My road to medicine has been anything but traditional. I was born to Vietnamese immigrants and raised in Seattle, WA. When I was in the first grade, my father was involved in an automobile accident that left him quadriplegic. This was my introduction to medicine. I bore witness to the amazing human spirit by watching my mother, as a single parent, raise her 4 children while also becoming the primary caretaker for my father. I attended Johns Hopkins University for my undergraduate education and obtained a B.A in History of Art and a minor in Entrepreneurship and Management. Afterwards, I became a Peace Corps volunteer and served in Mozambique, teaching English as a foreign language. It was then that I knew that I wanted to become a physician, particularly one with a focus on global health. When I returned to the States, I attended Washington State University to fulfill my pre-medicine prerequisites. I enjoyed it so much that I added a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in Molecular Biology. I feel very fortunate to have attended the University of Washington - School of Medicine, which has a strong emphasis in primary care. During my time there, I completed the Global Health Pathway. As a part of that pathway, I traveled to the Philippines to work with an NGO to train local volunteers to become healthcare advocates in screening, education, and prevention of chronic diseases. Though I love Seattle, and plan on eventually returning to be closer to family, I have taken residency as an opportunity to further grow both personally and professionally. The Family and Community Medicine Program at the University of Arizona really offered me everything that I wanted in a program. I wanted an academically rigorous program that would push me intellectually so that I would have a strong medical base, all while being in a supportive environment. I am able to continue my interest in Global Health with the Global Health Distinction Track. In addition, I can expand my knowledge on Integrative Medicine at the founding center in Tucson, AZ. Most importantly, the people at this program have been simply awe-inspiring. My other interests in medicine include: health policy and advocacy, adolescent medicine, and LGTBQ health.
