Undergraduate Student Aspires to Become a Physician Assistant

Nikki Phan is a fourth year student at SDSU majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with the departments of Public Health, Biology, and Psychology. She aspires to become a physician assistant to advocate and provide medical care to individuals in underserved communities. Her aspiration to become a PA stemmed from shadowing a PA in Mexico with Flying Samaritans during her second year at SDSU.

Currently, Nikki is the President of Students 4 Public Health, which is a student organization at SDSU that focuses on 3 Ps– Prevention, Promotion, and Protection — of students on campus and the community at large. She is also a peer mentor at the Health Professions Advising Office (HPAO) where she assists pre-health students with graduate school preparation, including scheduling classes, finding opportunities that align with students’ interests, and helping students navigate on-campus resources. Moreover, Nikki is an Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) mentor where she mentors students who are first generation, low-income, and often come from disadvantaged backgrounds. She recently began interning in a radiology lab at UCSD Health where she examines MRI images of patients with brain tumors and prostate cancer to identify trends. In the future, Nikki hopes to continue clinical research to better understand different cancers and improve quality of life for oncology patients.