1. Please introduce yourself

I am currently working and training as a resident physician in psychiatry at the University of Toronto. I work with numerous Korean Canadian organizations and have a huge interest in mentorship for the next generation of students. This interest led to my involvement with AKCSE chapter in Manitoba, and I have been working with the organization at different levels since my move to Toronto.

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2. What is your field of interest? 

I study psychiatry, which is an area of medicine focused around the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. Of course, the actual discipline and what we study run deeper than that and there are many areas people can choose to specialize in even within psychiatry. I am personally pursuing further training to study child and adolescent psychiatry, which focuses more on children, adolescents, and the family as a unit.

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3. Which part of your degree did you enjoy the most? 

I will admit that I am a bit of a nerd and enjoyed most of my education thus far, though for different reasons. My undergraduate program focused more on obtaining transferable skills rather than the knowledge itself, which was extremely fun and built a good foundation for me. Medical school was fascinating because it was so intellectually stimulating and you could see the real-life relevance of what you learned. Residency is beyond simple textbook learning; it becomes the art of how to apply your knowledge. You can really see yourself “level up” like in video games as you progress in your education.

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4. Considering that your GPA, social network, and sleep are important, how would you balance them?

I would definitely not give up sleep. When you don't get adequate sleep, you will lose the other two. This question is difficult to answer because it will always change depending on your situation at that time. It's important to be flexible in your time management and learn how to prioritize.

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5. What troubles you the most in your profession?

The closer I get to graduating, the more I realize the importance of developing my own identity both as a physician and as an individual. Sometimes I find myself conflicted between the two as I make certain decisions. For instance, do I introduce myself to my patients as Dr. Kim (which I would never do outside of clinical settings) or Huntae? Do I go out of my way to see this patient on a weekend because they are struggling? Truth is, there are often no hard and fast rules to guide you through and it is up to you to decide what you feel comfortable as both a physician and as a person.

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6. Any tips for medical school interviews?

The medical school interview is similar to other interviews in many ways. As with any interview, I can't emphasize enough the importance of knowing yourself. If you are uncertain of your goals and values, it will be challenging to convince others that you have an important message you want to convey.

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7. What is the one advice you would give to a frosh?

Make the best of your summer vacation, all 4 months of it. Once you are out of school, getting 4 consecutive months off is unlikely to happen. Think about the things you can only do at this time, not during the school year, such as traveling for a prolonged period of time.

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8. Would you open the Pandora’s box? Why?

I don't think I could resist the temptation of not opening it… It's right there! You might love what you have now, but how can you know that there is something better out there unless you try it out?

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