From Sick Care to Holistic Healing: A Physician’s Story
Hello everyone, I’m Dr. Chung, and I call myself a holistic physician. I am board certified in Internal Medicine, certified in Functional Medicine by The Institute for Functional Medicine, and am a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. My journey to becoming a physician started way back when I was a little girl living in South Korea with my family. I grew up attending an international school started by American missionaries. At the tender age of 5, perhaps inspired by the missionaries, I decided I was going to be a doctor so I could help people. Growing up in South Korea, I experienced both conventional western medicine and eastern medicine in the form of Chinese medicine. What I didn’t realize back then was how my exposure to both types of medical practices would profoundly shape how I viewed the human body and its power to heal.
Fast forward many years and a transatlantic move with my family back to my father’s home country (the United States), I attended the University of Virginia for college and medical school (Wahoowa!). I then went on to Duke University Hospital for my internal medicine residency. After residency, I spent another year training as a geriatric fellow at Washington University in St. Louis so I could be better equipped to care for older patients. Then, after several years of practicing on my own, I quickly realized that I was not doing much more than prescribing medications— increasing the dose, lowering the dose, switching medications… you get the point. Unfortunately, our healthcare system is rooted in sick-care. As a primary care physician, I felt that much of my role was limited to medication management and referrals to specialists, with only a once-a-year “preventive” annual physical visit. I went into medicine because I wanted to truly help people heal from disease. However, I had not been equipped with the tools to do so in my training, nor did our healthcare system allow for longer, more holistic, and personalized patient visits. Fortunately, I discovered functional medicine and lifestyle medicine as I searched for ways to expand my knowledge in preventive and holistic medicine. In my personal and professional journey toward holistic health, I also connected with many like-minded and brilliant colleagues and mentors. I am proud to be part of a larger movement to change how healthcare is delivered in the U.S.
The culmination of my years of training in conventional, functional and lifestyle medicine, as well as my experience as a holistic primary care physician have led me to believe fundamentally that the human body is a beautiful, intricate and complex machine that has the incredible ability to heal itself given the right nutrients and environment. I believe in the power of a food and lifestyle first approach, with careful and judicious use of natural supplements, vitamins, and medications, including hormone replacement therapy, as necessary for healing and maintenance of health.
When I’m not wearing the “doctor hat,” I am also a wife to my wonderful husband, a busy interventional cardiologist, and our three adorable and energetic children. I love to travel, experience new cultures, and learn new languages. I speak Korean fluently and have a high level of fluency in Spanish, and some knowledge in French. My personal goal is to learn to speak French fluently one day!
At a Glance:
- Board-Certified Internal Medicine
- 10+ Years Clinical Experience
- MD: University of Virginia
- Residency: Duke University Hospital
- Geriatrics Fellowship: Washington University in St. Louis
- Certified in Functional Medicine
- Continuing Medical Education Courses Through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Obesity Medicine Association, private mentorships and more.
