Mien Nguyen, DO

I am a board-certified internal medicine physician with professional interests in preventive medicine, diabetes, women's health and hypertension.

Hometown: Burnsville, MN

I'm passionate about: helping others. In order to get to where I am today, I owed my achievements to so many people who've helped me along the way. I believe in paying it forward as a way to show my gratitude. I'm especially passionate about working with the underserved community in both the healthcare setting and in various fundraisers.

If I wasn't a provider, I would be a: math teacher because I like to solve problems and math was one of my favorite subjects.

I knew I wanted to become a physician when: I was six years old. I spent the early years of my life in Vietnam, a country where health care was not readily available and was absurdly expensive. That experience inspired me to become a physician to help patients maintain and restore health.

Something I've learned from my patients is to: be considerate of my patients' inputs, values, and goals while trying to understand their medical conditions. When I take the time to listen to each patient, I can formulate an individualized care plan. I find that the patients are more compliant when they play a role in the decision-making process.

One of the challenges I enjoy is: motivating patients to be more engaged and invested in their own health. Often times patients are too busy to pursue habits that can have positive life-long impact. While having such conversations can be challenging, I enjoy those “coaching” opportunities because of the benefits they bring.

My best health advice is to: get enough sleep, stay active and drink plenty of water.

I'm most proud of: being the first physician in my family.