Spotlight: Dr. Emily Wang, Clinical Advisory Board

Dr. Emily Wang, PharmD, BCOP, is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Genitourinary Medical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

What motivated you to get involved with the KCA?

I had heard about this incredible organization from colleagues at work and having developed a particular interest in RCC over the past few years, I was thrilled at having the opportunity to become involved with the KCA.  I’m excited to see what kind of work we can do together and how I can contribute to helping RCC patients everywhere.

How is kidney cancer part of your work? 

I am one of the clinical pharmacists with our genitourinary medical oncology group, so we manage all patients with genitourinary malignancies, including patients with kidney cancer in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

What is the most meaningful part of your job?

Hard to pick the most meaningful aspect of my job, but perhaps our level of involvement in providing patient care tops the list.  It truly is an incredible and unique opportunity to collaborate with so many different members of the multidisciplinary team in the clinical decision making process, as well as providing patient education to our patients and families.  Using the clinical experience we have gained, we get to apply that to each unique patient care scenario and adding our two cents to the case – so something I definitely find to be extremely meaningful and rewarding. 

What are you excited to bring to the organization?  

My sparkling personality?  Insert, big cheesy smile.  I’m just extremely excited to be a part of this organization.  I very much enjoy collaborating with others and listening to/absorbing other’s experiences to hopefully create/contribute to bettering care and access for kidney cancer patients everywhere.

What is your favorite travel destination and why? 

Do I have a character maximum on this question?  I love traveling and experiencing other cultures – doing as the locals do and eating my heart out to the local cuisine.  My motto has always been live to eat.  I suppose if I had to pick one favorite travel destination that I have been to, the slight edge would go to Japan.  As with many places, it has a rich history and culture, traditions and customs that are so well preserved, not to mention incredible food and perhaps I just enjoy omakase too much, but there is a unique quality about Japan that’s hard to describe.  Perhaps the perfect marriage of modern and tradition – where you can have a shinkansen bullet train traveling over 150 mph+ through a traditional farming village, where the cultural legacy of the samurai is very much still alive.

What do you like to do in your free time?  

Similarly to my answer above, is there a character maximum?  I love spending time with my family, we are a very close knit bunch – between my soon to be 2 year old son, 3 nieces and a nephew that live nearby, and a dog – they keep me busy, but also extremely happy and fulfilled.  Did I mention that I love to eat – trying new restaurants and maintaining foodie status.  We stream it all (Netflix, Hulu, Disney, HBO, etc), arts & crafts (yes – I Cricut), music, catching up with friends, checking out new parks/outdoor spaces…..not enough free time for all my interests/hobbies 😊.