Biography

Paul J. Kim, D.P.M., is a Professor in the Departments of Plastic Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and he serves as Medical Director of the UTSW Wound Program. He is a wound care specialist who specializes in limb salvage surgery.

Dr. Kim earned his medical degree at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, and he completed a surgical foot and ankle residency at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia. He also holds a master’s degree in clinical research management from Arizona State University.

A Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, Dr. Kim has received intramural and extramural research grants in wound care, diabetic limb salvage, and tendon pathology. He has chaired multiple committees related to research, evidence-based medicine, and the diabetic limb for national and international organizations.

He has delivered presentations worldwide and published more than 175 manuscripts and book chapters on foot and ankle medicine and surgery topics, with a specific focus on the preservation of diabetic limb function.

Meet Paul Kim

Efficient, Effective Care for Wound Healing

When Paul Kim, D.P.M., began working in the field of wound healing, he quickly saw there was an unmet need in patients who had complex conditions such as diabetes. He wanted to help fill that gap.

“Navigating health care can be confusing for any patient, and especially for those who have complex conditions,” Dr. Kim says, adding that people with wound-healing challenges often need the expertise of a range of specialists to preserve and maximize the function of their limbs. Many of those patients will need to move in between inpatient and outpatient care over the course of their lives.

As Medical Director of the Wound Program at UT Southwestern, Dr. Kim’s goal is to make that process as efficient and effective as possible.

His research and clinical interests focus on developing new therapies and approaches to wound care and limb function in people with diabetes. He says that over his career, research has yielded more and better understanding of the small mechanisms that underlie wound healing – as well as wound pathology.

But managing chronic wounds is still a significantly long-term process, and Dr. Kim notes that UT Southwestern’s Wound Program is built on a multidisciplinary approach that meets the challenges. “We offer patients every option, from conservative therapies to surgery,” he says.

Determining whether a patient will be best served by a drug, a biologic, a device, or surgery can be a complex process, but Dr. Kim emphasizes that the best choice for each patient is always what will best improve that person’s quality of life.

He takes great satisfaction in seeing his patients get back to enjoying their lives. “Seeing that I’m contributing to my community in a positive way – that’s what makes me proud,” he says.

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Education & Training
  • Other Post Graduate Training - Arizona State University - Phoenix Campus (2009-2012)
  • Graduate School - Arizona State University - Phoenix Campus (2009-2012), Clinical Research
  • Residency - Inova Fairfax Hospital (2002-2005), Podiatric Medicine & Surgery
  • Medical School - Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine (1998-2002), Podiatric Medicine & Surgery
  • Undergraduate School - University of Colorado at Boulder (1991-1995), Psychology
Professional Associations & Affiliations
  • American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons
  • American Podiatric Medical Association
Books & Publications

Clinical Focus

  • Wound Care
  • Diabetic Limb Salvage
  • Biomechanical Surgery of the Lower Extremity

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Paul Kim, D.P.M.

Watch the video to learn more about Dr. Kim's approach to patient care.