Mood disorders
Curriculum Vitae for Rafael Sepulveda, M.D.
PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATIONS & CERTIFICATIONS:
OBESITY MEDICINE BOARD CERTIFICATION
American Board of Obesity Medicine
Date: April 2020
SLEEP MEDICINE BOARD CERTIFICATION
American Board of Internal Medicine
Date: November 2017
INTERNAL MEDICINE BOARD CERTIFICATION
American Board of Internal Medicine
Date: November 2016
Date: November 2016
EDUCATION & TRAINING:
SLEEP MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER
Memphis, Tennessee
Completion: June 2017
INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY TRAINING
UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DEL CARIBE
Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Completion: 2016
FIFTH PATHWAY INTERNSHIP
NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE
Valhalla, New York
Completion: 2008
DOCTOR OF MEDICINE DEGREE
UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE GUADALAJARA
Guadalajara, Mexico
Completion: 2007
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: GENERAL BIOLOGY DEGREE
UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Completion: 2003
SKILLS & COMMUNICATION
NATIVE LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: ENGLISH AND SPANISH
MEMBERSHIPS & PROFFESIONAL DUTIES:
AASM: PUBLIC AWARENESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Initiation of Duty: June 2020
Initiation of Duty: June 2020
OBESITY ACTION COALITION
Initiation of Membership: 2020
Initiation of Membership: 2020
OBESITY MEDICINE ASSOCIATION
Initiation of Membership: 2019
Initiation of Membership: 2019
AMERICAN ALLIANCE FOR HEALTHY SLEEP
Initiation of Membership: 2019
Initiation of Membership: 2019
CALIFORNIA SLEEP SOCIETY
Initiation of Membership: 2018
Initiation of Membership: 2018
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE (AASM)
Initiation of Membership: 2016
Initiation of Membership: 2016
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS
Initiation of Membership: 2011
Initiation of Membership: 2011
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Initiation of Membership: 2009
Initiation of Membership: 2009
OBESITY MEDICINE CONFERENCES & MEDICAL EDUCATION:
OBESITY MEDICINE ASSOCIATION: FUNDAMENTALS OF OBESITY TREATMENT
Date(s): November 13-14, 2020
Location: Web-Based
2019 FALL OBESITY SUMMIT: OBESITY MEDICINE ASSOCIATION
Date(s): October 4-6, 2019
Location: Boston, MA
2019 OBESITY MEDICINE BOOTCAMP
Date(s): July 24, 2019
Location: Web-based
SPECIAL TRAINING AND MEDICAL EDUCATION:
NUTRITION:
-Benefits and Limitations of Nutritional Intervention in Dyslipidemia 3/31/2021
-Resting Metabolic Rate in Practice 3/11/2021
-Calories, Carbs or Quality? What Matters Most for Body Weight 3/3/2021
-Dietary Approaches in Pediatric Obesity Management 1/5/2021
-Nutrition: Evidence for current Eating Plans and Helping Patients Make the Choice 1/4/2021
-Meal Replacements and Very Low-Calorie Diets 10/28/2020
-Intermittent Fasting for Obesity Treatment 3/17/2020
-Nutrition: Impacting Type 2 Diabetes 11/14/2019
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:
-Creating a Physical Activity Plan for Patients with Limited Mobility 6/24/2020
-Physical Activity: Overcoming Barries to Activity 1/30/2020
-Physical Activity: Physical Activity Strategies for Patients with Obesity 12/5/2019
PHARMACOTHERAPY FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT:
-Off-Label Use of Medications for Obesity Treatment 11/11/2020
-Pharmacological Treatment of Pediatric Patients with Obesity 7/14/2020
-Medication: Managing Inadequate Weight loss and Weight Regain after Bariatric Surgery 1/21/2020
-Medication: Using Pharmacology in Patients with Obesity 12/12/2019
BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT:
-Practical Strategies for Obesity Care via Telemedicine 12/30/2020
-The Co-Ocurrence of Pediatric Obesity and ADHD: Implications for Collaborative Management 12/10/2020
-Treating Obesity in Medication Non-Responsers or Under-Responders 7/22/2020
-Acceptance-Based Behavioral Treatment for Obesity 5/28/2020
-Weight Loss and Maintenance- Utilization of Psychological Modalities 5/12/2020
-Behavior: Using Motivational Interview and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Obesity Treatment 12/18/2019
OBESITY RELATED DISORDERS:
-2021 Updates to the Obesity Medicine Association Obesity Algorithm 2/16/2021
-Obesity and COVID 19: What does the science tell us? 2/7/2021
-Optimizing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Treatment by Treating Obesity First 1/13/2021
-Carbohydrate Management for Patients with Gestational Diabetes 12/3/2020
-Viewing Type 2 Diabetes Through the Lens of Obesity 11/19/2020
-Obesity Management in US Veterans 8/20/2020
-Treatment of Elderly Patients with Sarcopenic Obesity 7/6/2020
-Obesity Rates and Other Weight Disparities in the LGBTQ+ Community 6/9/2020
-Obesity and Lipid Disorders 2/26/2020
-The Heavy Heart: Treating Obesity to Prevent or Manage Heart Failure 2/13/2020
-Pediatric Dyslipidemia: How to Identify and Manage Associated Risk 11/21/2019
-Pediatric Dyslipidemia: How to Identify and Manage Associated Risk 11/21/2019