Song Y. Park, MD

Physician
Fred Hutch
Acting Instructor, Division of Dermatology
University of Washington School of Medicine
Specialty:
Dermatology
“It is a great joy to bring the right information to the right patient.”
— Dr. Park
How has cancer affected you personally?

My grandfather was diagnosed with a rare type of metastatic cancer during my residency. He received treatment at the hospital where I was training, which allowed me to help coordinate his care. I realized how difficult it can be to navigate treatment if you don’t have a medical background. I also learned how effective multidisciplinary care — a team approach to medicine — can improve a patient’s experience. One of the things that drew me to Fred Hutch is its strong culture of collaboration across specialties. I am excited to be a part of this extraordinary care team.

Metastatic A metastatic cancer is a cancer that has spread to other areas of the body by way of the lymph system or bloodstream.
What do you want patients to know about working with you?

Conversations about medical problems like cancer can be complicated and hard to follow, particularly if you are feeling the stress of a new diagnosis and pressing treatment decisions must be made. I also realize that people differ in how much information they want to know and how they want to interact with the care team. My goal is to customize our discussions according to your preferences, holding space for your concerns. I also welcome your questions. They prompt discussion and motivate me to carry out research and to find necessary answers. It is a great joy to bring the right information to the right patient.

Provider background

Specialty: Dermatology

Area of clinical practice

Graft-versus-host disease, skin cancers, skin conditions related to cancer treatment

Merkel cell carcinoma, melanoma, skin cancer, skin conditions related to cancer treatment

I am a board-certified dermatologist from South Korea. Before I joined Fred Hutch as a physician, I worked as a clinical research fellow with Dr. Paul Nghiem. In this role, I coordinated patient care and participated in research on Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a rare type of skin cancer.

Now, I specialize in treating patients with various skin cancers, including MCC and melanoma. I also work with people who are experiencing skin problems associated with cancer treatment. One primary area of interest is treating patients with intralesional therapy, where concentrated doses of a medication are injected directly into a skin lesion. The benefit of this type of therapy is that it allows us to treat a problem locally, minimizing side effects to the rest of the body.

Graft-versus-host disease A condition that occurs when donated stem cells or bone marrow (the graft) see the healthy tissues in the patient’s body (the host) as foreign and attack them. Lesion An area of abnormal tissue. A lesion may be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Melanoma Cancer that begins in the melanocytes (cells that make the pigment melanin). It may begin in a mole (skin melanoma), but it can also begin in other pigmented tissues, such as the eye or the intestines. Side effects A problem that occurs when treatment affects healthy tissues or organs. Some side effects of cancer treatment are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, pain, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss and mouth sores.

Diseases treated

Education, experience and certifications
Undergraduate Degree
Seoul National University
Medical Degree
Seoul National University
Residency
Seoul National University Hospital
Fellowship
University of Washington, Division of Dermatology
Board Certification
Dermatology, 2015, Korean Board of Dermatology
Languages
English
Korean

Research

Clinical trials

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch doctors. Many of these trials at Fred Hutch have led to FDA-approved treatments and have improved standards of care globally. Together, you and your doctor can decide if a study is right for you.

Publications

Many of our Fred Hutch doctors conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by other doctors and selected for publication to the United States National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world. See scientific papers this Fred Hutch provider has written.

Your care team

At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in your disease. Your team includes doctors, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs. You also have access to experts like nutritionists, social workers, acupuncturists, psychiatrists and more who specialize in supporting people with cancer or blood disorders.
Coley J. Doolittle-Amieva, PA-C
Coley J. Doolittle-Amieva, PA-C
Physician Assistant
Advanced Practice Provider
Registered nurse (RN)
Registered nurse (RN)
Your nurse manages your care alongside your doctor and assists with care procedures and treatments.
Patient care coordinator
Patient care coordinator
Your patient care coordinator works closely with you and your doctor and serves as your scheduler.

Insurance

Fred Hutch accepts most national private health insurance plans as well as Medicare. We also accept Medicaid for people from Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. We are working to ensure that everyone, no matter what their financial situation, has access to the care they need.