Observer status: Dr Wong (left) watching a surgical operation.
PETALING JAYA: Millions of fans might have swooned over Patrick “McDreamy” Dempsey in Grey’s Anatomy, but the American medical drama series ignited something else in a young Malaysian man.
“I have always wanted to be a surgeon after watching the TV show,” said surgical trainee Dr Wong Sui Weng.
It inspired him to make a meaningful impact in his life, he said.
“Surgery is a craft that relies heavily on hands-on skills, thus enabling practitioners to seek continuous improvement.
“It is one of those few specialities in medicine that provide instant gratification and allow you to make a profound impact on someone’s life, such as to alleviate the pain or to cure a disease,” he said.
Dr Wong, 30, is now getting closer to making his dream come true.
There is a pilot programme to provide observership opportunities for Malaysian surgical trainees in the United Kingdom.
The Malaysia-United Kingdom Travelling Fellowship (MUTF) involves the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Malaya.
Dr Wong, who is the first recipient, will begin his fellowship at St Mark’s Hospital in London in May.
“I applied for this fellowship because it offers me an opportunity to observe how healthcare is delivered in a different country and setting,” he said in an interview.
He said St Mark’s Hospital has one of the most comprehensive sub-specialities within colorectal surgery, supported by a large, specialised team.
Dr Wong: ‘Hopefully, the experiences I gain from this fellowship will be beneficial for future patients under my care.’
“This experience will provide valuable networking opportunities for future fellowships and offer learning experiences that are difficult to get in Malaysia due to resource limitations and differences in disease epidemiology.
“Hopefully, the experiences I gain from this fellowship will be beneficial for future patients under my care,” he said.
He said he hopes to observe surgeries such as robotic surgery, surgery for patients with inflammatory bowel disease and complex abdominal wall reconstruction.
Recounting his time as a houseman, Dr Wong said he learnt to be independent and to deal with challenges that came his way.
“I learnt how to multitask, prioritise work and to ‘make things happen’ during those early years,” he said.
Now, the challenges have evolved, he added, citing the need to pick up new surgical skills, handle complications and manage an ever-increasing workload.
“It is a whirlwind,” said Dr Wong, who is currently a trainee lecturer in the Department of Surgery at Universiti Malaya.
Once he completes the fellowship, he plans to complete his surgical training and continue his journey to become a surgeon.
In a statement last month, the RCSEd said it has an ongoing commitment to promote surgical collaborations between the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
“The MUTF will see Malaysian surgical trainees hosted at centres of surgical excellence in the United Kingdom,” it said.
The RCSEd is one of the oldest surgical corporations in the world.
