Dr. Kim was born in Athens, Greece to a diplomatic family. During his childhood, he attended schools in Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, Libya and South Korea. He is fluent in Korean. He graduated from Yale University with a B.S. intensive in Biology and a B.A. in Music. He also underwent one year of Masters in Musical Arts at Yale University. He earned his M.D. at the Keck-University of Southern California School of Medicine and graduated with Highest Distinction and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society in 2000.
Dr. Kim completed both a neurosurgery residency and a complex spine fellowship at the University of Southern California (USC) Department of Neurosurgery. His spine fellowship included reconstructive spine techniques in tumor, deformity, and trauma as well as travel to Australia to study the latest advancements that have not yet reached the United States. His areas of current interest include the natural history of facet degeneration and diseases of the posterior spine; posterior-only approaches to the cervico-thoracic junction and thoracic ventral lesions; penetrating traumatic brain and spinal cord injury; transpedicular and en bloc trauma and tumor spine reconstructions; the use of biologics in neuro-regeneration and repair; scoliosis and adult deformity; failed back syndrome and adjacent segment degeneration; patients with prior surgery and worsening conditions; minimally invasive spine techniques; advanced imaging modalities (e.g. MR myelography, fusion bone CT-SPECT, and tensor DWI) in the care of spine patients; posterior dynamic stabilization; and rare tumors of the cerebral nervous system.
He has been invited to meetings to present before the Plenary Session at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the Western Neurological Society (WNS), the AANS-CNS section of Spine and Peripheral Nerve Disorders (“Spine section”), and the AANS-CNS section of Pediatric Neurosurgery to name a few. He has published in the main neurosurgical journals, Journal of Neurosurgery, the Spine journal, Neurosurgery, and Neurosurgical Focus among others, and reviews for Neurosurgery in the field of penetrating trauma and solitary fibrous tumors. He is a board-certified diplomate of the American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS) and fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (FAANS). He aims to become a nationally recognized pioneer in the advancement of Neurosurgical Spine.
First and foremost, Dr. Kim is dedicated to the care and well-being of his patients. His goal is to combine compassionate patient care with the most up-to-date evidence-based medicine, and to provide patients with teaching, insight, and knowledge of the pros and cons of recent advances in the field.
Away from work, Dr. Kim enjoys swimming and being with his wife, son and daughter.