For the past two decades, Nancy N. Nguyen, PharmD, BCPS, AAHIVP, FCSHP, clinical professor of pharmacy practice and regional coordinator, has been at the helm of the Palo Alto region. The third-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students in her charge view her as their captain, helping steer the trajectory of their careers. In recognition of her tireless support of and dedication to students, she was awarded the 2024 Regional Coordinator of the Year.

After earning her PharmD at Western University of Health Sciences, Dr. Nguyen completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency and PGY2 HIV/AIDS specialty pharmacy residency at University of California, San Francisco. Driven by her strong interest in teaching, she joined the Pacific faculty immediately after completing her residencies.

“Being a regional coordinator is unique in the sense that we get to bridge that gap between didactic learning and being in practice,” said Dr. Nguyen. “First and foremost, my goal is making sure that our students have the best clerkship experience available to them while also providing them support along the way.”

In addition to her role as a regional coordinator, Dr. Nguyen is an HIV ambulatory care expert and an inpatient infectious diseases clinical pharmacy specialist at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, allowing her to introduce students to these specialty practice areas. She has also developed a robust network of experiential sites, including Stanford Health Care, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, Sequoia Hospital, Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente San Mateo Medical Offices. 

“I enjoy seeing how their career journey changes,” Dr. Nguyen said. “They may have a certain idea of what they want to do when they come in, or maybe they don’t know, but through the rotations and my one-on-one meetings with them I get a chance to see how their goals evolve as well as mentor them in their professional and personal growth.”

Olivia Laprade ’24, PharmD is one of the students who has benefited from Dr. Nguyen’s patience and flexibility.

“When I decided to switch career paths and pursue industry, she supported me by providing access to relevant Advanced Pharmacy Practice experiences that helped me stand out in the recruitment process, from setting up an industry elective to giving me the opportunity to contribute to writing a manuscript with Stanford infectious diseases physicians,” said Dr. Laprade, who was accepted to a clinical and quantitative pharmacology fellowship at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in partnership with Northeastern University.

“The amount of care Dr. Nguyen has for students in our region is evident in everything she has done for us, pouring so much love, care and attention into her role,” said Amy Nguyen ’24, PharmD, who matched with the PGY1 pharmacy residency at Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley in Pleasanton, CA. “Dr. Nguyen has the best interests of all the students in her region.”

Vincent Man ’24, PharmD also expressed his deep gratitude for Dr. Nguyen’s mentorship.

“Because of Dr. Nguyen I truly grew to love the field of pharmacy and I was able to adapt to incredibly challenging rotations with her guidance and support,” he said.

Dr. Nguyen also engages with students by serving as one of the core faculty of Pacific’s Innovative Clinical and Outcomes Research (iCOR), a team of faculty and students who conduct cutting-edge clinical research focused on medical devices and dietary supplements. In addition, she played an instrumental role in establishing the School’s Fellowship in Industry Program, and continues to be actively involved by working closely with our industry partners and students interested in pursuing careers in the pharmaceutical industry.