Peter Y. Kim Memorial Lecture
The Peter Y. Kim Memorial Lecture was established in 2018 in honor of Peter Kim, MD, PhD, who passed away unexpectedly in 2017, at the age of 55. The Department of Neurology established this lectureship to bring speakers with expertise in outpatient general clinical neurology to speak to the department.
Peter Kim was born in South Korea and came to the United States at a young age. He spent most of his youth in Buffalo, NY, where he developed his lifelong love of the Buffalo sports teams, as was evident to anyone who entered his office. He received his BS and his PhD from the University of Rochester, completing his thesis on “Activation of c-myc and ki-ras oncogenes in radiation induced rat thyroid carcinomas.” He then completed his MD at the State University of New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY. After finishing an internship at the University of Rochester in 1994, he came to the Neurological Institute to begin his neurology residency, which he completed in 1997. Between the years of 1997 and 1999, Dr. Kim worked as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Departments of Neurology and Pathology at Columbia. Then, in 1999, he joined the fledgling Department of Neurology Division of General Neurology.
As one of the original members of this newly formed division dedicated to caring for patients with all types of neurological problems, Dr. Kim was integral in the division’s growth and success. He was always available. Physicians throughout the medical center called him to see their patients, friends and colleagues. He never said no. He served as the primary neurological consultant to the Columbia University Athletics Department. When the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic needed attending supervision, he stepped in to serve as co-director. For years he provided the majority of the consultations needed by the cardiac and liver transplant services. He developed an expertise in HIV neurology and was asked by the Department of Medicine’s Infectious Disease Service to run an HIV Neurology clinic.
Peter also never said no to any educational contribution he was asked to make. He directed the Neurology Residents’ General Neurology Clinic for many years. He supervised the outpatient General Neurology elective. He enthusiastically participated in outpatient rotations for the medical students and residents. Those who participated saw him as teacher and mentor, yet he still treated everyone as a peer.
Dr. Kim’s untimely death was a blow to the Department, particularly for those in the Division of General Neurology, who worked closely with him every day. He was a beloved friend, colleague, clinician, teacher, and mentor, and remains sorely missed. This lecture series is dedicated to his memory, and to his countless contributions to this Department.
2024 Lecture Information:
Date: May 10, 2024
Time: 1:15 - 2:15 pm
Location: Neurological Institute Alumni Auditorium
A General Neurologist’s Perspective: Illustrative Clinical Cases
Rajeev S. Motiwala, MD
Clinical Professor, Department of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Clerkship Co-Director, Clinical Neurological Sciences
Director, Education Program
Dr. Motiwala is Clinical Professor of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where he serves as the Director of Education for the Department and Co-Director of the Neurology Clerkship.
He graduated from BJ Medical College in Pune, India in 1979 and completed residency in Internal Medicine from 1979-1982. He worked as an internist before coming to the U.S. in November 1984. He pursued training in neurology and electrophysiology at UMDNJ, Newark from 1985-1989. From 1989 to 2008, he was in private practice. However, because of his interest in education, he took time out from his busy practice and joined NYU part time as a member of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and he served as a preceptor for third year medical students.
He joined the General Neurology group at Columbia in 2008 and realized that bedside teaching, small group sessions, and one on one mentoring were some of the areas where he seemed to thrive and excel.
He left Columbia in 2012 and was appointed as Clerkship Director of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His goal was to impart a genuine appreciation and love for the art and science of clinical neurology. By introducing a number of more interactive sessions and revising the curriculum, he was able to create a challenging yet nurturing clerkship experience for students.
In 2018 he joined the Department of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and has been working as Clinical Professor of Neurology, Director of Education Programs, and Co-Director of the Neurology Clerkship. He has strived to bring his long clinical experience in different settings, private practice and academic, to the education and training of students, residents, and fellows.