Meet the Residents

Prior to medicine: I was born in China and moved to Pittsburgh at 11 years old. I attended college at Washington University in St. Louis, where I studied biology and anthropology. Afterwards, I served as an AmeriCorps volunteer for a year, mentoring local youths in St. Louis, before attending medical school at University of Maryland. Interests within medicine: In medical school, I was involved in community health outreach, civic engagement, and advocacy. I want to care for our most vulnerable, marginalized communities both in and out of the clinical setting. I look forward to cultivating these interests in residency and incorporating them into my clinical career, which will likely center around primary care.Why I chose YPC: I chose YPC because of its robust primary care training, close-knit community, commitment to wellness, and unique HIV Training Track. Why New Haven: I am enjoying New Haven's diverse cuisine, proximity to nature, and affordability. Outside interests: In my free time, I like to eat, make, and think about food, play basketball, and create music with friends.Talk to me more about: HIV Training Track, primary care vs categorical programs, living in New Haven, upcoming NBA season.

Vy Tran Plata, MD grew up in a small village in Vietnam and immigrated to a diverse community in Atlanta when she was 9. She has been gifted with many opportunities to reflect on power and privilege as a first-generation and low-income background person in higher education/medicine. She graduated from Stanford University in 2016 with a B.A. in Human Biology focusing on Creativity, Innovation, and Change, and in 2018 with an M.S. in Community Health and Prevention Research. From her time being part of various communities (be it in Vietnam, the U.S., Mexico, or India), she’s learned that well-being comes in many different forms. In a doctor's prescription, yes, but also in our inner strengths, in neighbors caring for one another, and in our resilience in making ends meet each day. Dr. Tran Plata sees these strengths as the untapped potential that she hopes to leverage as a future physician. She aspires to co-create community programs and policies helping patients overcome behavioral and systemic challenges in their environment. In addition, she is interested in transforming medical education to reflect the diverse backgrounds of learners and to infuse it with the humanistic values so fundamental to good care.PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS: primary care/HIV training, medical education, mentoring, community-based participatory research (CBPR), health equity and advocacy, palliative care, writingHOBBIES: Pyrography, poetry, gratitude journal, yoga, meditation, hiking, biking, running, nature walks, feng shui, cooking, baking, cake decoratingART SAMPLES: Oil and acrylic paintings