Resident Jessica Wang is a plastic surgery resident working at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., USA. She has been a trainee at Asan Medical Center since July last year, and her advisor is Professor Jong-Woo Choi of the Department of Plastic Surgery. Resident Jessica Wang shares her story about the international physician training at Asan Medical Center.

Why did you choose Asan Medical Center for training?

South Korea is well-known worldwide in the field of plastic surgery. Notably, Asan Medical Center has the highest level of medical expertise to handle challenging cases such as craniofacial reconstruction successfully. I chose to come to Asan Medical Center to enhance my skills by learning from the leading doctors in facial reconstruction and cosmetic surgery at Asan Medical Center. The professors at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in the U.S., where I work, also knew well about plastic surgeons at Asan Medical Center and recommended that it would be a good training experience for me.

▲ Resident Jessica Wang (second from left) with her advisor, Professor Jong-Woo Choi of the Department of Plastic Surgery (center), and other members of the medical team.

What are your thoughts about the training so far?

I am literally having an eye-opening experience. I have been able to observe various complex head and neck reconstructions and facial cosmetic cases, which I could not have experienced at the hospital where I used to work. What was impressive was the high number of patients, making it possible to provide optimal patient care by leveraging the expertise accumulated from numerous surgeries. My time at Asan Medical Center for training is valuable, and I am grateful because it is an opportunity to broaden my horizons in the field of plastic surgery while encountering and solving new cases.

What impressed you the most?

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital performs as many microsurgeries as Asan Medical Center. However, microsurgeries performed by Asan Medical Center medical professionals are at a much higher level. I believe Asan Medical Center’s competitive edge lies in dealing with a wide range of cases due to the high number of patients. Also, all the professors I work with have excellent technical and clinical capabilities, a humble attitude, and outstanding personalities, providing me with many learning opportunities.

▲ [Left] A family portrait wearing Hanbok(traditional Korean clothing) / [Right] Resident Jessica Wang (first from left) enjoys dinner with her colleagues.

How is your life in South Korea?

I came to South Korea with my husband and son, so most off-duty days are spent with my family. I love traveling to various places, and Busan has been particularly memorable. Among Korean foods, I enjoy kimchi-jjigae(kimchi stew) and pork belly the most. I find it convenient to stay here because many Koreans are familiar with English and have a wide open mind towards foreigners. Therefore, I receive much help from people around me at the hospital and in my daily life. One challenging part of adapting myself was South Korea’s recycling system (laughs). I was not used to sorting garbage into plastic, glass, vinyl, etc., for disposal. South Korea and the time at Asan Medical Center will be unforgettable memories for me and my family.