Orange County

Former UC Irvine Student Accused of Impersonating a Doctor, Diagnosing Growth on Patient's Neck

A former UC Irvine student is accused of providing a diagnosis about a growth on a patient's neck

What to Know

  • The suspect allegedly posed as a doctor at least seven times at Children's Hospital of Orange County
  • The former UC Irvine student is accused of providing a diagnosis about a growth on a patient's neck
  • He could be sentenced to three years in state prison and eight years in the county jail, if convicted

A former UC Irvine student is accused of posing as a doctor and giving a diagnosis to a medical center patient about a growth on the man's neck, the Orange County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.

Ariya Ouskouian, 23, an undergrad student out of Irvine, was charged Tuesday with providing a medical diagnosis while impersonating a doctor and misrepresenting himself as a medical practitioner, according to Michelle Van Der Linden of the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Ouskouian is accused of posing as a doctor and diagnosing a patient about a growth on his neck in a consult room on May 3 at UCI, Van Der Linden said.

Prosecutors also say he pretended to be a doctor, wearing a lab coat with his name on it, carrying a stethoscope and a badge, proclaiming he was a resident at UC Irvine. They say it was all a hoax.

He is also accused of impersonating a doctor at Children's Hospital of Orange County on at least seven occasions between April 23 and June 4 and of misrepresenting himself as a doctor to CHOC security and accessing restricted floors, according to Van Der Linden.

"Ouskouian is accused of claiming to have lost his hospital badge and requesting a temporary one be issued on each of these occasions," Van Der Linden said.

If convicted as charged, Ouskouian could be sentenced to three years in state prison and eight years in the county jail. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney.

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