A patient armed with the right knowledge is an empowered patient. I believe the greatest enemy to our health and wellness is ignorance — and it’s this belief that drives me to educate patients, whether in the exam room, the lecture hall, or in written text.
I’m Dr. Jerry Neria, MD, board-certified in Family Medicine, and provider at Neria Medical and Wellness.
My journey to medicine didn’t start in a classroom — it started in the gym. I began competing in bodybuilding at 17, with no real mentor, just magazines and books on nutrition and exercise science. That passion for human performance and physiology eventually pulled me away from studying Mechanical Engineering at USC and into an entire career shift toward health and nutrition. I completed my BS in Exercise Physiology, followed by a Master’s in Public Health and Nutrition, before earning my medical degree and becoming board-certified in Family Medicine.
I started my career as a full-time hospitalist, treating patients in some of their sickest moments. It was during those years that I noticed a pattern: the same ailments, again and again, often managed with medication refills rather than real change. That observation pushed me toward what I now call “goal-oriented medicine” — care built around a patient’s outcomes, not just their prescriptions. It’s the reason I eventually stepped away from hospital medicine to build a practice centered on that philosophy.
Two of the most common root causes of disease I see are obesity and hormone imbalance. Helping a patient lose weight will set off a cascade of benefits — improved sleep apnea, lower blood pressure, reduced joint strain, and better cardiovascular health. With hormones, when corrected, a patient will experience improved sleep, mood, libido, and energy. Treating these root causes, rather than just their symptoms, is where I believe medicine does its best work.
You could say I spent the first part of my career helping very sick patients become less sick. Now, at Neria Medical and Wellness, I’m focused on helping patients who aren’t so sick go on to live life more abundantly.
I look forward to working with you on your wellness journey — schedule a consultation and let’s talk about your goals.
