Angie Kim, School of PA Studies, ’17, was drawn to the medical profession because it offers her the opportunity to practice compassionate care. And when she encounters a patient who has experienced domestic violence, she offers another level of understanding to her compassionate care – she knows domestic violence firsthand.
“I grew up in a violent home ever since I was child,” Kim says. “Seeing my family member getting hurt made me want to help others.”
Kim says she has only recently been able to speak of her experience with domestic violence.
“It happened all of my life. The day after my high school graduation I convinced my mother to go to a women’s shelter,” she says. “Initially, growing up it was something I didn’t talk about. The fear was so great,” she says. “But it’s not something to feel ashamed about. Anyone can seek help.”
Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States when she was 8 years old. She grew up in Southern California. She says she has always been drawn to the medical profession. She studied biology at Cal Poly Pomona and worked as a medical assistant in an internal medicine practice. It was there that she first learned about compassionate care.
“Before that I never saw how much care that PAs give,” she says.
She decided to become a PA because they are in need and can serve in so many capacities. She hopes to work in an underserved area.
She says her experience at Ketchum University has been “much more than (she) ever wished for in a graduate program.”
“Our professors are so devoted to teaching us, not just the medical aspect, but about compassionate care too,” she says. “Our preceptors say it’s great to have us at rotations. I feel that has to do with how we were taught and how the faculty prepared us.”
Kim says she is putting a lot of thought into the area of medicine she will ultimately choose to practice in. She says she is drawn to primary care and emergency medicine.
She already has been able to use her family experiences to help others. During her emergency room rotation she encountered a young woman who had been beaten by her boyfriend. While she didn’t directly speak of her own experience, she encouraged the young woman to seek help.
"There are resources out there and I encouraged her to reach out," she says.
When not studying, Kim enjoys taking her cockapoo to the dog park, going to Disneyland and exploring new restaurants. She also enjoys traveling. This year, she will visit Taiwan and South Korea for her brother’s wedding and go to Portugal for Christmas.