Prim Tanwongsval ’24

Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand

Major: Health Sciences

Area of Focus: Pre-Med and Patient Care

Prim Tanwongsval ’24 began her journey at the University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR) driven by a passion for health care and the promise of opportunities through the university’s connection to Mayo Clinic. 

During her time at UMR, Tanwongsval immersed herself in hands-on experiences at Mayo Clinic and throughout the Rochester community. As part of her Capstone, she volunteered as a dental assistant at the Salvation Army, supporting individuals who were underinsured or uninsured. She also worked at Mayo Clinic as a patient care assistant (PCA), where she served patients across units from the ICU to med-surg and collaborated with a wide range of health care professionals.

Her role as a PCA exposed her to various areas of medicine and provided the opportunity to interact with a wide range of health care professionals, which ultimately led her to discover her passion: pharmacy. 

“This experience not only helped me solidify my career path but also taught me valuable lifelong lessons and skills,” said Tanwongsval. ”I improved my ability to work effectively as part of a team, learned the importance of truly knowing my patients, and, most importantly, came to understand how essential each health care professional is in delivering quality care.”

Tanwongsval shared that there are numerous supportive professors at UMR, but the one who made a lasting impact on her education and growth was Dr. Cassidy Terrell. Dr. Terrell shared information in a clear and approachable way to help deepen her understanding and she credits Dr. Terrell for igniting her interest in pharmaceuticals. 

Since graduating in December 2024, Tanwongsval is pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Learn more about the Pre-Med and Patient Care area of focus at UMR.