Hi there! Welcome to HowMedWorks. My name is Phoebe Kubo, and I’m so glad you’re here.
I’m currently a physician associate/physician assistant (PA) student at Long Island University (LIU) in Brooklyn, New York and the recipient of the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) 2025 PA Student of the Year Award
.
I created this resource back in 2022 to help break down barriers in medicine and make healthcare knowledge easier to understand and more accessible for everyone.
Whether you’re a patient, caretaker, student, or provider, you’ll find tools and insights here to help you approach our healthcare system with clarity, not confusion.
Before PA school, I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of California San Diego, where I earned my B.S. in Human Biology and minor in Bioethics. In college, I served as Vice President of a student organization that coordinated volunteer events at Rady Children’s Hospital. Additionally, I joined several medical mission trips with Healing Hearts Across Borders to provide care to underserved communities in both urban and rural parts of Mexico.
I was also a research assistant at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, where I worked on several projects that used Drosophila models to examine genes linked to cardiac fibrosis.
After graduating, I completed the Stanford COMET Fellowship, where I worked in endocrinology, transgender medicine, and interventional cardiology. Concurrently, I co-authored research that was published and presented at ENDO 2021 and USPATH 2021. During this time, I also helped expand the program by creating a pilot that drew strong provider interest.
Afterwards, I sought further clinical and surgical experience by working in hair transplantation and ophthalmology.
in Houston, TX
I started HowMedWorks during the pandemic with a simple but personal goal: to demystify medicine and empower people to take charge of their health. Basically, I wanted to create the resource I wish had existed when I was trying to find providers on my own, make sense of insurance, and tackle the PA school application process by myself.
2025 House of Delegates (HOD) Meeting
in Houston, TX
Coming from a non-Native-English-speaking household where no one had a medical background, I had to figure out the healthcare system largely on my own and quickly realized that the existing resources were either not straightforward or nonexistent.
From breaking down health insurance basics to helping people find the right providers, I want to give patients and future healthcare professionals the tools they need to navigate the system with confidence.
Over time, my platform has grown into a space that also supports PA students and aspiring PAs, as I offer study guides, application coaching, and mentorship. I’m especially proud that HowMedWorks is now a multilingual platform, so that even more people—regardless of language—can access resources and feel empowered in their healthcare journeys.
Throughout PA school, I have stayed very involved and held several leadership roles, including the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) Student Academy Board of Directors Chief Delegate, AAPA House of Delegates Student Delegate, PA History Society (PAHx) Student Trustee, New York State Society of PAs (NYSSPA) PA Student Director, and LIU PA Program Student Academy Representative. I have successfully authored policies on robotic surgery and artificial intelligence and work to preserve the history of our profession by writing biographies of influential individuals. Moreover, I help organize student events, participate in state- and national-level advocacy efforts, and mentor aspiring PAs. It was an incredible honor to be an eight-time scholarship recipient as well as the recipient of the AAPA 2025 PA Student of the Year Award.
(May 19, 2025)
At the heart of everything I do is a desire to make a positive difference in patients’ lives and to encourage others in healthcare to lead, advocate, and give back. I hope you find HowMedWorks a helpful resource on your journey, whether you’re a patient navigating care, a student pursuing a PA career, or a provider looking for guidance, and I wish you the very best as you move forward.