Paul Nguyen, MD

	Joined May, 2000 Department: Urology [Map] Title: Physician Degree: MD Interests: Gardening, Outdoor sports, Abalone picking Languages: Vietnamese Physician Homepage
Bio I received my medical degree from Harvard Medical School in June of 1994, following my undergraduate work at the University of California at San Diego. After completing the urology residency at the University of Arizona (1994-2000), I joined Kaiser Permanente in July of 2000. I was awarded Board Certification by the American Board of Urology in February of 2002. Joining Kaiser Permanente has been personally rewarding because it allows me to provide the best urological care for my patients. I find the gradual development from professional relationships to personal ones over the years of taking care of my patients the most valuable asset of my medical career. My working motto is "Make a difference, one patient at a time." Besides English, I am fluent in Vietnamese. Outside of work, I enjoy gardening, camping, as well as playing basketball and soccer. I like to take on various home improvement projects to the best of my ability without destroying my house. My favorite quote is "Hope is a good thing" (The Shawshank Redemption).
My Medical Specialty
More details about my specialty: I practice general adult and pediatric urology. Before I chose urology as my specialty, I had no idea what the specifics were involved in that field. By great fortune I was randomly assigned to a urology rotation in my first clinical course at Harvard Medical School. I was it quite fascinating with many technical aspects. But importantly, I discovered the tremendous opportunities that a urologist could have to significantly improve the quality of life of patients. Urology offers a nice balance between surgery and medicine and it continues to offer many technical advancements. My specialty interests and affiliations within my field: I am member of the American Urological Association and the Western Section of the AUA.
Interests
About five years ago I discovered the thrill of picking red abalone from rocks off the Mendocino coast. Since then, each abalone season, I seek out low tide days, wake up at 3:00 a.m., drive to Fort Bragg, don my wet suit and hike a mile or so out into frigid water to feel and pick off abalone wedged in the rocks. Quite a rush for a guy who does not like water all that much. My other love is gardening, landscaping, and maintaining a yard that has a koi pond with fountain, some ten varieties of fruit trees, and a whole lot of flowering plants. My favorite book or author: Chicken Soup for the Soul Series Great movie: Star Wars, Episode III	Hobby Photos & Links: Labor of Love The Big One
Family & Friends
People in my life: I have been married to my college sweetheart since 1994. We have two lovely children, Alexa and Brandon. My wife is a elementary teacher who has taught mostly middle school math and is currently taking some time off. The kids continue of astound us in every way imaginable. They seem to have no limits to their interest and abilities.	Photos of my Family & Friends: Family at Lake Tahoe
My pets: Cleo - 7 year old Black Labrador Jake - one year old corn snake Sunset - one year albino corn snake 10 koi and 10 gold fish	Pet Photos: Cleo the Wonder Dog Jake the Snake
Travel
An adventure I've had: Though it may not qualify as a travel adventure story, my most memorable trip was back in April of 1981 when I escaped by boat from Vietnam at the age of 14 by myself. I was in 30-40 foot boat carrying about 100 people. When I first boarded the boat, I thought it was a small boat that would take us out to a much larger ship already out at sea. Unfortunately that was not the case. Once I realized that what I was aboard was "the ship," the only thing I could do was pray a lot. Luckily for everyone of us, after two days and nights adrift we were rescued by a U.S. Naval ship. I am forever indebted to the men and women of the USS John Young. Favorite place in the world: Home Sweet Home. Nothing beats coming home from a long day at Kaiser Permanente to a home with two kids, my wife, and my dog. They treat me like royalty and then hand me the garbage to take out. One of my recent trips: The best view of Sonoma County is from the sky in a hot air balloon. I got my first taste at the Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Festival thanks to the captain and crew of the Aurora Borealis.	A Photo of One of My Favorite Places: Home Sweet Home Trip Photos: Aerial view from 1st hot air balloon ride !