Humans of UCSF: Nourishing Nurse

“If I wasn't going to be an oncology nurse practitioner, I would absolutely run a bakery. I like to shake any extra clinical energy off by making ice cream, cheese, cream puffs, you name it. There's something joyful about creating something with your hands, and getting to share it with someone you love.

I'm in the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP track, with an emphasis in Occupational and Environmental Health. I studied evolutionary biology at UC Davis because genetics is essentially applied puzzles. After graduating, I worked in Stanford's Clinical Cancer Genetics and Genomics program, and was just in awe of the work my team got to do. It's so exciting to be on this track, and to be trusted to connect with patients at such a profound time in their lives.

I'm particularly interested in hereditary cancer syndromes as well as environmental exposures to carcinogens. For instance, it would be a dream to be able to investigate endocrine disrupting chemicals in cosmetics. I believe in giving patients as much information as possible so as to make collaborative, informed decisions.”

Iva Petrovchich

UCSF School of Nursing, Masters Entry Program in Nursing

AGPCNP-OEH, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, with an emphasis in Occupational and Environmental Health