What are your pronouns? 
She/her/hers
Where are you from?
I grew up in Southern California near Los Angeles and stayed there for college at California State University, Los Angeles. I did an accelerated program called Early Entrance Program which allows students to skip high school and go straight to college at the age of 13. I graduated college at 18 and headed to the midwest in Chicago to start medical school, then moved further east to Philadelphia for residency. I returned back to the west coast in Seattle for fellowship in Reproductive Health and Advocacy this year. My family is still in Southern California, which I do miss a lot and still believe that some of the best food is in LA!
What’s your specialty or area of expertise?
My specialty is family medicine. I am currently pursuing a fellowship in reproductive health and advocacy at University of Washington which I am very excited for! This means that I am currently getting training in abortion care and all other areas of reproductive health care. I also still do full-spectrum family medicine which I absolutely love and enjoy.
What first inspired you to become a doctor?
My mother was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome and Lupus when I was in 6th grade. She was hospitalized for over a month and was in the ICU during that time. I have never felt so helpless in my life and I was terrified of losing my mother. I have so much love and respect for the physicians and care team that took care of my mother during that time. It made me want to pursue medicine to help other people. I fell in love with family medicine and reproductive health care during medical school and knew that was what I wanted to do. My mom is doing really well now and it is definitely nice to finally understand what happened to her before and what I can do to help her now.
What current policy issue especially motivates you to be an advocate?
The rule change in Title X funding will definitely limit reproductive health care in so many places around United States, which is unfathomable and horrible. This motivates me even more to advocate for those in need of comprehensive health care who cannot afford it.
How do you practice self care?
I love naps and I think that is a great way to practice self-care. I also enjoy cooking or baking something for yourself and others. Fun movies and TV shows to relax with a face mask and ice cream always help as well. Sometimes, just sitting outside in nice weather or going for a leisurely stroll.
Who is your social justice hero?
One of my social justice heroes is Nellie Wong who is a poet and activist from Oakland, California. She is a daughter of Chinese immigrants, like myself. Through her poetry and community activism, she helps to confront social issues such as racism, sexism, and labor issues. She is also one of the founding members of the writing collective Unbound Feet and her poetry has been installed in public places throughout San Francisco. She is also active with Radical Women and the Freedom Socialist Party and has worked as an Affirmative Action analyst.
