FLEETING DREAMS AND BELIEFS
Perhaps, you let yourself dream of obtaining outstanding public exam results, accumulating all this academic success, and taking off to make a career out of discovering cures for unknown medical conditions and nursing the sick back to their health, or even, I dare say, winning a Nobel Prize in Medicine for your scientific discovery that shocks the entire world out of its core!
But, think again. And more carefully this time. Because, regardless of whatever specialty you take after finishing medical school, it’s rather unlikely for you to have proper breaks and rest where you relax, drink your coffee (or tea if you’re a tea person), and enjoy your scrumptious meals.
You are going to be absolutely and utterly busy.
You may be offended by these “awful and totally inaccurate claims” made of your dreams and visions. But that, my dear reader, is the art of capturing your attention.
But in all seriousness, embracing the medicine career path requires a heavy amount of mental preparation. Fear not however, if you are still feeling clueless, as we were very lucky to have invited Prof Alice Kong, a CUHK Professor of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics specialising in endocrinology, and an Honorary Associate Consultant of the Prince of Wales Hospital, for an interview.
THE START OF IT ALL
Ever since she was just a little girl, Prof Kong was headstrong clear that she was bound to become a doctor. Initially aspiring to become a cardiologist, Prof Kong’s ultimate goal in pursuing a career in medicine was and still is aiding the sickly. However, after graduating from medical school, she soon found her values changing. She started to value the act of preventing diseases, rather than simply curing them, as she realized that preventing the disease from ever happening can also stop the suffering the patients would have to endure until they received proper treatment. Embracing this fundamental ideology, Prof Kong turned to endocrinology and began to treat diabetic and obese patients, in which she continues to hold the belief of treating the patients as early as possible as an act of prevention.
Having worked in this field for 10 years, Prof Kong has already become a specialist and received her qualifications, but she discovered that there are still numerous unknowns and questions that have yet to be answered when it comes to endocrinology. Driven by a thirst for knowledge, she started looking for a change. And she successfully did so.
By switching her focus from the Hospital Authority to CUHK research.
A DAY IN A DOCTOR AND PROFESSOR’S LIFE
Prof Kong’s average day begins with ward and clinic visits. Afterwards, she has to teach her students and examine their assignments. Alongside all this, she has to conduct several meetings with her colleagues to share mutual findings in their research, not to mention supervising and guiding young aspiring doctors as a mentor.
Prof Kong says a life as a doctor is “hectic, but that feeling of exhilaration is absolutely addictive and rewarding.” The business of a doctor is further proven during this interview, as Prof Kong wasn’t sitting on a chair and conducting a virtual meeting, no, on the contrary, this interview happened between intersections of her work, and she was answering all the questions while taking transportation and walking to her work destination!
“Sometimes,” Prof Kong states, “You forget to have toilet breaks and even lunch or dinner breaks! It’s quite like intermittent fasting.” Having to deal with such a laboured schedule daily, Prof Kong stresses the importance of mentally preparing yourself for this feeling of having one’s hand full.
But while being on the clock 24/7 and not knowing when you will be off duty, there is always this feeling of happiness and satisfaction, simply because you are doing something that is very meaningful and impactful to patients and their families. “It’s a very rewarding career, to be a doctor I mean. You’re helping people in a capacity that others may not be able to do so, and with this, you establish a strong bonding relationship with your patients. The patients trust you,” she says.
She also shared her experience with a certain patient just recently: she received a diabetic patient in his 40s who had to walk with the support of a stick. He had numerous medical complications due to diabetes, and during the meeting, the patient expressed his feeling of worthlessness and suicidal thoughts. As a result of poor social support, he was placed in the ward, but not before Prof Kong encouraged him to courageously find the will to live for his family and persuaded him to not let his ‘demons’ dictate his life any longer.
Of course, inevitably, there will be displeased patients driven by frustration and anger for their uncured diseases. But, as long as you know you are giving out the best of you, everything would work itself out.
