TAMPA, Fla. – Inside a patient room at Moffitt Cancer Center, Dr. Christine Chung examines a patient. 

“I am going to listen to your lungs. Take a deep breath. Out. Deep breath," she says. 

This patient has a rare form of cancer and has come to Dr. Chung for the last six years. Chung is the Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology Chair at Moffitt Cancer Center. 

“Deep breath," said Dr. Chung as she listens to Carson's lungs. 

While this patient doesn't struggle too much to speak, others certainly do. This inability to communicate actually drew Chung into the specialty. 

“I am an immigrant. I immigrated when I was just 17, and I did not speak very good English," said Dr. Chung. "And I identified with patients who is unable to talk because they have their cancer in their mouth and their throat.”

Her patients also struggle with deformities or changes to their appearance. 

"In my personal experience from coming from a different culture, looking different, people treat you differently only because of the way you look," said Chung. 

At 16, Chung came to the U.S. with her mom and brothers from South Korea. 

“So when I was in Korea, I was a very good student. I was a class president, a lot was going for me. And then you land in a completely different country, and people treat you like you are not very bright because you can’t speak the language very well," said Chung. 

Her mom always encourages her, giving her advice years ago that sticks with her to this day. 

“Find your passion in your life and always try to be the best. If you want to be a cook, be a chef in a three Michelin star restaurant. If you want to be a doctor, you have to be the best doctor," said Chung. 

That is exactly what Chung is doing, too. She is leading the way with treatment and research for head and neck cancers. 

“Not just settling for what we know, but pushing for the next new cure," she said. 

Life experience taught her that she sees how her past shaped her choices. 

“Then I immigrated and did not speak much English, and I had really only three choices in majors – chemistry, physics and math," said Chung. 

But medicine is also humbling –it strips away race – cancer does not discriminate. 

“You don’t care what your race is, you don’t care what language you speak, you don’t care whether you are wealthy or poor. It doesn’t matter anymore. It boils down to you and your loved ones, and doctors taking care of you," said Chung. 

She just hopes outside the walls of Moffitt, more people practice kindness, tolerance and put more effort at getting to know those who are outwardly different, especially during Asian American and Pacific Islander Awareness Month.