Celebrating National Women Physician's Day

“Today, I am proud to not only be celebrating National Women Physician Day but also to be an SGU graduate as they supported me as a female student by providing me amazing opportunities not only in education but also in leadership positions and to strengthen me to be the female leader and physician/public health specialist that I am today. It is proven by evidence that not only women health care providers but also providers who did their medical studies abroad lead to better health outcomes for their patients. My greatest advice to women in medicine is to not only “lean in,” but to know when to “lean out.”

Yon Chong, MD, MPH, MBA ’11, Psychiatry

“Don’t be surprised if patients think you are their nurse for your first several years out. I used to let this bother me until I realized when I am older and have more wrinkles maybe then they will assume I am their physician. Looking younger isn’t such a bad thing.”

Jessica Best, MSc, MD ’12, Emergency Medicine

“It can be difficult to put self and career above all else when the career path is as long and demanding as a career in medicine. I’ve reminded myself that pursuing my passions and living with purpose not only makes me a more effective physician, but a happier human, a mentor for other young women, a more supportive partner, and, one day, an exemplary mother.”

Jenna Nakagawa, MD, MPH ’16

“As a woman physician and SGU alumni, I have faced many challenges getting to where I am today in addition to daily in my workplace. Some things that motivate me to get through these challenges are the feeling I get when a patient is on the road to being healthy and gets discharged from the hospital so they can get back home to be with their families at home, or seeing my clinic patients reach personal goals that we have been working towards together. Even though 2020 has been a challenging year career-wise, it has also been a big year for learning and an honor to have the privilege to continue to do what I love since many others cannot.”

Michele Obert, MD ’19, Internal Medicine Resident

“As a Woman Physician and SGU Alumna, my biggest challenge was to be able to balance both life and my medical career. I thought that being a doctor meant you had to put your life on hold but at SGU I was able to achieve this balance effortlessly. My biggest advice would be to always work hard, pursue your interest in medicine and never give up. You can achieve anything you set your mind to.”

Jincy Thomas, MD ’18

“Each year women strive to shatter the glass ceiling in medicine and make their mark on the world. Persevere and be the change that you hope to see for tomorrow’s generation of women.”

Melinda Hansen, MD ’12