TO BE A DOCTOR
To become a doctor is no easy task. According to Prof Kong, one must be hardworking and bright. Although being academically strong is an advantage, simply regurgitating memorized knowledge from textbooks into exam papers is not enough. You need to know how to translate and apply your knowledge into real life situations.
Prof Kong provides an example in the interview to give a clearer picture of the requirements in becoming a doctor. In Hong Kong, there remains an approximate 50% of diabetic patients that remain undiagnosed. Yet, diagnosis is absolutely important, as untreated diabetes can lead to fatal medical complications such as kidney failure and blindness. When trying to think of ways to diagnose a diabetic patient, the cost and the practicality of the test should not be taken lightly. In exams, Prof Kong finds that some students tend to immediately jump to Pascal and MRI, but these tests are highly unaffordable to most patients, so why not consider other simpler and more affordable tests first? In the old days, OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) was quite prominent as glucose is easy to be standardized; however, this test is expensive and the patient taking this test has to endure quite a terrible experience, so it was gradually replaced. Hence, it is necessary to look for areas of improvement rather than fixating on a rigid textbook.
Another soft skill that doctors need is the ability to communicate. Doctors constantly have to advise patients about the pros and cons of different treatments. “It’s like art. You need to be trained more.” As Prof Kong expresses, a doctor is required to elaborate and explain everything to the patient in a tactful manner, as in the world of medicine, it isn’t as simple as “black and white”.
MENTORS AND OBSTACLES
Prof Kong is grateful for the mentors she had throughout her career. “In life,” Prof Kong says, “You will get to know so many people. Different kinds of people. Intelligent people will inspire you to do things, and other people will motivate you to do better.”
Due to her experience with mentors, Prof Kong strongly encourages young people to take the initiative and reach out to those with experience and wisdom. “By understanding what they went through,” she suggests, “You can prepare yourself and prevent certain unnecessary obstacles.”
Nevertheless, there will always be obstacles in pursuing a life of medicine and research. Even though many people suffer from diabetes in Hong Kong, other diseases are far more exposed to the public. As acknowledged by Prof Kong, many donations from fundraisers tend to go to rare and fatal illnesses, and despite efforts to organise a fundraiser for research in diabetes, the results were not satisfactory. But rather than seeing this as an unyielding obstacle, Prof Kong saw it as an opportunity to constantly improve her research to capture more people’s attention on this disease and encourage them to support these discoveries.
With the interview coming to an end, Prof Kong emphasizes that in the medicine field, things often get competitive. For example, there is only 1 approved proposal out of 10 in the US; and this situation is applicable globally. Hence, to stand out, perseverance is greatly needed. Bravery is a must too. “It’s perfectly understandable if you feel fear or uncertainty, but try pushing yourself past these feelings of doubt to face the challenges and criticism, and also refine on needed areas,” she says.
FEAR NOT, CHILD
As you can see, being a doctor might not be a breeze. And perhaps, your original thoughts and opinions may be swayed after reading the interview conducted with Prof Alice Kong. But do not let this discourage you. Instead, think independently and clearly on which career path you are going to undertake. Whether it be medicine or other fields, remember that you have one of the best advantages anyone can ask for: youth and vibrance. Start believing in yourself, and if you are definite in pursuing a career out of medicine, we congratulate your motivation, and we are thrilled to see you succeed.
Rest assured that it is okay to be lost. Perhaps you still don’t know what you are going to do with your life, but everyone’s bound to be clueless sometimes, and in times of doubt, be proactive and reach out. Keep searching, keep asking and never lose the glistening hope within you. Sooner or later, everything will work itself out.
You have something special within you, and as long as you are passionate about the things you love and you are willing to put in some effort, everything is possible. There is simply nothing to fear, there are numerous students that are in this with you, driven by their zealousness, the sky’s the limit.
So go on, make the world a better place.
