This ordinary has a soothing voice who knows how to speak clearly and listen attentively. 

Could you tell us a little bit about your work?

I’m a third year surgery resident. I’m currently at a Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, GA.

What motivated you to pursue medicine – particularly, to be a surgeon?

I think I knew I wanted to be in the healthcare field ever since I was in high school because I had a really good Biology teacher. When I came to college, I looked at different roles in the healthcare field. I just felt like being a physician would fit my personality the best. When I started med school, I didn’t know what area of medicine I wanted to go into but I knew for sure that I didn’t want to go into surgery.

I did my internal medicine rotation right before my surgery rotation. As I finished it, I thought, “I guess I could do this and figure out my passion later as I continue to do my rotation.” I feel like surgeons are secretly adrenalin junkies. So when I did my surgery rotation, it was so exciting and I said, “Ah! This is it!” You get this rush in the operating room.

How was the process of getting to the place that you are in right now?

So after college, I worked for two years at a dermatology office in Chapel Hill. And then I did two years of my master’s in physiology. So, I took four years off and then went off to med school. I am currently a third year of residency.

What is one of the hardest challenges that you experience as a surgeon?

Definitely time management because you are so busy and it’s hard to make time for your family and friends. Sometimes I feel like I can’t give my 100% to anything. I think definitely as a female surgeon, trying to gain attendance and patients’ respect are hard.

How has medicine, the field of study that you are pursuing in, shaped you as a person?

Especially being in surgery, it’s very special because you can see how intricate the human bodies are. It makes you realize that everything is in place for a reason so when you see a disease process and the function being hindered — it’s almost spiritual because it just shows the creator of the human body. Also, surgical technology has come a long way but it can never be perfect. We will never be able to make it perfect like how God has made a person from the beginning.

As an Asian-American woman, is it harder to practice medicine?

I think there are certain challenges that I face as a minority and a woman. Some of my co-workers may not go through them. For example, when we round, and a group of us go into a patient’s room. The patient automatically looks at the Caucasian male although he’s not like the most senior person in the group. Also, by nature I am soft spoken, so it’s been a learning process to be able to voice my opinions or ideas or the way that I am heard — and not being overlooked because I am normally a quiet person.

So when I was a medical student, one of my attendees has told me that because I am so soft-spoken, people don’t listen to me. But then she said, you don’t have to be aggressive but you have to stand up by looking at the person in the eye and speak with a loud, clear voice. When I was an intern, I didn’t like saying that I was a doctor so-and-so because I felt pretentious. But, people often thought that I was a nurse. Like a patient would be on the phone and be like, “Oh my nurse just walked into the room.” Even with my long white coat that said MD, they would still call me a nurse. So then I started to say that I am Dr. Yu. Then, some would apologize but then some just kept on calling me a nurse. When I talk to other people who are female residents, they experience something similar. Patients refer them as nurses. I think it’s because women are expected to have certain roles; and, it’s not just male patients who do this but also females.

If you could give an advice to a person who wants to follow the steps of being a surgeon, what would it be?

Don’t be scared because when I said that I wanted to be a surgeon, a lot of people discouraged me, but if you really do what you like then it’s worth it. It’s so rewarding and if it weren’t for surgery then I wouldn’t be a doctor.

Is there a special moment or experience that you constantly look back to – pushing you to stay in the field despite the hardships?

There isn’t one special moment but when you talk to patients that really appreciate you and thank you, they motivate me.

What is one song that you love listening to when performing a surgery?

“(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding

What makes you joyful?

When I reflect on where I am in my life and how hard I worked. Also, how God has blessed me.