Hometown: Suffern, NY
Undergraduate: Cornell University, BS in Biological Sciences
Ahead of Match Day 2024, MD student Alyson Kim discussed her time in medical school and her plans for residency and beyond.
What drew you to medicine, and to the College of Medicine specifically?
I love traveling internationally and was drawn to the idea of gaining a skill that would allow me to do meaningful, impactful work for anyone and everyone around the world. I was most drawn to Drexel University College of Medicine’s longstanding history of not only serving but also training those underrepresented in medicine.
Can you tell me a little bit about yourself before you came to Drexel?
Prior to coming to Drexel, I was a travel fiend (still am). I decided to live abroad during my gap years before medical school. I worked in education consulting in Kenya, which then transitioned to a move to Russia, where I became a news anchor. In those days, I spent my fall and winter flying back and forth between Moscow and the United States to attend medical school interviews, until voila — it all went virtual in 2020!
What specialty do you plan to go into? What influenced that choice?
I am pursuing general surgery, a decision that was majorly influenced by a shadowing opportunity I had in the operating rooms of an obstetric fistula hospital while conducting research in Western Kenya. Seeing patients’ lives totally transform through a repair that could only be done surgically introduced me to how life-changing surgery can be.
What organizations, extracurriculars, research or community service experiences have you been involved in during your time at Drexel? How have they impacted your experience in medical school?
Student Government Association (SGA) and teaching (med scholars, academic coaching, etc.) have been large parts of my Drexel experience. Being in other people’s lives through teaching, and aiming to make their lives easier, was so rewarding. SGA has the titles and all, but I truly believe some of our most impactful leaders are also those outside of SGA. Being able to help them make Drexel stronger and enhance the medical school experience was all I could ask for.
Tell me about your work as a Women’s Health Education Program (WHEP) Scholar and a Global Health Scholar. How has that work informed your approach to the study of medicine or to clinical work?
My Global Health and WHEP Scholar project was created from the ground up, from the research question, to methods, to analysis — it was my baby! The project centers on exploring barriers and facilitators to surgical care among fistula patients in Kenya. I got to spend my M1 summer traveling to Kenya to execute this project. The work took me to Paris this past year to present at the International Congress of OB/GYN (FIGO) and is continuing to teach me the importance of investigative scholarly work in a medical career.
What are some of your favorite medical school memories? What lessons have you learned here that you'll carry on into residency?
My favorite memories have been the various social events, little to large, informal to formal. I loved getting pre-study brunch at Sabrina’s Cafe with my best friends Sara and Tatiana. I loved seeing everyone dolled up and decked out for our dinosaur- and boat-themed formals. And I had fun helping the class of 2025 prepare for their HSF1 practicals during their M1 year.
I really loved so many parts of medical school, that I know it will be imperative to enjoy the ride as well when residency comes around. I mostly look back on medical school so far as a collection of memories, rather than a means to an end, which was probably pivotal in making me feel less like I’ve suffered through the hard work of the last four years. I have five-plus years of training ahead of me, so I sure hope I enjoy it!
How are you feeling ahead of Match Day? What are you looking forward to about the next step in your medical career?
I’m feeling okay ahead of Match Day, which may be abnormal. I spent the past six weeks leading up to Match Week traveling around the world , surrounded by people who have no idea what Match Day is. Some moments, I forgot I had match even coming up!
I’m looking forward to more traveling integrated into my medical career, hopefully with the opportunity to take the skills I learn in residency abroad in a meaningful way. Global health is truly my main goal in medicine, and I would love to see that unfold throughout my career.