Page 4 - CUHK MEDICAL ALUMNI Newsletter Issue 1 Vol 3 2016

FEATURES
03

PUSHING FRONTIERS…

hey could easily find satisfaction within the four walls of their clinics or hospitals - air-conditioning, good working
Tfacilities, or delicious food on every street corner…
But these physicians - a plastic surgeon, a gynaecologist and a surgical doctor - are finding work outside their
comfort zone totally rewarding.

BECOMING A ROTARIAN

FULFILLS SURGEON’S NEED

TO EXPAND HIS HORIZON

“If you want to go fast, go by yourself; If you want
to go far, go with your team.”

- Dr Peter Pang Chi-wang

（彭志宏醫生, MBChB 1994）

centred around medical people.” Then Dr Pang likes using the universal language
he recounted a dinner he had with the of music in his Rotary work. Earlier in
then Chairman of the Department of March, he empowered the Rotaractors
Surgery, Professor Arthur Li, who did to organise a "Peace Concert" with local
not utter a single word about work stars to deliver a peace message.
during the whole evening. “I thought
to myself, wow, can I also do it?” The surgeon-Rotarian lives by this
motto…”If you want to go fast, go
He told his friends about it and they by yourself; If you want to go far, go
tried not talking about work-related with your team.”
stuff during a social gathering. “But,
we all ended silent,” he laughingly Dr Pang attributes his decisiveness and
recalls. “I realised I know everything leadership role to his surgical training
about nothing. This is one of the at CUHK. “And, we were taught by
reasons why I joined the Rotary.” Professor Joseph Lau that we have to
do the right thing, at the right time.”
One of Dr Pang’s Rotary projects is
r Peter Pang is a private plastic He has this advice for medical students:
Dsurgeon but if you think that is all geared towards youth and career life “Life is just not about career. Looking
he does - you are mistaken. In fact, he planning . after one’s health while young is also
has made sure he has time to offer free “A lot of students in less prestigious important. As a student you enjoy
medical treatment for cleft lip and palate schools do not have the opportunity life, you don’t sleep and eat well. But
patients in poverty-stricken areas in or help to move up.“ after 20 years, you will start to feel the
China. But his humanitarian work does effects. So get yourself prepared.”
not stop there - he is also the current “They need to know how to communicate,
Rotary District Governor of Hong Kong, especially during job interviews. If you are Maintaining contact with parents,
Macau, Guangzhou and Mongolia. very clever but can’t do an interview, well, upholding integrity and doing
you won’t get a job.” humanitarian work are also crucial,
“I joined Rotary because I wanted to he adds.
expand my horizon to get to know So mock interviews are arranged
people from different walks of life better.” for them and Dr Pang will get a Finally, he issues a challenge for budding
And his need to know other people one week job attachment for them doctors: “Imagine you are attending
from other professions stems from his through his vast network of contacts. your own funeral. What would you like
experience while at medical school at The people to say about you?”
Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Dr Pang is also subsidising accredited
mediation courses for some 30 to 40 With that mind-boggling question,
“When my friends and I gathered young professionals. “Mediation can the surgeon rushes out for his lunch
socially we always talk-shopped - help in their work as well as in their before returning to tackle what is left
about work, research and even gossip family relationships,” he says. of another busy day.