APIDA Student Spotlight: Nat Hogan
In honor of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month, we are highlighting some of our amazing APIDA Pharmacy students.
Name: Nat Hogan
Degree: PharmD
Graduation year: 2023
Q: What inspired you to pursue a degree at the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy?
A: My dad is a pharmacist, and he encouraged me to explore my interest in science. I was drawn to healthcare because I wanted to serve people, but I prefer to work behind the scenes. Pharmacy seemed like the perfect fit because I can optimize patients’ health in an environment that suits my personality.
Q: Do you have any role models that inspire you - at the college or in general?
A: My roommate encompasses the traits that I try to embody every day. He graduated with an engineering degree and quickly found a job at a plastics company. However, feeling unfulfilled in his position, he quit to pursue his passion for teaching. Now he has his own private tutoring program. He lives by his standards of success, and he is dedicated and diligent in his work.
Q: Tell me about your family and community growing up.
A: Growing up in a Korean household, I formed fond memories of the meals we ate together. Even when I thought there was nothing in the fridge, we would cook and eat as a family. My father loves kimchi, and my grandma was so proud that her son-in-law had such a fondness for Korean food. My sister and I used to make donut holes with my grandma in a boiling pot of oil. She would scoop the dough with two spoons, the dough would flip over on its own, and we would cover them in cinnamon sugar before popping them into our mouths.
Q: What does being part of the APIDA community mean to you?
A: Being a part of the APIDA community means supporting my family and remembering my ancestry. My grandmother lived through the Korean War, and my mother immigrated to America when she was a child. It’s because of their strength and sacrifice that I was able to grow up with many opportunities to succeed. I hope to honor their hard work and support by getting my PharmD and building a successful career.
Q: What are your goals after graduation?
A: I currently work at Banner UMC Tucson compounding sterile medications in the IV room. After graduation, I hope to get a job as a staff or manufacturing pharmacist in a hospital. I also want to earn a BPS certificate in psychiatric pharmacy. Many people in the APIDA community may find it difficult to seek help regarding mental health issues. I hope that by representing my community and providing psychiatric care, I can help people find the courage to reach out to their pharmacists and providers about mental health.
Q: Anything else you would like to share?
A: I wanted to highlight a few books that resonated with me as an Asian-American and a healthcare professional. These books, respectively, discuss the clash of Eastern and Western medicine, the quest for a “meaningful life,” the struggle to escape a communist regime, the power of memories through food, and the concept of identity and culture.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeon-seo Lee
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Story by: Gracie Lordi