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Born in Vietnam, I came to this country when I was
five years old. I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. I attended college
at
the University of Arizona. I spent 4 years there and graduated magna
cum laude with a B.A. in philosophy. When I look back, I realized that
early on in my life I was drawn to the study of humanities. I was
always
interested in human behavior, asking myself what motivates people and
trying to understand why people do certain things. I feel
fortunate to be able to find a career where I can integrate my passion
for philosophy with a career in medicine.
After my philosophy degree, I spent the next 2
years to graduate with my Master of Public Health degree (M.P.H.) My focus during my
MPH was to understand behavioral theories as it pertain to
health. For example, understanding why people are willing to take
risk and make poor healthcare decisions. This was great
preparation for me as a doctor because I have learned that I must
try to understand my patients first before I try to understand their problems.
After
receiving my Master of Public Health degree, I spent my final 4 years
at the University of Arizona and graduated from medical school. After medical school, I came
to University of California, Irvine, for my 4
years of general adult psychiatry training.
People often ask me why I decided to become a
psychiatrist. In psychiatry, the various conditions not only affect
one's outlook of life, but often they have a negative impact on the way
a person thinks and behaves. It can change one’s personality. For
example, someone who once was happy, social and energetic can become
depressed, irritable, and anxious as a result of a psychiatric
condition.
I believe our personality is what makes us very
unique. It is a great feeling of accomplishment for me when I can help
patients regain their quality of life back. I am humbled that patients
are willing to share their stories with me, for no two stories are ever
the same.
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