Dr. Sara Kim, Research Professor of Surgery, received her PhD in Education in 1999 from University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Currently, she serves as Associate Dean for Educational Quality Improvement, School of Medicine, University of Washington. She is the LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) Faculty Accreditation Lead, overseeing the medical school’s continuous quality improvement covering both operational and educational content areas.

Dr. Kim is the inaugural holder of the George G. B. Bilsten Professorship in the Art of Communication with Peers and Patients. She actively leads research programs in conflict management and collaborates with a wide range of clinical, administrative and educational stakeholders across UW Medicine. Since 2014, she has developed training programs and taught over 3,000 healthcare professionals communication skills associated with conflict management and resolution. Her work has been primarily supported through the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine grants as well as the UW Medicine Patient Safety Innovation Programs (PSIP).

She has numerous peer-reviewed publications in leading medical education and medical specialty journals, covering topics of physician communication skills, assessment, teaching and learning practices. Previously, Dr. Kim served on the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee and is currently a review board member for the journal, Teaching and Learning in Medicine.