Jiayan (Belinda) Tan

• What does being a First-Generation College Graduate mean to you?

Graduating as a first-generation college student is an accomplishment to me. It means overcoming the structural barriers that add challenges to my undergraduate education. It is like completing a four year long marathon.

• What is your proudest moment from your time at UCSD?

My proudest moment is when the McNair Research Journal published its very first volume on e-Scholarship. The McNair Journal is an undergraduate organization that aims to publish scholarly research papers of different disciplines written by McNair scholars.

Our journal aims to (1) familiarize McNair scholars with the professional scientific writing process and (2) share their work to the bigger community. Publishing our first volume was the most difficult yet rewarding step. I hope to further the dissemination of research so that more scholars' research can be read and contribute to the greater community.

• Who are the staff, faculty or mentors who have been most influential throughout your college journey? Are there any words of gratitude you would like to share with them?

Dr. Thomas Brown, Dr. Paul Grossfeld, Dr. Kim Barrett, Dr. Susan Golden and Dr. Olga L. Olivas Hernandez have been the most influential throughout my college journey.

Dr. Brown has supported me throughout my time as a McNair scholar and helped me with establishing the McNair Research Journal with Lesley (co-founder). Dr. Grossfeld, Dr. Barrett, and Dr. Golden have served as great mentors throughout my time at UCSD by providing me great advice and opportunities that enabled my success at UCSD and guided me towards my career goal. Dr. Hernandez has inspired me to learn more about the ongoing discourse regarding health inequity, which ultimately guided me to the medicine path.

• What do you plan or hope to do after graduating?

I hope to become a physician who is knowledgeable in both the biomedical and the sociocultural aspects of the patients’ lives to provide the care that align with the patients’ specific situations. I envision building a bond full of trust, transparency, and openness with my patients to give them the best healthcare experience I can provide.

Campus Affiliations

Campus Involvement

• Co-Founder for McNair Research Journal

• Staff Writer & Review Board for Saltman Quarterly

• National Member of AED

• Research Assistant

• Instructional Assistant

• OSD Note-Taker

Student Retention & Success Programs

• Academic Enrichment Programs - Faculty Mentor Program

• Academic Enrichment Programs - McNair Fellowship

• Academic Enrichment Programs - TRELS