Yonsei Institute
for Global Health

1) Please introduce yourself.    

1. My name is Lorenzo Salvatore Solimeno, I am 29 years old and I have one sister (she is in her bachelor to become MD) and one brother (he's studying mathematical engineering). My mother is a radiologist and my father works for the Ministry of Transport in Italy.

2) Where is your working place back in your country and what is your specialty?    

I am a post-graduate year 4 ENT resident at Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, one of the largest and most important hospital in Milan, Italy.  My University is the Università Statale di Milano, one of the most important all around Europe.

3) How did you get to know Severance? Why did you choose Severance as your training hospital?    

Armando de Virgilio, one of Prof Se-Heon Kim's fellow who studied at Yonsei University 10 years ago is one of my colleague - and friend - in Italy and he described this university as one of the most important, technologically-advanced and ambitious one all around the world. That's exactly what I was looking for in my international experience.

4) How long is your training period in Korea?  

Unfortunately only 6 months because I could not do more since I have to get my Otolaryngologist degree in Italy as I come back in March 2021.

5) Which area did you focus on during your fellowship at Severance? 

I focused mainly on head and neck surgery, but above all robotic surgery: Professors like Se-Heon Kim and Yoon Woo Koh are internationally known robotic and head and neck skilled and experienced surgeons.

6) What is the most impressive feature of Severance Hospital?  

As far as my experience was concerned, I think the most impressive feature of Severance Hospital was its technologically vision of modern medicine and surgery: we are heading towards that kind of world and Severance is surely one of the most advanced hospitals throughout the world.

7) What are the specific contents of your fellowship program at Severance?  

I focused on head and neck and robotic surgery. Professor Kim and Professor Koh are two of the most known leaders in this field and it has been a privilege for me to work with them. Their role in advancing robotic surgery in a difficult anatomical area such as the head and neck has been one of the most important landmarks in this kind of surgery.

8) What was your first impression of Korea?  

I had already been here in 2019 for one of the most important robotic congresses in the world. I think Korea is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited: for its landscape, its food (really good) and for its people! You are really funny and nice all the time!

9) What is the best memory so far during your stay here?  

The trip with all my colleagues to Busan: I love the sea and I like all the food I ate there, fantastic experience!

10) What are your thoughts and feelings about the way Korea is dealing with COVID-19, and what is the situation like in your home country?  

With respect to Italy, here it is like paradise! Everyone respects masks-wearing and social distancing. Unfortunately we are living hard times, but you as Koreans did and are still doing very well, I think!

12) Who are you most thankful for at Severance (who helped you the most) & why?  

Of course Professors like Kim, Koh and Choi are very unique but I should really thank also their Assistant Professor, who are Prof. Dahee Kim, Prof. Lim Gilchai and Prof. Park. They helped me a lot in getting the most out of this fantastic experience. I also have to thank all my cofellows, without them this experience would not have been so fantastic: Mudit from India, Manil from Cambodia, Thanya from Thailand and Sylvia from Philippines.

13) If you were to get the chance to come back, which field of clinical study would you like to focus on?

I would definitely choose the same field or the rhinology one, those are the 2 fields I am most interested in.