Dr. Zhida Jin Fellowship Match Announcement

Oct 6, 2024

Congratulations to Dr. Zhida Jin on his successful match to the Trauma/Critical Care program at Tower Health, Reading Hospital.  

Dr. Jin was born in New York City, but shortly left America to be raised by his grandparents in China when he was 1 month old (he swears to this day that he had very little say in this decision). His grandfather, who was a retired Army physician, and grandmother, a retired Army nurse, played a large part in his formative years in his decision to pursue medicine and surgery as a career. He would frequently take him to the clinic and the hospital to show him around, and his stories of battlefield trauma and surgeries in austere conditions left a lasting impression on Dr. Jin. 

Arriving in the United States almost a decade later, Dr. Jin lived in New York City and Long Island and became very familiar with New York City as a result. He went on to complete his undergraduate degree in Psychology and Health and Nutritional Sciences at CUNY Brooklyn College. He then went on to complete medical school and received his Doctor of Medicine degree here at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Dr. Jin had an early interest in trauma and critical care, having been exposed to it early on during his rotations at Downstate and Kings County Hospital. The level of exposure to trauma and acute care surgery that the program offered left him wanting more, and his recent match into Trauma/Surgical Critical Care at Tower Health/Reading Hospital in Pennsylvania reflects his aspirations towards developing a robust and diverse clinical practice and surgical education. 

During his time at Downstate, Dr. Jin was involved in mentoring and surgical education both as a junior and as a senior resident. The adage of “see one, do one, teach one” reflected deeply with him, as his formative experiences as a medical student and junior resident paralleled that mantra. He was induced into the Alpha Omega Alpha honors society as a resident and continues to strive for clinical and operative excellence. A lifelong New Yorker, Dr. Jin plans to return to the city after fellowship training to give back to the city that had shown him experiences and people from all walks of life. 

Outside of residency during his spare time, Dr. Jin is an avid cook, having worked as a chef during his college years. He continues to play piano as a leisurely activity and to keep his skills up to date, having performed at Carnegie Hall when he was 16. Although no longer practicing as much, Dr. Jin enjoys engaging in combat sports such as wrestling and boxing when the time allows, having been an MMA instructor in college and medical school. 

The Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at Reading Hospital is a premiere trauma surgery fellowship program. Fellows gain excellent experience managing the 21-bed ICU and leading the trauma service. The fellowship includes rotations at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.  

 
For Dr. Jin, this fellowship is only the beginning of his surgical career, and we wish him the best of luck and skill moving forward, with high hopes and aspirations for him in the near future.