Intense. Demanding. Informative.
These terms commonly describe the experiences of new doctors during their residency. This is a time when medical school graduates spend three to seven years building on their academic achievements by learning the hands-on aspects of their craft. This can include engaging in patient care, doing hospital rounds, and discussing cases with senior physicians.
Here in the Islands, Hawaii Residency Programs (HRP) is the state’s leading organization for employing and placing resident physicians in hospitals and medical clinics.
One such physician is Dr. Morgan “Mo” Hasegawa, a resident of the University of Hawaii orthopedic surgical program. Dr. Hasegawa expresses his deep gratitude for HRP’s guidance and assistance, which has allowed him to gain critical experience. As he explains it, the transition from the classroom to the operating room is a lesson in both high-stakes medicine and enduring humility.
Dr. Morgan “Mo” Hasegawa.
"You begin to understand that your progress and the core reason why we’re doing this — to help people — is laid down brick by brick," says Dr. Hasegawa. "Once you embrace progress and growth in moments, both big and small, you realize that after years of training, a foundation to be the kind of person this community needs has been formed."
Rooted in community
Residency is often described as a “trial by fire,” but Dr. Hasegawa sees it as a process of building consistency, dependability, and reliability, whether he’s performing a complex intramedullary nailing (a surgical procedure that uses a metal rod) to fix a fractured femur or simply sitting with a patient who is scared and alone.
“HRP's consistent mission is to serve the community. The things you learn along the way about what it means to be both a part of the community, not just as a community member, but also as a trusted medical provider and medical doctor, are incredible lessons,” says Dr. Hasegawa. “HRP has really helped me mature and develop as a physician.”
One of the most distinct advantages of HRP is the breadth of exposure it provides. Unlike programs confined to a single medical center, HRP residents practice in several different types of medical environments.
Residents get hands-on experience in the operating room.
“You get the wide array of what it means to be a medical doctor in this state,” says Dr. Hasegawa. “Through HRP's commitment to get us a broad range of experiences, we go to places like Queen’s, Kapiolani, Straub Benioff, Pali Momi, Tripler, and Shriners. The curriculum is the community itself.”
Beyond the operating room
The program also gives participants the opportunity to work through adversity, struggle, and even failure while remaining compassionate as they deliver care. Beyond the clinical rotations, HRP offers a unique education in what he calls "privademics." It’s the essential bridge between high-level research and running a practice.
"I may know how to diagnose an injury and read an X-ray, but I also need to understand insurance considerations and how to efficiently manage a practide,” he says. “And those may end up being the hardest parts when I become an attending physician. Those are the things we learn here."
Dr. Hasegawa earned his medical degree at Creighton University in Nebraska. But returning to live and practice medicine in Hawaii has long been his heart’s desire.
"This is the community I love. This is the community I want to serve. The opportunity to serve the people who bring me purpose was an opportunity that many people only dream of," he says.
And as Dr. Hasegawa approaches the end of his medical training, his gratitude for HRP remains a driving force.
Hawaii Residency Programs hosting an event for residents.
"Hawaii Residency Programs has given me an opportunity to serve the community that I want to serve,” he says. “Resiliency is key. I understand that this whole journey is brick by brick, day by day, but it’s my hope that we as residents remember to extend grace to one another. The grace we extend to each other will be the grace we give ourselves and ultimately, we give our patients.”
To learn more about Hawaii Resident Programs, check out building hawaii’s physician workforce in the winter 2026 issue of Island Scene.
The heart of Hawaii’s health care system
Read more about our Islands’ physicians who practice with service, compassion, and a deep commitment to community:
a journey of science and self-discovery
Jonathan Yap was just a junior in high school when he was left paralyzed after a body surfing crash. But the JABSOM researcher managed to find his way and is now conducting high-level research on how the heart heals after a heart attack. He shares his life story and details about his research, which caught the attention of the National Institutes of Health.
celebrating 50 years of imi hoola
Imi Hoola, a 12-month program at JABSOM, provides an opportunity to aspiring physicians from disadvantaged economic, social, or educational backgrounds looking to practice in underserved communities in Hawaii. Learn more about the program and how it’s been essential to diversifying the state’s physician workforce.
teen health camp: supporting careers of hawaii’s future health care heroes
Growing Hawaii’s health care community is no easy task. With over 5,000 health care students needed to meet Hawaii’s needs, Hawaii/Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center’s annual Teen Health Camp is one step in the right direction. Learn more about the free, day-long camp that gives high school students valuable hands-on training.
