Natalie Yaklin, MPAS, PA-C

In 2019, Natalie Yaklin, MPAS, PA-C, went out on a limb and applied for an oncology position, which was outside her original specializations in neurology and psychology. Though the learning curve was challenging, she found a new role at Texas Oncology fulfilling.

“It’s not always easy,” she says. “I’ve had several patients who were at the end of life that I had to just cry with and hold their hand and hug. I feel like God put me there at that time to be a support for the patients.”

During her five years in oncology, Yaklin also initiated the clinic’s Genetic Risk Evaluation and Testing (GREAT) program, which helps physician assistants identify individuals who do not have cancer but are genetically predisposed to it. 

Now, Yaklin is teaching hematology-oncology classes and clinical skills. She aims to ensure her students educate their patients about preventative cancer measures, like mammograms, colonoscopies and Pap smears. She also continues to work part time in neurology, joking with her students that her experiences makes her the epitome of lateral mobility.

– Holly Leger