Women's History Month Spotlight: Susie Kim, MD

Susie Kim, MD, is a general cardiologist with South Denver Cardiology Associates and has worked at AdventHealth Castle Rock since 2022. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, only 15 percent of cardiologists are women.?Dr. Kim has been a key part in turning the Catheterization/Interventional Radiology lab into one of the fastest growing service lines in the hospital.

Her dream of being in healthcare was born out of watching her father, who was a surgeon in a small town. Though, her initial career choice may surprise you.

Originally, Dr. Kim wanted to write children’s books for sick patients after being around her dad. However, that mindset shifted, and she went into cardiology.

She received a combined undergraduate and graduate degree as part of the University of Missouri – Kansas City’s Accelerated Program. Her residency was completed at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation followed by her cardiology training, Chief Fellow, and interventional fellowship at Rush University in Chicago.

“I think you know, whenever people think cardiology, they oftentimes think it's technical. It may have more characteristics that appear to be more masculine, but there is a whole breadth of it.”

Since becoming a cardiologist, Dr. Kim is proud of what she has accomplished and jokes that the only time she notices the discrepancy in the profession is when, “there is no line for the bathroom at any of the cardiology conferences.”

She is grateful each day for the opportunities she has earned and is happy to be a role model for other women.

“It is important for women to take a look at cardiology without the stigma of past.”