Christmas 🎄 is my favorite time of year. Many of my best memories, both from my childhood and now with my own kiddos, are tied to the holidays. Unfortunately, many children involved with Child Protective Services don’t get to experience those same joys.
Please consider supporting Partnerships for Children through donations, gifts, or volunteering with their Holiday Wishes program and other causes.
Thank you Austin Young Lawyers (AYLA) for leading such a meaningful effort.
10/25/2025
The world is small 🌎
Catching up with old friends always reminds me of how far we’ve come.
Grateful for these brothers
and the storms we’ve weathered together.
Inspired by the unique paths each of us is forging.
Onward, for all of us.
Had a wonderful time supporting Ascension Seton’s Adaptive and Inclusive Trunk or Treat this year. Amazing to see so many strong kiddos with smiles on their faces.
10/16/2025
Did you know today is National Boss’ Day?
I sure didn’t.
But I do now!
Sometimes the purpose isn’t in the task,
but in the hands that share it.
Thank you to my wonderful staff for the kind reminder.
09/20/2025
Grow or die.
Last six months,
I’ve spent more time shaking hands
than injecting spines.
While medicine is still the summit,
networking has become the climb.
And with it comes a quiet weight:
If you’re not moving forward,
you’re falling behind.
Private practice is relentless.
Meetings overshadowing hobbies, dinners, bedtime stories.
Events stretching late into the evening.
But cut yourself some slack.
The work will still be there tomorrow.
Find small ways to catch your breath.
Even if it’s late-night junk food and 90’s sitcoms.
Good job today, David.
See you tomorrow.
09/09/2025
How does small business become big business?
I used to think it was always about selling.
Today I double-booked two networking events.
And of course on opposite sides of town.
(Thank you, Austin traffic!)
First stop:
Verena Senior Living Community in Leander.
These residents living their best lives.
Daily happy hour at 4p.
Was asked at least 5x how to cure the ‘pain’ of an ex-wife.
We laughed, swapped stories about quirky collections and unexpected adventures.
No lectures.
Barely talked about the practice.
Next stop:
Travis County Medical Society’s New Members Mixer in South Austin.
Mingled with college students and future doctors.
Had a meaningful talk about physician wellness.
And the power of supporting one another.
Talked more about life than leads.
No agendas.
Pitching to medical students felt out of place.
May not get a single referral from either event.
And that’s okay.
Sometimes the win isn’t business.
Sometimes the win is community.
[Thanks to Robyn Booth and Chantel Pearson for always building community]
07/31/2025
Starting out with very few patients is scary.
On slow days, I answer the phones just to feel like I’m providing care.
I joke with my wife that the referrals have dried up.
Time to pack it up, sell the house!
But there’s an upside: I get more time with patients.
And something unexpected happens.
Patients apologize for talking too much.
They cut themselves off mid-story.
They assume I’m in a rush.
Meanwhile, I just spent the past two hours troubleshooting a printer jam that didn’t exist.
Trust me, talking with patients can be therapeutic for me too.
Somewhere along the way,
medicine became stiff and transactional.
Sometimes, people need rapport more than refills.
One day (maybe), I won’t have as much time.
But for now, I’m reminded that presence can be its own kind of medicine.
“Thank you for calling Skyline Pain.
This is Dr. Kim.
How can I help you?”
07/16/2025
Walked into a networking event and saw a room full of other pain docs.
Years ago, I would’ve thought:
What’s the point? We all do the same thing.
I don’t stand a chance.
Might as well turn around and head out.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Now when I meet others in pain management,
I see drive. I see hustle.
People putting in the work, building connections.
Growing their practice, just like me.
Now I see camaraderie.
Yes, we all treat pain.
But our presence and approach differ.
Not better or worse, just not the same.
Our reach, our scale, and our story, they’re uniquely ours.
And truthfully,
Some of my best referrals?
From fellow pain docs.
Some of the most unexpected encouragement?
From people I once saw as competition.
In the end, collaboration beats competition every time.
See y’all at the next mixer!
06/20/2025
It’s not always about climbing higher.
Sometimes it’s about who’s climbing with you.
When the steps don’t align,
the path is unclear.
Different pace, different journey.
Instead of momentum, it feels transactional.
But when you find the right community,
it stops being about selling and pitching.
Instead, you begin to root for one another.
I’m grateful for those who’ve embraced me and my practice.
Who’ve gone out of their way to speak highly of me.
Without any expectation of return.
Starting a solo practice often feels like a quiet road.
But days like these remind me,
I’m not walking it alone.
Thanks Lydia Svec, Nick Landy, and ATI PT for helping set up this fun hangout.
06/07/2025
Good morning, Texas.
“You can do anything,
but not everything.
Choose wisely.”
-David Allen
There’s often pressure to do it all.
Move fast.
Seize every opportunity.
The endless hustle.
Since starting my own practice, I’ve been there too many times.
But sustainable progress comes from focus,
not from spreading yourself too thin.
The challenge for me has been focusing on what truly matters.
To prioritize work that aligns with my vision.
Still, vision is often cloudy ⛅️ when you’re in the thick of it.
Stay the course.
You don’t have to see the whole path today.
But you do need to build with purpose.
[Early morning flight back into Austin]
Address
200 Buttercup Creek Boulevard Ste 115 Cedar Park, TX 78613
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Skyline Pain - Dr. David Kim, Pain Management posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Dr. David Kim is an award-winning, double board-certified, Harvard-trained pain management physician and anesthesiologist. He completed both his residency and fellowship at Harvard University, attending the prestigious Massachusetts General Hospital (ranked the #1 hospital in the nation by US News & World Report) followed by fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (ranked the #1 pain fellowship in the country by the American Pain Society and the American Academy of Pain Medicine). He holds three separate Ivy League Degrees, as well as a Master’s Degree and a Doctorate Degree.
While at Harvard, Dr. Kim also worked as a consultant for healthcare ventures in opioid risk stratification with the goal of mitigating societal opioid burden and establishing national standards for pain excellence.
Dr. Kim is a comprehensive pain management specialist, which means he treats all kinds of pain conditions including neck/back pain, spinal stenosis, disc herniations, joint pain, headaches/migraines, neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, and pain after spine surgery (eg. discectomies, fusions, etc.). He utilizes cutting-edge techniques such as ultrasonography, regenerative medicine, nerve ablation, kyphoplasty, peripheral nerve stimulation, spinal cord stimulation, and minimally-invasive spinal procedures. He is also skilled in interventional therapies for cancer/palliative care.
His clinical approach is founded on doing what is right for the patient, as if he is treating a friend, colleague, or loved one. He designs customized treatment plans not only to decrease pain, but to recover function and ability.
Dr. Kim was born and raised in Denver but traveled all over the country for medical training (Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Cambridge). He currently resides in Austin with his wife, two young sons, and Puerto Rican rescue dog named Charlie. He is an avid basketball and Denver Broncos fan and in his spare time enjoys playing golf and exploring new local food spots with his family.
