Student Spotlight: Suzie Kim

Tell us about yourself.
I grew up in southeast Michigan and attended the University of Michigan for undergrad where I studied biochemistry. After I graduated, I went straight into medical school thinking I wanted to do pediatrics, but now I can confidently say I want to pursue a career in pediatric ophthalmology.

Describe your experience at the Lerner College of Medicine.
There’s been a lot of growth, both professionally and personally, and I feel like I’ve made my best friends here, which has made the whole experience really wonderful. In terms of academics, I think the structure of the curriculum, at least in preclinical years, gives students a lot of liberty to explore their interests and do research. It offers a great balance of exploring academic interests and nurturing personal relationships.

Which academic aspects have you enjoyed?
Longitudinal clinic was really nice — it’s basically our first exposure to patient care and does a really good job of easing us into patient interactions. It creates a great foundation for the rest of our medical careers.

Describe a stand-out moment.
Funnily enough, the one that stands out to me the most has to do with the first patient I had in longitudinal clinic. She was very kind throughout the whole appointment. She knew that she was my first patient ever and that I was obviously nervous. At the end of longitudinal clinic, in the last couple of months or so, I had her as a patient again by coincidence. She remembered me. It was so cool to see her again and show her how much I’d grown as a caregiver. It was a genuine moment of connection to a patient.

What drew you to CCLCM?
I think the most interesting parts of the program were the built-in research year and the small class size. Something that was emphasized a lot is the potential for mentorship — something that I didn’t have access to during undergraduate school. Additionally, having no exams and no grades facilitated a collaborative and friendly environment rather than a competitive one, which I really appreciated and enjoyed.

Describe your research project.
I conducted my research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Eye Institute (NEI) where I worked alongside Brian Brooks, MD, PhD. My research involved using patient-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium to study the development of coloboma.

What about your education best prepared you for your future?
In the first two years of our curriculum, we have weekly 15-minute presentations based on a patient case where you explain a concept to your peers and talk about relevant research. Looking back now after all that practice, that experience prepared me so well for successful presentations in clinical settings.

Describe your community service involvement and how it impacted your education or outlook.
I was a volunteer coordinator for CCLCM’s Community Health Initiative, and while at the NIH I volunteered at Washington DC’s Prevention of Blindness Society. I think both those projects were really important because it shows that wherever you are in your training there’s always something that you can contribute to the local community. Looking forward, I want to look at the impacts of socioeconomic determinants of health and how they impact vision care, particularly in children.

What advice do you wish you had received prior to starting the program?
I wish I would have been told to emphasize balance. It’s important to find what makes you happy outside of medical school and remember that these are very critical years in your adult life.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about applying to the program?
Ask yourself if you’re passionate and if you care about people. If you are, those are the two main things you’ll need to be successful here.

What goals did you set for yourself while at CCLCM?
My goal was to find my people and find good mentors who will help me grow in my career. I wanted to emphasize becoming a well-rounded person in medical school, and I think CCLCM is the right environment to do so.

How do you spend your free time?
I enjoy baking. Most recently I made my first batch of pumpkin spice cookies, and they turned out so good! I also enjoy birdwatching. I think one of my favorite birds that I’ve spotted was my first-ever yellow-rumped warbler during migration season.

Fun fact?
I grew up involved in martial arts so now I have a second-degree black belt in taekwondo!