Sherry Torng, MSPAS, MPH, PA-C

Sherry Torng, MSPAS, MPH, PA-C, is a senior physician assistant who specializes in breast cancer care at the Comprehensive Breast Health Center at UC San Diego Health's Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion.

She supports surgical oncology physicians as a surgical first assist in the operating room, helping to ensure the operations run safely and smoothly. These operations include excisional biopsies, lumpectomies, mastectomies and lymph node evaluations. She is also involved in post-mastectomy reconstruction and transgender top surgeries. Additionally, Sherry offers her surgical expertise in the clinic. She performs in-office procedures, such as punch biopsies, wound and dressing care, and drain management.

Sherry also practices alongside medical oncology in the clinic setting. She specializes in the management of chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and long-term medications to treat breast cancer. She can order lab tests, imaging and refill medications to provide patients with high-quality, comprehensive care.

Sherry acknowledges how life-changing a cancer diagnosis can be. The learning curve for a new patient is often overwhelming. She sees her role as a patient resource throughout the treatment process and beyond. When meeting with patients, Sherry's goal is to break down monumental cancer concepts into digestible pieces so patients can make the most informed decisions when it comes to their cancer care. Through her work, she enjoys direct conversations with patients and getting to know them as a person, not just as their diagnosis.

She is deeply involved with her community. She serves on the Advanced Practice Council, a collaborative group of advanced practice providers at UC San Diego. She mentors and provides educational support to medical students in the operating room and clinical settings. She also volunteers as a student mentor for the UC San Diego Pre-Physician Assistant Student Organization and UC San Diego Alpha Epsilon Delta, a pre-health student honor society.

Sherry earned a master's degree in physician assistant studies and a master's degree in public health from Touro University in Vallejo, Calif. To complete her study of global health, she traveled to La Paz, Bolivia, where she worked for a local children's nutrition clinic to collect data for funding resources. She obtained a bachelor's degree in general biology from UC San Diego. Sherry is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, California Academy of Physician Assistants and San Diego Society of Physician Assistants.

In her free time, Sherry enjoys kickboxing, cycling and curling up on the couch with her dog. On "cold" San Diego days, she enjoys eating a hearty tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. She's a big San Diego Comic-Con fan and has attended every live event since 2009.

UC San Diego Health Links
For more information, see Comprehensive Breast Health Center.