Incoming Resident Profile - Natasha Hilt, MD

Natasha Hilt, MD, was born and raised on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona and attended Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for a bachelor of arts in anthropology.

After completing her undergraduate degree, Dr. Hilt spent ten years in the Twin Cities working at the Minnesota Historical Society in youth education and community outreach.

Her passion for American Indian communities and social justice led her to get involved in nonprofit work, including preventing sex trafficking in Indigenous communities to helping Native moms with substance use disorder.

At age 30, she realized she could not ignore her call to medicine. She decided to make a career change and pursue medical school. This required a move to Phoenix, a night job as an instructor at the Phoenix Zoo and a day job as a children’s librarian at Burton Barr Library in downtown.

Four years later, her hard work paid off. She attended medical school at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, graduating in 2023.

After witnessing health disparities in her community, as well as personal experience with medical issues, she chose to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN).

“Growing up on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, it became apparent at a young age of the immense health disparities and lack of Native physicians,” Dr. Hilt said. “Combined with my interest in women’s health and my family’s personal experiences with ovarian and breast cancer, I was drawn to the surgical and medicine aspects of OB/GYN.”

Dr. Hilt matched into the OB/GYN Residency at the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix.

Dr. Hilt considers herself a Wildcat for life, and, while she will miss the people she met during her medical education in Tucson, she knows that she will thrive with such great mentors in Phoenix.

“I love that I can continue my medical education at the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix, but I will always miss my Tucson community,” Dr. Hilt said. “I was drawn to the college by the openness and compassion of the residents, staff and faculty.” Dr. Hilt loves spending time with her husband and her four-year-old daughter along with their cat and dog.

Once she completes her residency training, Dr. Hilt hopes to go back to the reservation and practice full-spectrum OB/GYN care.