INTERVIEWFrom sculptor to surgeon

• Published date: 08 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Some people are born with extraordinary talent, but struggle to find a way in life to make the most of it.

Shim Hyeon-jeong always had an artistic flair, which eventually led her to Seoul National University College of Fine Arts, a prestigious school where she majored in sculpture. Becoming an artist had appeared to be her natural next choice after graduation until she decided to pursue her new dream of becoming a doctor.

"It was my little brother with an intellectual disability who motivated me to open my eyes to other fields of study. Taking a psychology class made me wonder whether there could be an answer to why my brother and other people like him think and act differently. That was the first time I thought that I could do something different other than fine arts," Shim, 37, said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.

Her insatiable curiosity led her deep into the subject and later to an autism research center at Severance Hospital in Seoul.

"While working with doctors, I started to think that having a medical degree would allow me to do much more to study the field," she said.

Getting into a medical school after all those years devoted to the world of art was extremely challenging, to say the least, she said. But a sense of purpose kept her going. In 2017, Shim was finally admitted to Cha University.

"I still did not have any specific career plan. I wanted to be an obstetrician, but I wasn't sure if it really was for me. And everything became clear to me when I received my first surgical training," she said.

This photo shows Shim Hyeon-jeong working on her artwork when she was a student at Seoul National University College of Fine Arts in Seoul. Courtesy of Shim Hyeon-jeong

This photo shows internal organs illustrated by Shim Hyeon-jeong. Courtesy of Shim Hyeon-jeong

For Shim, who had spent her...