Dr. Joon K. Shim Reflects On Her Experience as an Army Surgeon in Afghanistan

Dr. Joon K. Shim, Bassett Medical Center's trauma program medical director and surgery residency program director, recently had a blog post published by the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS). In "What Veterans Day Means To Me," Dr. Shim recollects her first deployment in Afghanistan as an Army combat trauma surgeon in 2011.

Here is an excerpt:

I take a 40-minute helicopter ride through high mountains to my final destination. The mountain range is beautiful. Numerous high passes transect the mountain. I see small villages and goat shepherds with their children looking up at us. We arrive to find the base under attack from the Taliban.

Visit the AAS blog to read her full reflection.

An expert in minimally-invasive and trauma surgery and impassioned by her experiences and love for her country, Dr. Shim has lead young residents on their educational journeys since she came to Bassett in winter of 2021.