A Bruin Love Story: Makana Williams and Rigoberto Perez Hernandez

A Meet-Cute During Med-School Interviews

Aspiring medical students consider many factors when preparing for admissions interviews. 'Falling in love' isn't one of them. 

Rigoberto (Rigo) Perez Hernandez, MD, MPH '24 had no idea what to do when love struck him during an interview back in 2018. 

He'd been listening attentively to the dean of a Washington D.C. university while other applicants entered the room. Then he saw her—his now girlfriend, Makana Williams, MD '23.

"I totally zoned out from the whole conversation and just focused on her," Rigo recalls, beaming at Makana during a recent double interview. 

She has a slightly fuzzier memory of their first meeting. 

"I was nervous," she explains. "It was my first med-school interview, and I so badly wanted to get an acceptance." 

She remembers sitting across from a charming, handsome man who kept smiling at her. But she wasn't about to be distracted. 

"I was focused on the goal." 

Makana and Rigo had a short conversation but ultimately parted ways, certain they'd never see each other again. 

Reuniting as DGSOM Medical Students 

Luckily, both Makana and Rigo chose to attend medical school at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM). 

Each felt delighted to see the other during new-student orientation. Only one of them felt completely surprised. 

"I remember feeling someone over my shoulder, and I turn around and see this handsome man," Makana says. 

The handsome stranger happened to know her name and where she went to undergrad. 

"Do I know you?" she asked. 

Rigo had been looking forward to seeing Makana again, and he felt undeterred by her lack of recognition. He'd chosen UCLA for the diverse patient population and the PRIME LA five-year, concurrent/dual degree program. However, he grew even more excited to attend after visiting a Facebook group for other admitted students.

"I saw Makana was in the group," he says. "I knew there was a chance she'd come to UCLA too."

Nerves clouded Makana's memory of first meeting Rigo, but their second encounter left a significant and lasting impression. 

She enjoys recalling some surreptitious ways she tried to get to know Rigo better early on. For example, she'd always put her bag right next to his if they had a class together. 

"I would wait until I saw him going to get his bag," she says. "Then I would go get mine so we could be in the same area and talk and maybe walk out together." 

Being in Love While Becoming Doctors 

Makana and Rigo's early friendship quickly developed into a committed partnership. They supported each other through every year of medical school, and both matched into residency programs at UCLA. 

They wanted to stay at UCLA for the supportive faculty members and mentors, the diverse patient populations, the expansive clinical training opportunities, and of course, the opportunity to be together throughout training. 

"It's really special knowing that at the end of the day, there's a person there for you who understands exactly what you're going through and can support you in a way that not many other people can," Makana says. 

It makes them both proud to watch the core traits they love in each other carry over into professional settings. 

"A lot of your colleagues talk about how good of a physician and resident you are," Rigo told Makana. "I admire how you uplift others. You mentor others and make time for them, and that goes a long way for people."

Makana loves seeing Rigo's patient and caring nature make a difference in the hospital. 

"He's always looking out for his patients," she says. "He's the person who will stay beyond his shift to make sure a patient's family understands what's going on."

Sharing Any Future They Find   

Makana and Rigo can each picture exactly what they want to do in the future. As a dermatologist, Makana plans to improve care for patients of all skin types. As an emergency medicine physician, Rigo wants to serve under-resourced communities like the one he grew up with in Watsonville, California. 

Exactly where they'll pursue those dreams after residency, however, remains a complete unknown. 

"It's hard to envision where I’ll be in five years because I'm just trying to get through and be the best person I can be on a day-to-day basis," Makana says. 

The couple faces their uncertain future by affirming how certain they are about each other. 

"Ultimately, the most important thing that I know for sure is that I want to be with you," Rigo told Makana. 

The feeling is mutual.