Nhayoung Hwang is currently a second year medical student at the UC Davis School of Medicine. Before she served on VHIO’s executive board with Bao Nguyen and Thanh Nguyen, she was the Korean department coordinator.
NHAYOUNG HWANG
KOREAN DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR 2013 – 2014, PRESIDENT* 2014-2015
*2014-2015 and 2015-2016 were the only years during which VHIO had a president.
Hello VHIO!
My name is Nhayoung and I graduated from Cal in 2015 as a MCB Immunology major. My four years in VHIO had a huge impact on me and my decision to pursue medicine, and I have no doubt my experiences are what helped me to be where I am now. Even in medical school, I still continue to build upon skills and knowledge I gained through this organization. One of my most important extracurricular commitments now are my weekend shifts at the Paul Hom Asian Clinic, which provides free medical care to the large, Limited English Proficient and immigrant community of Sacramento. I still rely on my Korean interpretation for many of my patients!
The most important thing I gained from VHIO, however, are the friends I made. Many of us continue to keep in touch and support each other in our post-college endeavors. As I begin the last half of my second year at the UC Davis School of Medicine, I'm starting to realize how fortunate I was to have been a part of an amazing student-run organization that reaches beyond service in the clinical setting to advocate for vulnerable populations in the community. Your time with this group is truly whatever you make of it. If, for example, you want to focus on a specific population or to provide a certain service to your patients, I encourage you to work with your department and make it your own project!
If you ever have any questions about VHIO, post-grad life, or med school, don't hesitate to reach out (PLEASE ASK DIRECTORS FOR EMAIL). Keep up the great work and go bears!
September 2017
This spotlight was first prepared in honor of our ten year anniversary.