Melanie Kim, DO

Melanie Kim, DO, is a Family Medicine physician providing compassionate, patient-centered care at Think Whole Person Healthcare. Originally from LaSalle, Illinois, where she enjoyed the charm of rural living just 1.5 hours from Chicago, Melanie graduated from Creighton University with a degree in Medical Anthropology and a minor in Biology. She worked as a medical scribe at think when it first opened, spent a year at a meditation nonprofit and center for contemplative activism, then pursued her medical education at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, followed by residency at CoxHealth in Springfield, Missouri. As the third Dr. Kim in her family, Melanie brings a deep-rooted passion for medicine, with specialized interests in chronic disease management, lifestyle medicine, integrative medicine, and hands-on osteopathic techniques.

Growing up in a family of physicians, Melanie knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue a healthcare career, initially inspired by the idea of serving abroad with organizations like Doctors Without Borders. However, her perspective shifted as she recognized significant healthcare disparities closer to home, prompting her to focus on reducing barriers to quality care, particularly for refugee and immigrant communities and young women who often feel misunderstood by traditional medicine. Her early experiences as a scribe at think and her time at a meditation nonprofit reinforced her commitment to holistic, accessible care, shaping her journey to becoming a physician who empowers overlooked populations.

Whole Person Healthcare, to Melanie, means recognizing patients as complex individuals with rich, multifaceted lives beyond their medical charts. She views her role as an advisor who empowers patients to take charge of their health, respecting their autonomy to choose which changes align with their lives. By integrating chronic disease management, lifestyle medicine, and osteopathic approaches, Melanie fosters a deep understanding of her patients’ needs, prioritizing their desires and empowering them to live to their fullest potential.

Dr. Kim rejoined Think Whole Person Healthcare because its mission to reduce healthcare costs and deliver extraordinary, team-based care resonates deeply with her vision of making healthcare a human right. Melanie is passionate about think’s ability to simplify a complex healthcare system, particularly for underserved communities, and she is excited to contribute to its collaborative, patient-focused model.

Patients describe Melanie as kind, understanding, and an exceptional listener who prioritizes their preferences in their healthcare journey. She recalls an experience during her training involving a middle-aged woman with joint pain who initially resisted medication.

“She complained of joint pain and a very busy life, working multiple jobs and living with her daughter and grandchildren. I initially assumed she was seeking medication for her pain, but was met with hostile resistance by the patient. Over the next few visits, I came to understand that she was not seeking pain meds at all, instead wanting a more natural approach to her discomfort. Her priority was keeping her medication list as short as possible while being able to function comfortably in her busy life. By understanding this, I was able to take much better care of her, and we came to have a beautiful, empowering relationship over the next few years. She taught me not to assume I know what patients need before they tell me, and to let them be in the driver’s seat when it comes to their health.”

Through the interaction with the patient, Melanie learned early in her training to avoid assumptions and let patients guide their care, fostering a trusting, empowering relationship that shaped her approach to putting patients in the driver’s seat.

Outside of medicine, Melanie stays active with Orange Theory classes, walks, and yoga, while nurturing her love for houseplants, gardening (as a self-proclaimed newbie), and baking sourdough. She enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, and engaging in her community, with plans to start a local chapter of Walk with a Doc to promote health and connection through walking. If time, money, and ability were no barriers, Dr. Kim dreams of visiting Thailand and taking heritage trips to South Korea, Switzerland, and Ireland to explore her and her husband’s cultural roots.