Meet Jovan Tsang, a biochemistry major from East Wenatchee, Washington, who is charting his path toward medical school. A proud graduate of Eastmont High School, Jovan’s journey to medicine is deeply personal, shaped by his own experiences as a patient and his desire to provide the same care and reassurance he once received. Set to graduate in the fall of 2025, Jovan is especially passionate about specializing in pulmonology to help patients facing respiratory challenges like those he overcame.
What initially drew you to your major?
Biochemistry has always intrigued me as I’ve felt a calling to work in the medical field. Originally, I was intending to pursue mechanical engineering at WSU as my sister completed a bachelor’s in this field and my dad is an alumnus with WSU for mechanical engineering. However, I made a shift in forethought as I became more captivated with chemistry: the study of matter. However, I prefer to see it as the study of change. Reflecting back on when I was hospitalized due to severe pneumonia, I realized that I wanted to give back the same reassurance and trust to others the same way those physicians and nurses gave comfort to me. After volunteering/shadowing at hospitals and working in caregiving positions to assimilate myself into the field, I was able to change my trajectory and cement myself into the biochemistry major.
Who has been the most influential mentor or professor during your time at WSU?
Ultimately, one of the most influential mentors that I have been privileged to work with is Dr. Philip Mixter, an instructor at WSU and assistant director for the School of Molecular Biosciences. He has not only given me the support to move forward with my honors thesis research, but has also bestowed onto me several opportunities to make connections and improve my academic portfolio here at WSU. I had the opportunity to take one of his MBIOS 201 classes and to work with him further to learn and advance new academic skills.
Have you had any opportunities to work in a lab or conduct research while at WSU?
I have had the privilege to work under the Neff lab in the Molecular Plant Sciences since my sophomore year and have gained many laboratory skills and expertise regarding lab safety and scientific process. The main assignments that I work with involve comparative genomic studies with sequenced plant genomes and examining genetic variation between plant species in order to contribute toward the biochemistry and development of model plants and real-life applications such as turf grass or agriculture. This opportunity has enabled me to implement my studies that I gain from my course work and apply them to practical situations and problems in the modern world.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about majoring in a field within the College of Veterinary Medicine?
The main advice that I would give is to plan. Don’t tell yourself that you’re going to make it later, but make a real, feasible plan that can be accomplished within a set amount of time. Don’t overburden yourself and try to stretch beyond your limits as you will find yourself putting too many resources everywhere and stretching your time too thin. Instead, create a work-life balance where you can properly give yourself enough time to study and relax in between classes and work. What I would recommend is to explore what the Palouse area has to offer for you and your lifestyle in your first year. Then, for your second year, implement yourself into lab work and join no more than two clubs, as many clubs will often have meetings and events around the same time. After your second year, push yourself in your third and fourth year toward making real connections with advisors and WSU professors as many would be more than willing to offer you opportunities and help for your career post-graduation.
What’s your favorite thing about WSU?
Overall, my favorite thing about WSU would be the seasonal environment that surrounds the campus and the Palouse area. As the foliage and trees turn toward an autumn blend and become bare for the winter, the naked horizon gives you a perfect viewing of the almost ethereal sunsets that also encompass the aurora borealis in certain times of the year. In the spring and summer months, a renewed livelihood can be felt in the atmosphere as the local community becomes more eventful, and all the migratory species of birds and fauna begin to find their way home to Pullman.
What are your post-graduation plans?
My post-graduation plans involve taking the Mcat and utilizing my accomplished skills and portfolio from my undergraduate years at WSU to apply to medical schools in the Pacific Northwest. My ambitions for my post-graduation career involve specializing in pulmonology as my medical interest piques with the study of the respiratory system and helping those who have suffered the same diseases that I have gone through, such as asthma and pneumonia.
What hobbies or extracurricular activities have you enjoyed at WSU?
During my free time at WSU, I push myself physically using the UREC and provided track fields throughout the campus, which always helps me become motivated with my time here on campus. Additionally, I also implement myself into relevant club spaces in order to build teamworking skills, such as being a member with the WSU Horticulture Club and being a treasurer for the Molecular Biosciences Club. Conjointly, I’ve also pushed myself to work in campus positions that feed into my personal interests outside of my academic career, such as being a curator assistant at the WSU Connor Museum.
What’s a fun or surprising fact about you that most people wouldn’t guess?
A fun fact about me is that I love birdwatching and everything birds. One of my lifelong dreams is to see every bird in the world and to create a collaborative collage of bird photos taken by me and others. If you have bird pictures that you would like to share, please reach out to my email @jovan.tsang@wsu.edu.