Dr.
Young-In
Kim
By: Anne Fard
5.If you were starting over again, is there anything you would do
differently?
For sure.
I would do something completely
differently. I always wanted to be a writer, journalist
or opera singer.
6.In this issue of NutriNews, we focus on 'redefining' Nutrition
and highlighting its many facets. How would you define
'Nutrition’?
I’ve actually never thought about this. “Substances in
food and supplement that are essential in
maintenance of health?”
7.If you had one thing to change in today's process of research,
what would it be?
1.I understand that you got your MD at the University of
Toronto, and post-doctoral fellowships at Tufts University and
Harvard Medical School. Briefly, please share what was your
greatest learning from each experience.
U of T medical school and subsequent specialist and
sub-specialist training provided me the best medical
education you can get in North America. Similarly,
my research fellowship at Tufts was a fantastic
experience as this was the best all-around clinical
nutrition and research training in North America.
Research fellowship in cell biology at Harvard
Medical School was overwhelming as I was
surrounded by incredibly bright and motivated top
notch scientists from all over the world.
2.What do you enjoy most about being a clinician-scientist, and
what areas do you dislike more?
I enjoy being able to bring bench to bedside and vice
versa on a daily basis as a clinician-scientist. The part
that I do not enjoy as much as I get older is writing
grant applications.
3.One of the perks of being a scientist is travelling to different
countries to attend conferences and workshops. If you were to
take your team to a conference anywhere in the world, where
would you go?
Australia. I had one of the best conference/vacation
experience in Australia before.
4.Looking back at your career, what has been one of your biggest
challenges that has impacted your life and how did you
overcome it?
Juggling family and career was probably the most
difficult challenge. However, I have been putting my
family on top of the priority list. Everything else can
wait.
More abundant funding so that scientists do not have
to waste so much time writing one grant application
after another. Funding agencies should also support
“high-risk high-gain” type of research instead of
supporting stagnant and incremental research.
8.Do you have any advice to the graduate students in this
department? Our lab members would all say "short-term sacrifice
for long-term gain", would you like to add to that?
I say the same to my kids too. “Short-term sacrifice for
long-term gain”. I think the younger generations do
not have as much as patience and perseverance as the
older generations have and they want immediate
gratification with minimal sacrifice. What you get in
life is what you have invested time and energy in.
I also feel that the younger generation lacks
appreciation for literature, art, and classical music. We
are not producing all-around persons anymore. So my
advice is to read good books, go to art galleries and
attend concerts while doing graduate studies in
Toronto. There are so many opportunities in Toronto.
9. What are words you live by?
“First do no harm” in my medical practice. “Do your
best and give everything you’ve got."
10.Were there any mentors who guided you or you looked up to?
What advice did they give you?
I am always grateful to Dr. Khursheed Jeejeebhoy who
was my teacher and mentor during my internal
medicine and gastroenterology training in Toronto.
He was an excellent scientist and superb clinician. He
guided me to my clinician-scientist career path. I
always remember his advice: to become a successful
clinician-scientist, you have to be a credible clinician.
We are a clinician first and a scientist second. Often
clinician-scientists forget why they went to medical
school.
Issue 3 | Nutrition of Everything | 27