My familial, professional, and academic background have been strong motivators in my pursuit of a career in oriental medicine.

     I am a Korean-American. I was born in Korea and moved with my family to the United States in 1975 when I was three years old. I grew up living juxtaposed between two cultures, however, I have found a middle ground between the culture of my parents’ homeland and American culture, which has so profoundly shaped me. This biculturalism has carried over to my professional aspirations.

     Prior to enrollment at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine for Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Herbology, my education had been rooted in western science. While pursuing my Masters of Science in biology at New York University, I had the opportunity to study neotropical medicinal plants traditionally used in the Mayan culture and still in use today in the jungles of Belize. During this experience, I realized that the herbology I was studying was analogous to the medicine practiced in Korea to which I was exposed to during my childhood. The Mayan herbology that Mayan healers taught me had similarity to the herbal formulas used by my mother. Additionally, I learned that Mayan herbology is the primary and sometimes the only form of curative and preventative medicine in that remote area. For example, I learned the Mayan healers have a plant that serves as an insulin provider for diabetics commonly called Calaloo (Amaranthus dubius) which has been used for hundreds of years. This experience became a turning point in my professional life.

     During this time, I often thought about western medicine and its absence in these remote areas. I believed that western medicine could complement traditional Mayan medicine in these communities. This experience, together with my experience with eastern medicine as a child, also led me to think about the practice of medicine in the United States and how western medicine, the primary medical modality, could be complemented by eastern medicine. I continued to study medicinal plants in South East Asia and South America after Belize and then finally returned to New York and enrolled in Pacific College of Oriental Medicine with the aim of contributing to the development of the practice of eastern medicine in the United States.

     While an intern at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, I had numerous opportunities to work within biomedical settings at various hospitals in New York City. These include St. Vincent’s Hospital HIV Center, Hospital for Joint Diseases, and Yonkers Hospital Drug Rehabilitation Center. Through these internships, I was able to gain valuable experience and skills. In addition, the Quality of these hospital patients’ lives were improved by receiving eastern medicine, which included acupuncture and herbal formulas. I also realized the importance of eastern medicine’s incorporation of mind-body, and spirituality in patient care. I have further come to appreciate that both western and eastern medicines individually have tremendous benefits and historically have served patients well. Nonetheless, these experiences led me to believe that patients derive the greatest benefit from eastern and western medicine when used together.

     Presently, as a licensed and board certified Eastern medicine practitioner, I continue to work with patients within a biomedical setting at Saint Vincent’s Comprehensive Cancer Center part-time. Eastern medicine has great benefits for cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy, radiation or are in remission. Also, this is a small step of the integration of western and eastern medical modalities that would provide tremendous benefits to our healthcare system and society.

     Through my own private practice, I am able to continue learning and focus on a medicine that accords with my upbringing, experiences and beliefs. Finally, I believe that through private practice in the field of oriental medicine this will allow me not only to help others but also to learn and share a knowledge that leads to better living. In practicing, I hope I will be able to add a natural human dimension to healthcare.