(707) 776-6154 | Hablamos Español office@sleepfitmedical.com

OUR SLEEP & OBESITY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN

Rafael Sepulveda, MD, FAASM, D-ABOM 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. In 2026, Dr Sepulveda earned the designation as a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (FAASM). He 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. Rafael Sepulveda
Dr. Sepulveda’s focus and skills include:

Focus

Dr. Sepulveda views weight and sleep health as deeply interconnected. He looks to partner with patients to create personalized plans that support better life, better sleep, and lasting health.

Skills

  • Personalized nutrition guidance tailored to medical needs, preferences, and lifestyle
  • Medical treatment of obesity, including weight-loss medications when appropriate
  • Support for behavior change using proven, compassionate strategies
  • Diagnosis and treatment of sleep conditions that affect weight, mood, and overall health
  • Care before and after bariatric surgery, with a focus on long-term success
  • Treatment of related conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol disorders, PCOS, and sleep apnea
  • Care that emphasizes understanding, respect, and sustainable results

Curriculum Vitae for Rafael Sepulveda, MD, FAASM, D-ABOM

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
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

Public Speaking

Clinical Care Options Symposium Series | CHEST 2025 | Keynote Speaker- CME Event

California Sleep Society | 18th Annual Educational Symposium | Keynote Speaker -CME/CE Event

Dental Sleep Practice | Keynote Speaker- CE Activity

Peer View | Waking Up to OSA: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Learning Center | Keynote Speaker- CME/CE Activity

Clinical Care Options Symposium Series | SLEEP 2025 | Keynote Speaker- CME Event

Clinical Care Options Symposium Series | American Thoracic Society Conference 2025 | Keynote Speaker- CME Event

Inspire | Community Health Talk | Keynote Speaker- Non-CME Event

Yale School of Medicine | PCCSM Sleep Grand Rounds | Keynote Speaker- CME/CE Event

American Academy of Sleep Medicine | Talking Sleep Podcast | Keynote Speaker

American Academy of Sleep Medicine | Keynote Panelist/Speaker

Obesity Medicine Association | Keynote Speaker-CME/CE Event

American Academy of Sleep Medicine | 2024 Sleep Trends Conference | Keynote Speaker- CME/CE Event

American Academy of Sleep Medicine | Talking Sleep Podcast | Keynote Speaker -CME/CE Event

MEMBERSHIPS & PROFESSIONAL DUTIES:
AASM Foundation: Community Sleep Health Grant Review Committee
Duty: Jun 2023 – Ongoing
OMA: Outreach Committee
Duty: January 2023 through December 2023
AASM: PUBLIC AWARENESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Duty: June 2020 through June 2023
OBESITY ACTION COALITION
Initiation of Membership: 2020
OBESITY MEDICINE ASSOCIATION
Initiation of Membership: 2019
AMERICAN ALLIANCE FOR HEALTHY SLEEP
Initiation of Membership: 2019
CALIFORNIA SLEEP SOCIETY
Initiation of Membership: 2018
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE (AASM)
Initiation of Membership: 2016
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS
Initiation of Membership: 2011
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Initiation of Membership: 2009
SKILLS & COMMUNICATION

NATIVE LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: ENGLISH AND SPANISH

Publications

American Academy of Sleep Medicine | Montage Volume 10 No. 4 | Contributing Author

Sleep Review Magazine | Contributing Author 

Sleep World Magazine | Author

American Academy of Sleep Medicine | Montage Volume 9 No. 3 | Contributing Author

Forbes Health | Public Educational Articles