GME Family Medicine Faculty
Mario Martinez, MD
Program Director
Dr. Martinez was raised in the East Bay Area, CA. He received his bachelors degree at UC Davis. He then received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He completed residency at UCSF Fresno and has continued to practice in academic medicine.
Both his parents are teachers, so inherently, Dr Martinez has a passion for teaching medicine. His goal is to encourage residents and students to love medicine, have pride in their work, and acknowledge the privilege they have to heal.
Dr. Martinez proudly practices full scope family medicine including obstetrical care, inpatient medicine, care for all ages in the outpatient setting, and outpatient procedures. He is fluent in both English and Spanish.
He loves spending time with and traveling with his family. They love everything that is Disney. He is motivated each day by his family.
Mariam Bassali, MD, MPH
Core Faculty and Preceptor
Dr. Mariam Bassali is originally from Madera, California and moved at a young age to the San Fernando Valley and then to Simi Valley where she grew up. She earned a bachelor's in Linguistics & Anthropology at UCLA, and went on to receive a MPH with a focus on Biostatistics & Epidemiology at the University of Southern California. After working for a short time as a SAS programmer, Dr. Bassali attended Ross University School of Medicine and completed her residency in Family and Community Medicine at UCSF Fresno. Her interests in medicine include chronic disease management, women's health and doing in-clinic procedures. She chose to pursue academic medicine because she enjoys teaching and learning with residents. Her hobbies include rollerblading, hiking, and cooking.
Ravi Kumar, MD
Preceptor
Dr. Kumar is one of the most experienced clinicians with the Family Medicine Residency program. Over the last 45 years he has been a committed and enthusiastic teacher for many physicians. He starts his days full of energy. You can see him participating in didactic sessions, precepting at the Family Medicine Center or seeing patients at his other practice site. When asked about his pet peeves his response was, “Negative thoughts, procrastinators and lazy bums”. Kindness and a spiritual nature are just a few of his qualities. He loves medicine and defines himself as “one who seeks finds”. An avid reader over his lifetime, he keeps himself up to date with regards to practicing evidence-based medicine. His goals are “to publish” or jokingly “perish”. His best times are when he is relaxing at home with friends and family.
Asma Tariq, MD
Core Faculty and Preceptor
Dr. Tariq is a graduate of our Family Medicine Residency program. She is an intelligent and hard-working physician with a twist of humor. She works as an attending on the inpatient service, precepts in the Family Medicine center, and oversees the Medical Students who rotate on Family Medicine services. She has two young children and is devoted to her family. She enjoys traveling and catching up with her family members who live overseas.
When asked about her hidden talents, her response was very fast and adamant: “I am a good cook”. Her favorite place is Niagara Falls.
Her pet peeves are: People who don't respect personal space, people who honk their car horn for no obvious reason, and inefficiency.
Stephen Zerlang, DO
Core Faculty and Preceptor
Dr. Zerlang was born and raised in Visalia, CA. After completing his medical education (RVUCOM) and residency training (North Colorado Family Medicine) in Colorado, he returned to the Central Valley to serve the local community. Prior to joining the residency program as core faculty, Dr. Zerlang worked for a Federally Qualified Health Center. He considers it a privilege to work alongside resident physicians and appreciates being challenged by their perspectives and insights. He sees his role in training resident physicians as a practical means to multiply his impact on the well-being of the local community.
Dr. Zerlang enjoys broad-spectrum Family Medicine and practices in both the inpatient and outpatient clinical settings. His time is divided between inpatient/hospitalist medicine, clinical precepting, and solo clinical practice. Particular interests include obstetrics and maternity care, community outreach, and procedural training.
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids. He loves adventuring in the mountains and relaxing at the coast. His hobbies include mountain-biking and water-skiing.