I want my future work to meaningful like the works of these individuals

Somewhere far deep in the archives of my UBC Blog Squad blog, I wrote about mentors that I am grateful for. Today, I wanted to started a list of persons I want to look up and want to produce impactful work like they have!

This is just a starting list based on some articles and books that I’ve read lately. I’ve been growing an strong interest in ophthalmology for the last few years but there is an especially large proportion of ophthalmologists on this list since I’ve been reading a lot of research articles on myopia this past while.If you’re interested in learning more,  I suggest you look up their work 🙂

There are definitely more researchers and writers and philanthropists and other contributors to our world that I would love to gleam wisdom from.  I’ll just leave you with just a few since I should get back to studying the respiratory system now.

You tell me : who are some inspirational figures that you want to be like or to meet?

Live persons I want to meet

  • Dr. Nathan Congdon is an ophthalmologist whose research is focused on improving the quality of eyecare in places where resources are  limited such as in rural China. For those of you who know how passionate I am about preventing blindness and my interest in rural health, I really want to get involved in research like that.  In Vancouver, we see wealthy Chinese immigrants and forget that many regions in China, particularly rural areas, can be very poor. There, access to health care can be unavailable and even when available, the quality can has room for improvement despite the best efforts of the health care providers.  I feel especially strong about this since my family originates from rural areas of China (though these areas are likely no longer considered rural given the rapid development in recent times).
  • Dr.  Dennis Lam who started free vision screenings & surgery for economically-challenged Hong Kong citizens and established 100 charity eye centers in poverty-stricken areas of China. Think of how many people such initiatives benefitted! I wish that I can become a physician that not only helps individuals one-to-one in the clinic or OR, but also can help many people on a wider scale whether that is through research or community aid initiatives or BOTH. That’s the dream, guys, that’s the dream.
  • Dr. Andrea Tooley is an ophthalmologist whose blog I have followed all the way since her medical school days. She is an inspirational figure to many who dreams of medicine by producing multiple videos and posts on advice for students in different stages of their education.  I highly recommend checking her content if you are looking to learn more about what medical school or residency is like, or for her study tips, or how to stay motivated.
  • Dr. Henry Marsh is a British neurosurgeon who wrote the memoirs, “Do No Harm” and “Admissions”, which I loved reading.
  • Dr. Cal Newport wrote several books on topics such as “deep work” and “debunking the laundry list fallacy” that changed my life for the better.

Deceased figures that I want to meet

  • Dr. Harold Ridley was a British ophthalmologist who pioneered the use of artificial intraocular lens in cataract surgery and pioneered intraocular lens surgery. When I first shadowed in ophthalmology, I was so fascinated by the surgical procedure and by the technology involved. I got further interested when the resident I shadowed told me about the history of how they invented the surgical techniques used in ophthalmology today (thank you Dr. M!). Dr. Ridley was persistent about improving cataract surgery despite his colleagues and other member of the medical community trying to stop him. His persistence led to him to refine the surgical technique that is still used for cataract surgery today.
    • P.S. I would love to go Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, England one day!!!
  • Dr. Oliver Sacks was a British neurologist who wrote multiple best-selling books on fascinating neurological disorders.

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