Esther Choi was born in South Korea and moved to the United States in middle school, an experience that shaped her resilience and deep appreciation for community. Having spent much of her childhood navigating surgeries, hospitalizations, and routine follow-up visits, she grew up seeing medicine from the patient’s side of the bed. She understands what it feels like to be a child in an unfamiliar clinical space, to seek reassurance and place deep trust in providers who take the time to explain and care gently. Throughout her journey to medicine, she has gravitated toward service and education. She has worked as a teaching assistant and tutor, mentored high school students interested in healthcare, volunteered in underserved communities and at a children’s hospital, and helped lead a preschool nutrition initiative at a YMCA youth center. She believes that education is a powerful form of care that empowers patients of all ages to take an active role in their health. Esther hopes to practice medicine with attentiveness and clarity, supporting children and families through vulnerable moments and creating spaces where patients feel heard and confident in their care.