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In this episode of the Provider Pulse Series, Dr. Duncan Reid sits down with Jefferson Nguyen, medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Growing up in South Seattle as the son of Vietnamese refugees, Jefferson Nguyen never imagined that his path to medicine would be a straight line — because it wasn’t. In this candid conversation, Jefferson shares how a community health clinic shaped his early view of medicine, how he wrestled with identity and belonging, and how jobs at Harborview Medical Center— from trauma research to patient care technician — deepened his understanding of disparities and patient stories.

We discuss the pressures of the “perfect pre-med narrative,” how Jefferson learned to balance technical skill with human connection, and why embracing both made him a stronger medical school applicant. He also offers practical advice on mentorship, undergraduate resources, shadowing strategies, and building a life outside medicine.

Whether you’re a pre-med student, early-career professional, or simply interested in the human side of healthcare, this episode contains insight and encouragement for anyone finding their own way in medicine.

Additional resources mentioned in the episode:

Two studies mentioned in this episode:

Doctors vs Doctors with AI vs AI alone on challenging cases:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2825395

 Goh E, Gallo R, Hom J, et al. Large Language Model Influence on Diagnostic Reasoning: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(10)

Article on performance of ChatGPT on USMLE:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9931230/

Kung TH, Cheatham M, Medenilla A, Sillos C, De Leon L, Elepaño C, Madriaga M, Aggabao R, Diaz-Candido G, Maningo J, Tseng V. Performance of ChatGPT on USMLE: Potential for AI-assisted medical education using large language models. PLOS Digit Health. 2023 Feb 9;2(2):e0000198.

Other Links:

AAMC Fee Assistance Program

https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/fee-assistance-program

Dr. Douglas Zatzick, MD

Psychiatrist mentioned in the episode who works on post-traumatic stress disorder.

https://www.uwmedicine.org/bios/douglas-zatzick

International Community Health Services:

https://www.ichs.com/

South Seattle Emerald Newspaper:

https://southseattleemerald.org/

UW Brotherhood Initiative:

https://brotherhoodinitiative.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdlg6Btm7dE

UW Instructional Center:

https://www.washington.edu/omad/advancement/instructional-center/

UW Vietnamese Student Association:

https://www.vsauw.com/

Link to retirement announcement of Dr. Anthony Chen:

https://tpchd.org/news/dr-anthony-chen-officially-retires-as-director

Visit EthnoMed.org for additional resources. Follow us on YouTube and Instagram @EthnoMedUW