Nancy Yang, MD
Hometown: Guangzhou, China / Rochester, MN
Undergraduate School: Washington University, St Louis
Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School, Twin Cities
Q & A
Why did you choose the University of Hawaii to do your training?
I learned about the program from a classmate who matched to UH the year before. She was having such a great time and getting so much experience and great training, and the idea of living and learning in Hawai’i sounded like a once in a lifetime opportunity. When I came for the interview, it was very evident that the faculty and residents here shared my values: reproductive justice for women and community-centered research/care. I had substantial experience in medical school working with community-based participatory research and really wanted to continue this work in residency and beyond, and UH’s program was very interested and supportive of my passion for this. The patient populations here are very unique, a mix of rural and immigrant and indigenous peoples, with lots of health disparities to be addressed. And most importantly, the residents were awesome—they were fun, passionate, and smart. After my interview I knew immediately I wanted to be here.
What’s the best thing about being a resident/fellow at the University of Hawaii?
The program is really invested in our residents. They do everything they can to make sure things are working in your favor—they’re genuine about duty hour limitations, they make sure residents feel supported in their academic and extra-academic pursuits. And Ginny (our program coordinator) is an angel — she delivered groceries to my door when I had to quarantine for 2 weeks after relocating to Hawai’i!
How do you like to spend your off-time?
I live just a mile from the beach and like to jog there for an early morning or late evening swim. I also love to cook, paint, bike, hike, go thrifting, or going to the art museums or Bishop museum of natural history. My partner and I adopted a one-eyed cat and we love being cat mamas.
What’s your favorite place to eat in Hawaii?
Torae Torae for the best izakaya (small plates); Chengdu Taste for the best Chinese food; Bac Nam for the best Vietnamese crab curry; Da Spot for the best plate lunch and smoothie; and Niu for my new favorite VEGAN soft serve.
