Kristina Hagerman, PA

Kristina Hagerman graduated from Baylor University with a B.A. in Medical Humanities in 2015. After graduating from Baylor, Hagerman was accepted into Nova Southeastern University’s PA program in 2020 and completed her degree in 2022. Hagerman is now a Surgical Oncology PA in Melanoma Surgery at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.

Hagerman says that she continues to reference information she learned from her Medical Humanities courses today. The two Medical Humanities courses that made the biggest impact on her were End-of-Life Care and Bereavement and Literary and Philosophical Perspectives of Medicine. Hagerman says that End-of-Life Care and Bereavement aided her in navigating the end-of-life process with patients and their family members, especially within her internal medicine rotation in pulmonary critical care in the ICU during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hagerman says that the course taught her “how to approach the patient and/or their family in discussing end-of-life matters, hospice, and palliative care,” and how to “provide resources for grief after loss.” Hagerman asserts that Literary and Philosophical Perspectives of Medicine helped her to “consider all aspects of the patient’s care, whether from the perspective of society, the healthcare provider, the caregiver, or the patient.”

"Medical Humanities courses helped me consider all aspects of the patient's care, whether from the perspective of society, the healthcare provider, the caregiver, or the patient."

One piece of advice Hagerman would give to current Medical Humanities students is to take advantage of EVERY learning opportunity available, especially within each Medical Humanities course. “I know this is simple advice,” Hagerman says, “but you will be surprised by how much this information will distinguish you from your peers in the future.” Hagerman also encourages students to attend the annual Medical Humanities retreat, which is where she first discovered the Medical Humanities program.

Hagerman married fellow Medical Humanities alum, Conrad ten Haaf, in 2020. The two now reside in Houston, TX with their long haired dachshunds, Max and Addie.