Joon majored in Psychobiology at UCLA. He thought the biggest thing he gained out of the DiSH Lab was an understanding of how social norms and small nuances in human interactions can dramatically affect the delivery of healthcare (i.e. weight stigma, or really any other kind of stigma, and how these affect physician trust/adhesion to medical guidance). Aside from the research skills and experiences he learned while working in the Lab, he feels like his ability to speak passionately about LOOSE and COFI and how they fit into his own personal interests was an important part of his application.

One thing he really liked about the “Genes to Society Curriculum” at Johns Hopkins is their dedication to understanding and teaching about the social determinants of healthcare. He thought this was really well-aligned with his experiences in the DiSH Lab. He thinks he still has a lot to learn in navigating the intersection of social issues and medicine, particularly in areas outside of weight stigma. He is looking forward to continuing to grow in this area to hopefully become a more trustworthy provider!