1) Full Name: Ying Wei LUM
2) Current Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
3) When did you leave GIS : 1997
4) Graduation class year of : 1997
5) What comes to your mind as soon as you hear of GIS?
Outstanding school where I had a great time learning while still had a lot of fun in secondary school through all the extra-curricular activities. I quickly remember all the great friendships I made during my time there as well.
6) What is your most memorable experience in GIS? Fond memories of the teachers that helped me mature and develop as a young adult.
College/University
1) University: International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Malaysia & Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA, USA
2) Degree / Masters / PhD: M.D.
3) Field of study: Medicine
4) Who or what inspired you to choose your selected field of study? My father is a surgeon as well and was my main inspiration to pursue a career in medicine.
5) What did you study before entering University (A-levels, SAM, etc): A-LEVELS
6) How did GIS prepare you for University? O-LEVELS was a very solid foundation for A-LEVELS.
7) What’s your advice to current students who will be making the same choice as yourself?
The cliché of studying hard and working smart is so true. It’s also important to always have the right attitude and work ethic. Don’t forget to maintain a balance and enjoy life at the same time.
Career
1) Current company and job title
i. Vascular Surgeon, Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
ii. Section Director for Anatomy, Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine, Serdang, Malaysia
2) Who or what inspired you to choose this career? My dad played a pivotal role in my ambitions to become a surgeon. He himself is a general surgeon in Malaysia.
3) The best and worst bits about the job
Best: Vascular surgery allows me to operate on every single part of the human body. There are so many surgical techniques and approaches that every operation is always different. Other surgeons call vascular surgeons for assistance when they encounter overwhelming bleeding/hemorrhage, and in that sense, a vascular surgeon is often a surgeon’s surgeon. Being able to help a patient by preventing a stroke, preventing an aneurysm from rupturing, saving a leg by doing a bypass/angioplasty/stent is personally very rewarding.
Worst: None. I truly love my work.
4) Happiest moment at work: Happiest moment at work each day occurs when I am at the end of an operation and I know that it had gone really well.
5) Would you have made the same choice if you were given another chance? Absolutely!
6) What advice would you give to the current GIS students who are interested in similar career choice? Same answer as #7 previously.
General
1) What are your goals and dreams?
Continue being a surgeon, working hard and making a difference in people’s lives.
To enjoy life to the fullest and enjoy the beauty that nature has to offer.
Cherish every moment that I have with my family and loved ones.
2) What’s your say on life-long learning?
Life-long learning should be a part of everyone’s life. If you’re not constantly learning (in your field) to keep up-to-date, you will soon fall behind on the latest ways/techniques in your field. Not to mention, that you start forgetting more as you get older too! It is important to also continue learning things outside your field (including your hobbies) to constantly develop to be a better/more-learned person.
Thanks Ying Wei for sound advice there!
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