Navy Capt. Paulette Cazares, M.D., M.P.H. attended Boston College for her undergraduate studies and then Drexel University for the first half of a Masters in Public Health (M.P.H.). She was then commissioned in the US Navy and attended Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), graduating in 2004. She completed a Psychiatry Internship at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) in 2005 and then served as the General Medical Officer onboard the USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52) from 2005-2007, deploying twice in two years. Following this operational tour, she completed training in Psychiatry via the National Capital Consortium Psychiatry Residency Program. During that time, she served as the Navy Chief Resident and completed her M.P.H. at Drexel University.

Her staff tours have included Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune (NHCL), two tours at Naval Medical Center San Diego, and an overseas tour as the Director for Mental Health (DMH) at NMRTC Okinawa (2020-2023). During her tour at NHCL, she deployed as the Joint Task Force psychiatrist to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to serve as the Psychiatrist for the Joint Medical Group. At NMCSD, she served as the Division Officer at Fleet Mental Health, the Department Head at SARP/OASIS, the command’s Women’s Mental Health SME, and as the Associate DMH. She chaired the NMCSD Provider Wellness Committee for five years and expanded its mission to a regional role. She piloted the Department of Defense’s 1st Women’s Mental Health program, including addition of a treatment track at OASIS for sexual trauma for men and women. She ultimately led the formal creation of the Women’s Mental Health sub-community, under the Clinical Community umbrella at BUMED, which has since evolved into the Female Force Readiness Clinical Community (FFRCC), where she served as the inaugural Chair for three years. During her time as Chair, she led creation of the Comprehensive Women’s Health Clinic pilot, the first of its kind within the DoD, to focus multi-disciplinary care on the needs of Active duty servicewomen. 

In her current role, she serves as faculty at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command San Diego, and works clinically in the inpatient and outpatient environments. She is heavily engaged in research and continues to serve in the FFRCC.  She is the current Co-Chair for the 2024 Female Physician Leadership course. 

Dr. Cazares is the Navy Liaison to the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), elected to the Executive Board in 2019, and re-elected in September 2022 to her 2nd term on the Executive Board of Directors.  During her service to AMWA, she led creation of the inaugural Active Duty and Veterans Chapter, engaging tri-service AD and Veteran physicians across specialties.

She was meritoriously selected for Captain in April 2019.  She has lectured nationally and at international meetings and has numerous publications. Her personal awards include the MHS Navy Senior Female Physician Leadership Award, Meritorious Service Medal (3 awards), the Drexel University Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award (2021), USU Distinguished Alumna (2020), and has been recognized as a NMCSD Associate Master Clinician. She is board certified in General Psychiatry, is an Assistant Professor at USUHS, and is a proud wife and mother of four school-age children.