Student & Trainee Profiles > Grandfather’s Cancer Leads Mayo Clinic Student to Medicine

Grandfather’s Cancer Leads Mayo Clinic Student to Medicine

By Christine Tully

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When his grandfather was diagnosed with terminal gallbladder cancer, Yonghun felt helpless. Even as a hospice volunteer, he was not prepared to have a close family member go through a serious illness and pass away. "I felt frozen," he says. "There was really nothing I could do."

Yonghun overcame his despair — and began following a new path. He had always had an interest in medicine, even taking pre-med courses while pursuing his degree in computer science at Stanford University. The death of his grandfather confirmed that he wanted to become a physician.

"That feeling of helplessness made me want to learn more about disease so I can empower people around me with that knowledge and learn how to better transition them through difficult times," he says.

Inspired by Passion, Propelled by His Scholarship

Yonghun is now a student at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. A first-generation immigrant from a low-income household, Yonghun acknowledges that scholarships made it possible for him to pursue this direction in his career. “I feel truly fortunate to be progressing through my education without the weight of debt influencing my career decisions,” he says.

With his scholarship giving him the freedom to follow his passions, he has focused on providing health care to people sleeping in parks and living in their vehicles. Yonghun says that as a child of immigrants, he relates to many of the struggles of people facing homelessness. As a child, he often interpreted at his parents' medical appointments, rarely received dental care because of the cost, and witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of addiction and the stigma surrounding mental illness in his community.

Today, Yonghun volunteers at The Landing day center, a nonprofit helping those facing homelessness in Rochester, Minnesota. He works alongside Casey Caldwell, M.D., a retired Mayo Clinic physician, to bandage wounds, listen to patients’ concerns about symptoms, and deliver other basic care. 

"Those facing homelessness deserve the same kind of care and concern that any other patient would receive," Yonghun says. "Their value should not be tied to if they can afford a home."

Reaching the Unseen and Underserved 

Yonghun feels compelled to not just care for unseen populations but also to be a voice for them in the broader medical community. As a student, Yonghun is achieving this by helping create opportunities for his classmates to care for those who are often underserved in the community and health care. 

When Jim Withers, M.D., the founder of the Street Medicine Institute, spoke at Mayo Clinic, he inspired Yonghun’s classmate Jeffrey Woods to start a similar program in Rochester. “When I heard Dr. Withers speak about street medicine, it was the most inspired and moved I’d been since starting medical school,” says Jeffrey.  “Building relationships with the community to help, heal and comfort those shunned by society is, for me, the pure spirit of medicine. Getting Mayo Clinic medical students and leadership on board was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done — a testament to the kind of people who work and learn here.”

Knowing about Yonghun's connection to The Landing day center, Jeff reached out to him, and Yonghun eagerly agreed to get involved.

First, they created a selective course focused on street medicine that attracted 28 medical students in its first year. They learned from community experts and participated in outreach efforts, such as creating warming kits and connecting with individuals to learn more about their needs. “We went under bridges and into the woods,” says Yonghun. “I think it’s important for us to experience the unconventional environments where people who don’t have reliable shelter live.”

The students are hoping to return to those unconventional spaces soon. They are creating a volunteer opportunity for students to provide basic medical care to people experiencing homelessness and to help connect them to resources for more complex care.

Fueling the Next Generation of Change-Makers 

By making it possible for committed, values-driven students like Yonghun to attend medical school, scholarships help drive big changes in health care for decades to come. What Yonghun is doing today for underserved communities is just a start. 

"I have this wish to create change on a large scale," Yonghun says. "I don't want to sit idle. I want to be an active part in driving changes that solve problems and make health care better for everyone, especially those who are often unheard and unseen." 

Make a gift now to inspire students like Yonghun to pursue their dream of a better future for health care.