
In high school, while other students cringed at having to dissect frogs in biology class, Eunice Park, M.D., M.P.H., was intrigued by the opportunity.
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Eunice Park, M.D., M.P.H., Brings Clinical K-Beauty to U.S.
In high school, while other students cringed at having to dissect frogs in biology class, Eunice Park, M.D., M.P.H., was intrigued by the opportunity.
“I have always been fascinated with anatomy,” she shares. “In biology class, some kids may have shied away from things that were bloody or gory, but I gravitated towards it. I had no hesitation in exploring things one step further to satisfy my curiosity of these intricate biologic connections.”
Early in medical school, she thought she would pursue a career in public health and become an OBGYN. However, gross anatomy class rekindled her fascination with anatomy, specifically head and neck anatomy.
“Facial and neck anatomy is a very specific area, highly complex yet delicate.,” she says. “I remember dissecting out the ossicles of the ear and tracing the branches of the facial nerve and being fascinated with the intricacies of these procedures, and that’s how I became interested in head and neck anatomy.”
Today, Dr. Park is fellowship-trained and among a small number of physicians who are dual board certified in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, and head and neck surgery. She is also the first physician in her family.
A Little History
Born in South Korea, Dr. Park immigrated with her family to New York at a very young age.She considers herself a native New Yorker having graduated from the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan and earning her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. She received her Masters degree in Public Health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Upon graduating, Dr. Park completed a general surgery internship and otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, and underwent subspecialty fellowship training in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery there as well.
“After fellowship, I joined a large multispecialty group practice,” she explained. “When I started out, there were about 250 physicians. Over the course of the nine years that I was there, it grew to a mega-group of over 1,000 physicians, a majority of them in primary care.”
Dr. Park was the only facial plastic surgeon in the group, but felt that the setting may have grown a bit too large for how she wanted to practice.
“In the field of aesthetic and plastic surgery, it really requires a detail-oriented, concierge level type of practice environment that gets lost in large group practices,” she says. “So, I decided to leave in 2019 to start my own practice.”
But there were challenges in her decision, starting with the fact that Dr. Park had become a partner in the group, so the transition took some time. There were also some skills she hoped to strengthen before making
the jump.
“In medical school, physicians are not trained enough on the business of healthcare. Universities have recognized this knowledge gap and now offer healthcare leadership programs to help physicians understand the dynamics of running a successful business.”
“I was accepted into a physician entrepreneurship program at Northwestern Kellogg University Business School, the Physician CEO executive program, which is geared towards promoting physician entrepreneurship and independent practice,” Dr. Park says. “This was pivotal in guiding me to the next steps of creating and launching an aesthetic practice brand.”
At the time, her move was counterintuitive to what many private practice plastic surgeons were doing, looking to join a large group practice such as hers, not leave one. The advice she received at the time was, “Perhaps you’re making the wrong decision” or being questioned, “Do you really want to do this?”
But Dr. Park knew she was ready—unaware what was about to happen in the world.
Opening During the Pandemic
In 2020, Dr. Park founded AIREM—which means “beauty” in Korean—the first Korean beauty-inspired medical aesthetic spa in the U.S., centered around the practice of gwallee, a centuries-old Korean principle of maintaining self-care through physical, emotional and mental well-being.
“It means more than just undergoing injectables or plastic surgery; it’s a term that’s used for a more holistic approach to self-care,” she says.
She also introduces the concept of clinical K-beauty. Many associate K-beauty or korean beauty with sheet masks and a multi-step skin care regimen, but clinical K-beauty actually goes one step further, combining leading skin care and aesthetic technology from Korea with the best Western clinical-grade ingredients and treatments.
The practice was in the middle of construction when COVID-19 hit, and everything shut down in New York. All non-essential activities were halted, including construction.
“It was such a trying time, and I really wondered whether I would ever see the end of this project,” she says. “In March 2020, our 4,000-square-foot office was demolished—the front facade was cut out and left open, with just a tarp hanging over the storefront. I visited the site every few days, making sure the tarp didn’t fall off. At that point, I had no idea what the next step would be.”
It was only her and a director of operations at the time, working out of “the closet,” a 200-square-foot shared office space that they rented to get the practice set up.
“During this time, when construction was not progressing, we had to pivot and focus on developing the AIREM Essentials clinical K-beauty skincare line,” Dr. Park says. “We designed and formulated during that time, trying to be as efficient and effective as possible, even though we couldn’t make progress in other areas.”
The doors of her practice officially opened in November of 2020, and there was still a high sense of anxiety for many.
Dr. Park’s specialty is cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face and neck, with a special focus on facelift, necklift, rhinoplasty and jawline contouring procedures.
