My name is Mackenzi Kim, and I grew up in rural Northern California. I attended two different community colleges: California State University Long Beach and California State University Chico, where I graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in cellular and molecular biology and a minor in global development.

I attended University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine SELECT program, where I spent two years in Tampa, Fla., and two years with Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN). I stayed with LVHN for my family medicine residency, where I was presented awards for teaching, advocacy and scholarly activity.

The spark behind pursuing geriatrics really started in my youth as I witnessed my grandparents living with dementia. It was honed during my residency through research focusing on inclusive care for older adults and fostering communication between health care professionals and their patients. I recognize the importance of additional training through fellowship to honor my family and better work with and empower my patients and their families.