Her Story
About Dr. Yana
My journey to where I am today has been quite long, as I've switched several careers along the way. I started as an interpreter and translator with a master's degree in foreign languages, fluent in Russian, English, and German. Then I got into conventional medicine and earned a degree in radiologic technology, working as a radiologic technologist at a Level 1 trauma hospital and in private practice, which exposed me to how conventional medicine works. After that, I got my master's degree in clinical nutrition, then became a naturopath, and most recently became a doctor of clinical nutrition from Notre Dame of Maryland University, School of Integrative Health. I've been in the clinical nutrition field for almost 13 years, and as a doctor of clinical nutrition for just a few months, though I've been a naturopath for over 10 years. I reached the terminal degree in my field, which is still kind of new and rare. This doctorate, in tandem with nutrigenomics, allows me to give the most impact to people and help the most people. What really drives me is my passion and purpose - I found what I'm passionate about, and that's been life-changing for me. I can do most careers and be good at them, but doing something I'm passionate about makes a world of difference. My goal is to help as many people as I can get to optimal health, and when I reach those goals, that will be my best professional achievement.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Dr. Yana
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my belief that I can do what I set out to do, wanting to be different, and wanting to help people. I help people best when I do something that I'm very passionate about. When I finally found what I do when I wake up, what I'm doing right now, I found my passion and my purpose in life. This is the area where I got the most education, both formal and informal, because there are lots of seminars and self-study. Definitely resilience plays a role - I am an overachiever, I don't know if it's a downfall or what. But wanting to do things for the greater good, having that deep passion, that's something that just lights my fire.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to find your purpose. In terms of that, I found my purpose, and I found what I'm passionate about, and that's been life-changing for me. As far as career, I can do most careers and be good at them, but if I'm doing something I'm passionate about, that makes the whole world of difference.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them that you can make a world of difference to even one person's life, and you can do that to many. And that feels incredible.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The opportunities in my field are incredible because it's an ever-evolving field. The opportunity is always there to be researching and learning about the latest and greatest new scientific findings. There are tons of opportunities in that, so in my field, one can only get better and better and better, not only with clinical expertise but also with keeping up with the science and research. As for challenges, I think I would like maybe 48 hours in a day so I can do all that I want to do. I'm a bionic woman, so I need more time to work on my goals and everything I want to accomplish.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are honesty, integrity, responsibility, reliability, do no harm, connection, and trust.
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