Spotlight: Cindy Kin

Cindy Kin, MD, MS, FACS, FASCRS is an Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of General Surgery at Stanford University. She specializes in colorectal surgery, with clinical expertise in colon and rectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis and anorectal diseases. 

Dr. Kin earned her BA in Government from Harvard University, her MD from Columbia University, and an MS in Health Services Research from Stanford. She completed her general surgery residency at Stanford and a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. She is board-certified in General Surgery, Colon and Rectal Surgery, and Lifestyle Medicine.

Her research is in prehabilitation and other interventions to improve the health and resilience of patients undergoing surgery. She also serves as the Director of Well-being for the Department of Surgery and the advisor of the Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group for the Stanford School of Medicine. 

What’s a valuable lesson you’ve learned from a work experience, good or bad?

"I've learned many valuable lessons from my patients over the years - the most from those who have had complications. From those, I have learned the importance of building a village - people who can give me objective clinical insight and support as I weather that storm with my patient, and whom I can support when the time comes."

How do you handle pressure or tight deadlines? Share your tips for staying calm and focused.

"For high-pressure situations - whether it's a difficult moment in the operating room, about to give a big talk, or serving on match-point (especially when it's my opponent's match point!) - I swear by 4-7-8 breathing. Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale for 8. Calms me down every time. For a tight deadline, I start with the easiest tasks to get some quick wins. If I stop making progress, I'll go for a run and mull over it and make voice notes while I'm running."

What advice would you give to someone new starting at Stanford?

"Stanford can feel really big - and yet, it is very much part of the local community. My advice to someone new to Stanford is to build relationships with people you work with and also in the community - as simple as getting to know your neighbors, volunteering a little time at your kids' school or playing in a sports league. It's such a small world that before long you'll be chaperoning a field trip with another Stanford doc, or taking care of a patient referred to you by someone you met at a block party. This work-life integration is what makes Stanford feel like home to me."