Produced for JETRO - Japan External Trade Organization
http://www.jetro.go.jp/jetro/offices/japan/yamagata/mail/mm_vbfl11.txt
2011.02.15
Venture Business Front Line - No. 147
"Dr. Grace Wonja Kim, Amazing Grace"
by Edward Kuroki
Dr. Grace Wonja Kim is a native of Korea and a physician who has been practicing medicine for over 30 years in America. She is perhaps someone who heals people with the influence or spirit of God. She goes beyond just practicing medicine. Her patient care delivery is an extension of her calling as a MD. I had the opportunity to interview her on her amazing life and career, during which she gave her honest and straightforward thoughts on modern medicine and the world based on her own experience.
[KUROKI] You were born and raised, and received a medical degree from one of the most prestigious schools -- Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea [1]. What motivated you to pursue the medical field and what made you come to the United States? Family influences? Personal aspirations?
[DR. GRACE KIM] I was brought up in a medical family. My father was a doctor, my brother is a doctor, and so was grandfather's brother. My mother also worked in the medical field as a Nurse in Korea.
My father received his MD from Seoul National University Medical School when Korea was occupied by Japan, a Ph.D. from Tokyo University, and then a Master's degree in Public Health from Columbia University. He served as a personal physician for President Park Chung-hee of South Korea for more than 10 years, and at the same time he was involved in many philanthropic projects. After he had practiced for 35 years in Korea, he was invited to Hokkaido, Japan, as an administrator at a regional hospital and worked there for several years, then he came to America to work at John Hopkins Hospital. After that, he retired in Virginia, and lived with my mother until he died at the age of 95.
My brother went to Korea University Medical School [2], and came to the U.S., did his Residency in OB-GYN at Beth Israel Hospital, which is one of the teaching hospitals for Harvard Medical School. At that time, he encouraged me to come to Boston.
Actually, since I was very young, my dream was to become an opera singer like Maria Callas. But my father had encouraged me to have practical skills that will secure my spiritual and professional goals. At that time, he told me that I can always sing no matter what I decided to do in my life.
In reality, I was impressed by the work he was engaged in as a medical doctor, helping many people from different economic and political backgrounds. He taught me the importance of developing open-mindedness towards everyone, which eventually led me to come the U.S.
[KUROKI] You have recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of your medical practice in Andover, Massachusetts, specializing in Family Medicine [3]. What are some of the challenges you have faced during those years?
[DR. GRACE KIM] Medicine has changed a lot during the past 30 years, so have people in general. For example, 20-30 years ago I had prescribed much less medication to my patients, but now people have less patience and want a quick fix for everything, and pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars on marketing and advertisement. It became illegal now but pharmaceutical companies used to bribe doctors to sell their products. At the same time, insurance companies require so much paper work from doctors. More importantly, in older days, doctors spent more time to understand patients with
their problems, now it is common for some doctors to prescribe, for example, anti-depression or anti-anxiety medicine after only few minutes of consultation.
Many patients come to see me with common cold symptom, upper respiratory infection, head cold, sore throat, coughing, etc. For that, patients generally don't need antibiotics. They need to simply take hot tea, hot soup, hot shower or bath and plenty of rest in more natural and old- fashioned way. Most people underestimate the power of natural healing ? the human body has its own defense mechanism to get better when it gets sick. By taking overly prescribed medicine, our natural resistance to disease will be weakened.
So, I try to recommend holistic approach that incorporates relaxation, introspection and providing positive thinking to my patients. By avoiding hasty over-medication and focusing on the person as a whole, we are more likely to discover the real cause of the illness, instead of temporarily getting rid of some symptoms.
[KUROKI] You have approximately several thousands multi-ethnic multi-generation patients. What are some of the common changes in health problems you have noticed among them over the past 30 years?
[DR. GRACE KIM] One of the most common changes in health problems I have noticed, not only in adults but especially in young people, is obesity resulting in serious medical problems. Obesity is one of the prime causes of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, leading to metabolic syndrome. This is the biggest public health problem in this country for many years to come. We must address this issue and I believe this has to start early as an individual family unit and then proceed at the school level.
Another significant change and problem is the rise in emotional problems among young people as a result of the disintegration of structured moral discipline in society, over-exposure to inappropriate and wrong information via the Internet - particularly
through social networking sites.
I see young patients who were traumatized by all sorts of addiction, bullying, wrist slicing, etc., which lead them to attempting suicide. Many of them were influenced by the information that they obtained from the Internet and social networking sites.
I believe that the parental guidance is very important, but sadly, it is very difficult to implement because of the fast-paced,
materialistic, stressful way of our current lifestyle.
[KUROKI] Among your patients and local residents, you are known for your love and compassion to help people in need. What is your philosophy for life in general?
[DR. GRACE KIM] I would like to consider myself to be a healer who shares love and happiness with my patients. I believe that all human beings are created equal and we are all connected to one another. I would like to reach my full potential as a human being in this lifetime, and fully enjoy every day on this beautiful planet.
Some of my patients have had very little formal education, but I am always learning from their life long experience every time I see them by being open-minded and non-judgmental. Doctors and patients learn from each other through human contact, and what we learn from each other is real wisdom c not something that we learn from books or from the Internet.
[KUROKI] Lastly, you indicated an interest in writing a book after you retire from your practice. What would you like your children to remember about you?
[DR. GRACE KIM] I want them to remember me as a hardworking, selfless and compassionate physician who was simply happy by helping people get better and comfortable. At the same time, I want them to remember me as a doctor who loved life and music such as singing and playing the piano.
[1] http://www.ewha.ac.kr/english/
[2] http://www.korea.edu/
[3] https://picasaweb.google.com/edkuroki/09012010DrKim?authkey=Gv1sRgCP7X25-M6eDbwwE&feat=directlink
To obtain the entire content of this interview, please contact the author.
Contact: Edward Kuroki
kuroki@validtechnology.com
http://www.validtechnology.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Editorial and research assistance was provided by Freyja Sanger, and Michiko Kuroki.
|