Navigating the World of Medicine with Passion

Every year, the topic of top scorers in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) choosing prestigious disciplines at university sparks debate, and this year is no exception. Eden Cheng Yi Ching, one of this year’s top scorers, shared her thoughts on the matter. She emphasised the importance of selecting a field based on passion rather than blindly pursuing so-called prestigious subjects. ”

A first-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery student at HKU, Eden has always dreamed of becoming a surgeon. She enjoys the hands-on aspect of surgery and the sense of accomplishment in helping patients recover. She jokingly said that this also aligns with her other interests, such as handicrafts. Her father’s profession as a biology teacher also sparked her curiosity in human biology.

Eden considers her admission to HKUMed and her journey to becoming a doctor as her biggest life goal. She believes that success can be achieved through a combination of accomplishments and reaching various smaller goals. While studying in a highly competitive environment, Eden prefers to focus on learning from her outstanding classmates rather than competing against them. “My demands for myself are higher than my parents’ demands for me. I hope that the pressure comes only from myself so that I can control it,” she said.

When discussing the current medical issues facing Hong Kong, Eden pointed out the issue of an aging population. She said, “The imbalance between public and private medical institutions is mainly due to the large number of patients and the shortage of doctors, which is actually a vicious cycle.” Additionally, Eden believes that Asian society still lacks awareness of mental illness. Many people facing psychological problems often view them as mental stress and ignore the severity of the issue, mainly due to fear of being labelled. She said, “After all, there is still prejudice against mental illness, and changing this deeply ingrained concept is not an overnight task.” She hopes to contribute to improving the situation in the future.

In recent years, the MBTI personality test has attracted much attention. Some people believe that doctors should have T (thinking) traits, while others believe that doctors need F (feeling) traits. Eden believes that doctors need to balance both thinking and feeling traits in their work, as they must have professional knowledge for diagnosing and treating patients while also showing empathy towards their needs. She is confident that with practice and professional training, she will excel in these areas.

Eden shared two books about doctors with us. When Breath Becomes Air tells the story of young neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi, who discovered he had terminal cancer just as he was about to become a surgery professor at Stanford Medical School. The book captures his reflections on his meaningful but short life. This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor humorously records the unseen pressures and challenges faced by UK doctors. “These two books showcase different experiences and perspectives on medicine, providing inspirational stories of doctors who either choose to give up or persist despite the hardships,” said Eden.

In addition to her studies, Eden has a variety of interests, such as singing, playing the piano, and trying out niche sports like archery and kendo. She enjoys watching intellectually stimulating shows and puzzle-solving programs to unwind and relax.