When Lanna Kwon was five years old, her mother came down with a common cold. It was all the motivation she needed. “I told her that I would grow up to become a doctor one day and help take care of her,” Dr. Kwon recalls. From that moment, her path was set: from biology at Yale University, to medical school at UNC Chapel Hill, to an internal medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Today, she’s back home in Charlotte as an internist at Tryon Medical Partners’ SouthPark office, caring for the community she grew up in.
Finding her calling in primary care
During her training, Dr. Kwon found herself torn between internal medicine and family medicine, drawn to outpatient care but uncertain where she fit best. The answer became clear once she settled into primary care internal medicine.
“Primary care medicine for adults is definitely my calling,” she says. “The best part about this field is building relationships over time and getting to know your patients; it’s like building your own family.”
That sense of continuity shapes everything about how she practices. “I love being able to take care of acute issues as well as doing preventive care for entire families. Knowing someone personally and their family dynamics definitely helps you take better care of them as a physician.”
The unlikely runner
Outside the office, Dr. Kwon has built a second life on the open road, though it didn’t come naturally at first. Growing up with Korean-born parents who emphasized academics over athletics, sports were never part of the picture. That changed at the end of 2011, when she stumbled upon a running club through an online meetup group in Charlotte.
Within six months, she’d completed her first half-marathon. Three years later, she crossed the finish line of her first full marathon, the Savannah Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. “Even though it was incredibly challenging, when it was over, I knew I had the marathon bug,” she says.
She’s never looked back. Dr. Kwon has now completed somewhere around 50 marathons (she laughs that she’s lost exact count), including five runs of the Chicago Marathon, her personal favorite. Chicago was also her Boston qualifier in 2016. “I love the crowd support and energy Chicago has,” she says. “It’s great for first-time marathoners.”
What the marathon teaches
For Dr. Kwon, long-distance running isn’t just a hobby; it’s a philosophy. “I think marathoning is like life. You never know what’s going to happen until race day, but the unexpected challenges and how you persevere will shape your experience.” Her favorite mantra, one she carries into both running and medicine: Never Give Up.
“There’s no doubt that being a long-distance runner has helped make me a better, more well-rounded physician,” she says. “It helps me handle all the stresses of my career and life.”
That mindset carries directly into how she counsels patients on diet and exercise. Rather than prescribing specific regimens, she encourages people to find what genuinely brings them joy. “Not everyone is a runner, but hopefully, finding some type of physical activity that brings joy will make it something to look forward to in your regular routine. It could be by yourself, with a group, or even just with one other person; the goal is to find the activity that fits your personality.”
For those curious about running specifically, she has a simple recommendation: find a club. “Charlotte is one of the richest cities in the country for running clubs,” she says. “On any given day, you have a choice of five to 10 clubs all over the city that welcome new runners and walkers. Doing this sport makes you realize how friendly the running community is in this town.”
A life fully lived
When she’s not logging miles, Dr. Kwon plays violin, visits museums, explores painting, and indulges in a good television series; she’s currently a fan of The Pitt. It’s a full life, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
That balance, she believes, makes her a better doctor. And for her patients at Tryon Medical Partners’ SouthPark office, it shows. Dr. Kwon is board-certified in internal medicine, holds a Top Doc recognition from Castle Connolly, and is currently accepting new patients.
