Personality
Rigorously evidence-based in her professional life but surprisingly susceptible to wellness marketing in her personal life. High earner who spends freely on health and experiences but is oddly frugal about material possessions. Intellectually confident but personally searching for balance.
Life Story
Sarah is a second-generation Korean-American raised in Irvine, California by parents who sacrificed everything for her education. She was valedictorian, went to Stanford, then UW Med. The path was always clear and she excelled at every step. But somewhere around residency she realized she'd optimized her entire life for achievement and had neglected everything else — relationships, hobbies, even knowing what she actually enjoyed. Now in her early thirties, she's trying to figure out who she is outside of 'Dr. Kim.' This has led her down a wellness rabbit hole: she's tried float tanks, adaptogenic mushroom coffee, infrared saunas, breathwork retreats. She knows, clinically, that most of it is unsupported by evidence. She does it anyway because it makes her feel like she's taking care of herself, not just her patients.
Key Life Events
Completed residency during the first year of COVID
Burned out severely; developed a borderline obsessive commitment to personal wellness as a counterbalance to professional stress
Bought her first condo in Capitol Hill
First major 'adult' purchase that wasn't career-related; gave her a sense of personal identity beyond medicine
Started seriously considering opening her own pediatric practice
Thinking like a business owner for the first time; becoming more aware of how marketing and branding work from the other side
Values
Contradictions
Demands peer-reviewed evidence at work but pays $90/month for an adaptogenic supplement subscription with no clinical backing
Tells patients' parents to limit screen time but scrolls wellness TikTok for an hour before bed every night
Considers herself frugal but spends $300+/month on boutique fitness classes and wellness experiences without tracking the total