Get to know Dr. Taeha Kim
Taeha Kim, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
What is your primary professional focus as it relates to our mission areas (clinical, research and/or medical education)?
Coming from a community teaching hospital prior to my arrival at University of Wisconsin (UW), I have known for a long time that I love teaching and working with medical students and residents. Now I have a new challenge in teaching fellows as well, which so far has been a stimulating experience. I hope to spend a large part of my time working with trainees at all levels and at some point, get involved with either the internal medicine residency program or pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship program.
What drew you to UW–Madison and the Department of Medicine?
Prior to my arrival at UW, I have interacted with a few of the providers in the subspecialty clinic at UW in the past having referred my own patients here. I was always impressed by the level of knowledge, compassion and collegiality that those providers demonstrated and felt like transitioning here would afford me the opportunity to learn more from experts working in the same department. Learning truly never stops in medicine, and it has been great to have the challenge of teaching and answering questions from trainees while at the same time being under the mentorship of more experienced attending physicians in the department.
What are you most excited about during your first year with the department in this role?
Again, the most exciting part has been being able to discuss cases and bounce off different ideas for diagnostic and management decisions with attendings with a variety of experience levels and practice style. It is a big department with many providers, and there are so many people with great fund of knowledge and experience that you can learn from and discuss cases, new journal articles, ideas, etc.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
I have a five-year old and a one-year-old at home, so it's a busy home when I am not here. I enjoy reading, playing the piano, playing basketball or tennis, but these days it feels like all I do is wrestling and running around with my boys and squeeze in time with my wife in between somehow when I am home. It's actually a lot of fun, and I love my life at home!
Favorite piece of advice from a mentor or inspiring figure in your life?
Happy wife, happy life! This was my mentor's advice when I was speaking to him about choosing my first job out of fellowship five years ago...He was right, and my wife loves Madison!