Cynthia X Pan

Dr. Cynthia X. Pan is an expert in hospice and palliative care with decades of experience caring for terminally ill patients. She completed her residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in geriatrics, specializing in the care of older adults. Dr. Pan currently practices in Queens, New York, where she works with a diverse patient population. As a Chinese American doctor who grew up in Latin America and New York, Dr. Pan brings a unique multicultural perspective to end-of-life care. She is passionate about making conversations around death, dying, and end-of-life issues more open and accessible. Dr. Pan is a medical education leader and teaches students, doctors-in-training, and healthcare professionals about palliative care and end-of-life communication. She is also certified to assess capacity for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Dr. Pan advocates for patient-centered care and empowering individuals and families to make informed decisions about their end-of-life wishes. Her approach combines medical expertise with compassion, often using humor to help patients and families navigate difficult situations. Outside of her medical practice, Dr. Pan is a mother of two and resides in New York. Her personal experience with COVID-19 has further deepened her understanding of serious illness from a patient’s perspective. In Exit Strategies: Living Lessons from Dying People, Dr. Pan shares stories and insights from her years of experience, aiming to help readers approach end-of-life issues with greater confidence, compassion, and clarity.