MEET YGN LEADERS
TY KIM
MD/PhD University of Alberta
Oftentimes, I meet a lot of younger students who have no idea what they want to do or are not sure if they enjoy what they are doing. That being said, finding what you enjoy doing is important, however, I think it is equally important to immerse yourself in what you decided to pursue, and strive to become great at that. Sometimes, becoming good at something can make it enjoyable. Anything we pursue in our generation will require a great deal of time commitment and specialization to become proficient, and I think specifically trying to find something enjoyable can lead to a perpetual cycle of looking for shortcuts.
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1. Please introduce yourself
I am currently a MD/PhD student at the University of Alberta. I moved to Canada at the age of 8, and have lived in Edmonton, Alberta ever since. I have previously served as President of AKCSE’s Young Generation National Committee.
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2. Please tell us your field of study! What made you choose your field?
I am pursuing a degree in Medical Science. It’s interesting how I ended up in biology, since it was my weakest subject in the sciences. I started research in high school through a regional science competition hosted by Sanofi-Aventis, and one opportunity led to another. I gained about 24 months of research by the time I finished my undergraduate program. I was enthusiastic about research, so it seemed like the next logical step to pursue graduate studies.
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3. What is troubling you the most while studying in your field?
Constantly dealing with failure is probably the most difficult part of research, but more specifically to my field, I think developing experiments/projects that target a gap in knowledge and to translate this into improved health outcomes for the patient population is a difficult task. You have to be able to see the big picture, and more importantly, see things in the long-term since it requires experts from many disciplines to take your research from bench to bedside.
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4. Interesting experience/opportunity to share?
I think my international volunteer opportunity (Kenya) study-abroad (UK), and international internship (Korea) were eye-opening experiences, which helped me become more culturally sensitive and open-minded about my own experiences living in Canada.
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5. What is your definition of success?
I define success as the capacity to influence and help others achieve their potential.
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6. What does failure mean to you?
I would define failure as losing sight of what I set out to do in the face of obstacles. I think there are times where I feel like I am in a rut, and it becomes quite difficult to stay motivated towards my original goals. This is also why I think writing my goals down and reflecting on them from time to time is a great way to stay focused.
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7. What do you hope to achieve with your career?
I want to use my career as a platform to deepen my involvement in my community as a mentor to youth and young adults in ethnic minorities.
Last Update: 2017