By UH Med Now student journalist Jessica Olga Henao
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Please tell me a little bit about yourself, January.
January: I was born and raised on O’ahu. My mother is from the Philippines, and my father is from the island of Kauaʻi. Growing up they did not have very much and my father lived in a room smaller than this (conference room) and so did my mother. They had to work very hard to provide for me, as I am an only child. I have seen them go through ups and downs financially in life. From the time that I was born up to 18, my father (an electrician) had temporary lay-offs at least five times due to time periods when there was not much work available. He and my mom worked very hard to provide me with an education and I was able to go to private school from kindergarten up to high school. My parents are very loving and always supported my goals and dreams. I got my bachelors from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in biology. I was involved in research first at the medical school, working with Dr. Kelley Withy, in health disparities research. I then got a Master’s in Physiology at UH Mānoa and I graduated in 2011. Thereafter, I completed the ʻImi Hoʻōla Post-Baccalaureate Program (JABSOM’s one-year intensive medical school preparatory course for college graduates from underserved or underprivileged communities, aimed at providing qualified doctors for those communities.)
JABSOM ENQUIRER: That’s a lot to accomplish so quickly. Congratulations!
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Why did you choose medicine?
January: I’ve always loved medicine since I was young. I believe it stemmed from my grandmother. She had a stroke and growing up I would help my mother take care of her. We would take her to rehab three times a week and I would go with them. I would play ball with my grandmother and other patients. During those times at the rehab hospital, I admired the way that the doctors would interact with the patients and how they interacted with my grandmother. I said to myself: “I want to do this for other patients too.” I did volunteer work in hospitals while I was in high school and I enjoyed it. I got a lot of exposure from great doctors and that’s how my passion grew as well.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Are there any physicians in your family?
January: I have an auntie and a cousin as well that are in the medical field. My cousin went to medical school in the Philippines and he actually came to practice here in the U.S. He studied at Yale University for some time and then he went back to the Philippines because he felt that there was a huge need for doctors there. He is a radiologist, like Steffan Soosman (a JABSOM classmate) aspires to be. My auntie is a pediatrician on Oahu, and I would be the third physician in my family.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: What field in medicine would you like to be in?
January: Definitely family medicine. I enjoy the continuity of primary care. I love the idea of being the first point of contact and being able to provide and facilitate care for patients. At first I thought I was going to do pediatrics ,and I just fell in love with all areas of medicine from doing all the other rotations. What I like about family medicine is that I can work with patients and their families to provide optimal care. What further solidified my decision to go into family medicine was working with Dr. Iizuka. He is a family physician at Straub and he was my preceptor during my family medicine rotation.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Tell me a little bit more about the ʻImi Hoʻōla Program and how that helped you strengthen your core in your path through medicine?
Andaya receiving her Imi certificate
January: The ʻImi Hoʻōla Program is aimed at helping disadvantaged students, whether it could be economically, educationally, or socially. I fit in the economic aspect of qualifying as an ʻImi student, as my father had temporary lay-offs several times. The ʻImi program helped me build my science core, as well as strengthening my critical thinking skills. Looking back at my undergrad years, I definitely needed work in some areas. Being a part of the program helps you work on time management skills, critical thinking skills and stress management. We work closely with Karen Sakamoto, education specialist for the ‘Imi program. She and the Imi faculty create an individualized program for each student. I am so grateful to be a part of ʻImi Hoʻōla as I have also gained skills that helped me in medical school and later in life.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Is there anything that you can say to those getting into the medical field, what can you say to them?
Family Medicine with Dr. Iizuka
January: I would say never give up! If you have the will, there’s a way. Medical school is not easy and there are challenges on the path to becoming a physician. I was actually in the Imi program twice. I left the ‘Imi Program the first time around due to health reasons.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Was the load too heavy for you?
January: It was heavy. Even though I took time off, I couldn’t stop thinking about medicine. If you feel medicine is definitely for you, do not give up on that passion! I kept in touch with my ʻImi advisers during that time, and they helped me a lot. An advice I can give to students who do want to get into medical school but may have obstacles is to find a really good adviser. Because they can definitely give you encouragement, support and also programs that you can be a part of to help strengthen any weaknesses or to give you more exposure prior to med school. After ‘Imi the first time around, I did more research with Dr. Withy and also at the Department of Clinical Investigations at Tripler Army Medical Center as I was also conducting my Master’s research there. I kept in touch with my advisers, and I would tell them, “I love research, but I can’t stop thinking about medicine.” At Tripler, I had a lot of exposure to physicians there and I said to myself, “I still want to do medicine.”
JABSOM ENQUIRER: You’ve had your ins and outs, you’ve taken some time off and you have reevaluated your health and you still felt that passion for wanting to go back. That is really great, that solidifies your passion for the medical field.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Tell me are you involved with any research here at JABSOM?
January: I did research with Dr. Kelley Withy. We worked on rural health disparities research that included assessing homeless health care needs and also looking at areas in Hawai’i that have a shortage of physicians. We also did a report highlighting shortage areas for the Hawaiʻi Island. The research was not only limited to the Hawaiʻi Island. It was also statewide.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Moving on, when you’re done with medical school, do you know or have an idea where you would like to do your residency?
January: Here.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Oh, beautiful!
January: My first choice is Hawaiʻi. Continuing my studies here as a resident will help me learn more about how I can address health care needs specific to Hawaii in addition to providing general health care. I want to practice on the neighbor islands as well.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Is there any clinic or hospital that you feel affiliated with and that you would want to work full time?
Manoa Distaster Preparedness Fair with Dr. Omori
January: I would like to work in rural areas, such as Waianae or work with underserved populations, such as the homeless population or individuals who don’t have insurance. I worked with the HOME project since my first year in medical school. For the neighbor islands, I would say Maui or Kauaʻi. In Maui because I have my family there and they have always told me about the need for more doctors and health care resources. Kauai – I enjoyed working with Dr. Duvachelle. He worked at the VA, and I really liked working with veterans and also had the chance to do some home care visits in remote areas.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Would you consider working overseas?
January: Yes, definitely. I would like to go to the Philippines.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: We also want to know more about you, what do you like to do in your free time?
January: If I have time … I like to play the piano. Being a pianist was an occupation of mine before medical school. I use to play at the Newman Center at UH Mānoa and I also played for all types of occasions, such as weddings. That was my side job, besides doing research. I also enjoy reading books. The Hunger Games was actually the last book that I read. I also enjoy watching movies, shopping, spending time with my family and friends. I also love broadway shows if they happen to come here. The last show I watched was “Wicked”. My favorite broadway show is “Les Miserables”. I also have four dogs that I absolutely enjoy spending time with – Samson, Melody, Harmony and Oreo. They are all rescue dogs.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Tell me, do you have a celebrity crush?
January: Oh my gosh … whom do I love? …
JABSOM ENQUIRER: C’mon, there has to be someone…
January: I love Chris Hemsworth from Troy, I think he’s awesome!
JABSOM ENQUIRER: Is he awesome or is he handsome?
January: Yes, he’s handsome! It’s either him, or Captain America, Chris Evans.
JABSOM ENQUIRER: If there were one thing that JABSOM has instilled in you, what would you say that would be?
January: Compassion, humanism, and empathy. From talking to friends that went to other medical schools, they were very impressed of our interactions with patients. I did an exchange program in Japan and the Japanese students that rotated here at JABSOM acknowledged the same thing.
Editor’s note: One of January’s favorite inspirational quotes: “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. Please remember that your difficulties do not define you. They simply strengthen your ability to overcome.” -Maya Angelou