AIREM offers a wide range of non-surgical aesthetic treatments, utilizing the latest technology in lasers, injectables, microneedling, skin tightening and skin care to customize treatment options.
AIREM is the first Korean beauty-inspired medical aesthetic spa in the United States.
Breaking Down Doors
When Dr. Park started practicing in 2011, she was the first female plastic surgeon on Long Island and one of very few in New York itself.
“It’s a very subspecialized surgical specialty, so there’s really just a small subset of us in the country, and a smaller subset who are women,” she says.
Dr. Park stays in touch with other women in the field through a women’s division of the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgeons and at other industry meetings that she attends around the world.
“It’s a very supportive specialty—both men and women—are a very tight-knit group,” she says.
Many patients are attracted to her practice because she is a woman, and that has helped her build up
a clientele.
“People do seek out someone who has a female perspective,” Dr. Park says. “We market behind the AIREM brand, and there’s also a huge interest in Asian-inspired treatments.”
Over her career, Dr. Park has received numerous academic achievement and leadership awards and has authored articles published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals. She was the editor of the Home Study Course – Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Edition, a primary source of professional development and continuing medical education for resident, fellows and attending physicians throughout the U.S.
Around the Office
As a practice known for its Korean-beauty-inspired treatments and rituals, one of the things that makes it unique is that it offers the AIREM Retreat, which is a space that was created within the spa portion of the office, allowing for up to eight people to experience beauty together.
“This is a concept that is very common in Asia, especially South Korea,” Dr. Park notes. “Inspired by the communal practices, such as a tea ritual or sauna, we created this space, designed after the Bukchon Hanok area, a heritage site with old homes, teahouses and galleries. It’s meant to transport the person that’s there back to these traditional tea and meditation experiences.”
Considering that many people had spent the previous year in quarantine pods together, they were looking for a space where they could experience something different together and this is a perfect way to do that.
“It was a unique way for people to experience aesthetics and beauty in a space together,” Dr. Park says.
The look of the practice overall follows that same brand concept of combining traditional and modern elements of Asian architecture and design.
“Our space is meant to incorporate minimalism, a light and airy space,” she says. “When patients walk in, there is a front desk retail area where they can experience different medical-grade skin care brands and AIREM Essentials.”
The heart of the 4,000-square-foot office is the AIREM Retreat space, where people come together to experience beauty together. This area connects to treatment rooms and leads into a private surgical suite.
The practice has a team of 10, and Dr. Park’s leadership philosophy is one of collaboration and a team-approach.
“My purpose is to inspire our team to work towards a common goal,” she says. “I’ve now been working post-fellowship for 12 years and I realize employees—as well as myself—are able to rise up to a challenge when we feel inspired by a task or project.”
Eunice Park, M.D. M.P.H.
Work/Life Balance
As the mother of three children and as a wife, Dr. Park spends a lot of her off-time juggling activities for her kids and managing a household. She understands the importance of practicing ‘gwallee’ or self-care and carves out small moments for herself.
“I love doing things on the water; whether it’s going paddleboarding or being on the beach,” she says. “Being able to drive to the office and maybe take a little detour and sit on the beach for 5-10 minutes is one of the best things about practicing on Long Island. It’s very similar to the coastal town I am from in South Korea.”
Dr. Park is also deeply committed to improving access to healthcare in developing nations, participating in international medical missions to places like Ecuador and Mongolia and as a sponsor of international medical missions organizations like Mercy Ships International.
“I think we have a responsibility to not only apply the knowledge that has been given to us, but to be able to share that with others,” she says. “Sometimes it’s easy to become nearsighted in what we’re doing and forget that there are needs on a local or international level that we can fulfill. It’s not only about providing services to an underserved area, it’s about empowering and teaching the local doctors and staff and equipping them with the tools, instruments and means of continued medical education so they can sustain these practices within their communities.”
Looking Ahead
Dr. Park has plans to expand her practice in the next two years, with the goal to expand the team and bring the AIREM concept to additional locations, and further develop the AIREM Essentials skincare line.
She’s thrilled that she made the leap to private practice and entrepreneurship. Navigating the launch of a new business during COVID-19 has equipped her with the experience and knowledge to further expand the AIREM aesthetics brand.
What is it that you enjoy most about your career?
“I love the opportunity for creativity in the different aspects of my career in aesthetics, plastic surgery and business. The same creative principles that drive a marketing campaign can be applied to mapping out the technique of an aesthetics treatment and the surgical planning of a facelift procedure. As a surgeon, I truly enjoy guiding patients through their journey of transformation. As a business owner, I feel most in my element when managing a project from conception to completion.”
Keith Loria is a freelance writer based in Oakton, VA.