UCI School of Medicine Recognizes Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Margaret Chung, MD

The Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community is a heterogeneous community whose collective health and well-being requires consideration of multiple factors including ethnicity, nationality, religion and socioeconomic status.

These intersections are exemplified through the life and legacy of Margaret Chung, MD, the first American-born Chinese female physician. A graduate of the University of Southern California medical school in 1916, Dr. Chung was initially denied opportunities to pursue residency because of her race and gender. Despite these barriers, her career included a multitude of unprecedented and improbable events, from performing plastic surgery on Hollywood celebrities, to establishing the first Western hospital in San Francisco’s Chinatown, to paving the way for women’s integration in the U.S. Armed Forces.

As we commemorate AANHPI Heritage Month 2024, we highlight these School of Medicine community members who exemplify the modern evolution of Dr. Chung’s legacy: a steadfast commitment to service and care, all rooted in the passion to serve the community no matter where their professional pursuits may lead them.