Proudest Moments:

1) Continuing my love for teaching during medical school at high schools on Lana'i and the Big Island and the Kūkulu Alaka‘i ‘Iolani (KA'I) program in Pālolo Valley
2) Doing henna for the most inspiring children and families at HUGS events
3) Being blessed with the most supportive group of family, friends, preceptors, and mentors that a person could ask for who I reach out to any time I'm at a crossroads

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

"To me, humanism in medicine means reconstructing your expectations and joining the patient and their community on their journey to good health whatever that journey may look like."

Proudest Moments:

1) Being brave enough to switch careers!
2) Training for and completing my first half marathon in the midst of Step 1 studying.
3) Anytime a patient tells me they know I'll make a great doctor.

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

"Humanism in medicine means approaching each patient encounter with the mindset that each person is a human being first and a patient with an illness second. It means showing up, listening, and getting to know each patient as a person."

Proudest Moments:

1) Supporting a patient through substance withdrawal and building trust during a difficult process
2) Connecting patients to care while volunteering at a mobile harm reduction clinic
3) Growing native plants with a local nature restoration group

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

"Humanism means sharing the same emotional space as the patient in front of me, creating an environment where they feel safe enough to share their story, and slowing down enough to see them eye-to-eye rather than from a distance."

Proudest Moments:

1) Calling my family to let them know I got into medical school!
2) Receiving my first stethoscope from the nurses and techs I worked with at Castle’s PACU as a farewell gift
3) Spending time with a young patient to encourage her to take her medication that she had refused all day and cheering for her once she was done!

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

"Rather than creating a barrier between provider and patient, I wonder if humanism in medicine is having the humility and compassion to reach across that barrier and offer our empathy, our care, our service. Perhaps the best way to advance humanism in medicine is to simply remember what it means to be human, and to do our best to exemplify that in our day to day lives while advocating for our patients to be treated with the care they deserve."

Proudest Moments:

1) Every patient encounter -- what a privilege it is to be trusted to advocate for and take care of the community that raised me.
2) Spearheading initiatives to improve education, care, and advocacy for patients with intellectual disabilities at JABSOM.
3) Learning to bet on myself and maintaining my joy throughout every part of this journey. Living the dream!

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

“Medicine is not just about technical expertise, but about the quiet, intentional acts that make patients feel seen, heard, cared for, and safe. They remind me that this path is not about finding the humanism in medicine, but that humanism is medicine, and when we choose to center the humanity in our patients, they often choose to recognize the same in us, and together we build community."

Proudest Moments:

1) Being accepted to JABSOM — sharing the joy of staying home for medical school with my first-generation Japanese grandmothers, parents, and sisters
2) When my patients and families ask me to be their future doctor
3) Experiencing a guarded patient open up with vulnerability, accepting respect and kindness, and placing trust in the care I provided

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

“Acting to empower a patient’s sense of autonomy or self-value does not serve toward curing a pathology, but functions to aid a patient’s transition away from a perspective of illness. This psychological transition, however abstract, is absolutely essential to the individual healing process. This focus on the subject, the patient, rather than the science of medicine, is Humanism at work.”
– Ryder Onopa, MD

Proudest Moments:

1) Caregiving for my grandmothers equipped me with valuable skills and experience to support my patients, but also priceless moments and unforgettable memories!
2) Asking my State Representative to introduce a bill expanding Hawaii's Preceptor Tax Credit Bill to include non-primary care specialties - now passed in both the House and Senate
3) Empowering a patient to only have the people she truly wants to have in her delivery room with her

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

"In the rush of treating one patient after another, it’s easy to forget to take a moment to connect with a patient or to encourage a fellow healthcare worker. To me, humanism in medicine is uplifting my fellow healthcare workers and empowering them to advocate for their patients through interpersonal connection and policy."

Proudest Moments:

1) Supporting a patient through her transition to hospice
2) Having close friends and family ask me to be their doctor
3) Getting my first eagle at Ted Makalena Golf Course

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

"Humanism in medicine means balancing efficiency with presence, understanding patients beyond the clinical setting, and recognizing that clinical knowledge alone is insufficient without humility."

Proudest Moments:

1) Becoming a dad
2) Watching my Pū Paʻakai mentees matriculate into medical school
3) Participating in my kindergarten teacher’s care on surgery rotations

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

"I ola ʻoe, i ola mākou nei When you thrive, we thrive"

Proudest Moments:

1) Being accepted into JABSOM & Kauai Medical Training Track
2) Being able to support a high school mentee from my alma-mater and seeing her excitement as she placed on the podium at state science fair and HOSA
3) When patients share that they’re excited to be part of my learning, and hope to be in my care when I return to Kauai

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

​​"Humanism in medicine recognizes that healing begins long before a diagnosis and continues well after treatment. It is the deliberate practice of seeing patients not as problems to be solved, but as people whose stories, values, and identities shape their health as much as their physiology does."

Proudest Moments:

1) Completing my third-year outpatient rotation in my hometown, where I had the privilege of serving and learning from the very community that shaped me
2) Witnessing a patient at HOME clinic navigate substance use relapse, regain stability, and begin pursuing coursework toward becoming a pharmacy technician
3) Drawing on my background in Narrative Medicine to explore perspectives of health in Hawai'i, while engaging with themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion at JABSOM

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

"No one gets wise enough to really understand the heart of another, though it is the task of our life to try." – Louise Erdrich

Proudest Moments:

1) Being told by patients, family, and friends that they would want me to be their physician.
2) Getting into medical school and having the opportunity to serve my family's community in Hawai'i.
3) Mentoring pre-medical students and seeing them pursue their dreams.

Thoughts on Humanism in Medicine:

"Humanism in medicine is rooted in the humility to remain a life-long learner. In learning from our patients’ lived experiences, we become stronger teammates for our patients. By approaching patient care with humility, we can better understand the challenges and barriers that influence the effectiveness of our proposed treatment plans.”