Dr. Kuo is the director of pediatric neurosurgery at National Taiwan University (NTU) Children’s Hospital in Taipei City. She holds a doctorate in clinical medicine and executive master’s degree in business administration from NTU. Kuo has worked at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) for more than 30 years, served as president of the Taiwan Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery from 2012 to 2014 and is one of the founders of the Asian-Australian Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery.
“Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved troubleshooting and had a knack for repairing things like household appliances. When I was an undergraduate at Taipei Medical University [TMU], I didn’t really know which specialty to choose, but I always tried my best to learn as much as I could. Then I got an internship at NTUH and over the course of that year, I developed a keen interest in surgery and recognized I had the talent for this challenging discipline. Plus, several attending physicians and senior classmates told me that I was well suited to it because they could see I was dexterous and self-disciplined. During my internship, I assisted in plastic surgery procedures on the skin of burn patients and after a while they started requesting that I perform their eschar debridement [the removal of dead skin] even though they knew I was ‘just’ an intern rather than a resident. That feedback encouraged me a lot.
I think I have a number of qualities that make me a good surgeon. I’m physically very healthy and have strong skills. Plus, I’m adaptable, curious and diligent, I always look on the bright side and I have a real desire to solve problems.
When I completed my studies at TMU, new graduates couldn’t apply to join the surgical residency department at NTUH. So I had time to consider whether I wanted to be a surgeon or a scientist. If I’d chosen the latter, I’d have gone overseas to further my education. Looking back now, I think I’d have been just as happy if I’d ended up as a scientist. As I was struggling to decide during that year, professor Chen Kai-mo [陳楷模], head of the Department of Surgery at NTUH, agreed to take me under his wing. It was a great honor because I wasn’t an NTU graduate.
During the six-year neurosurgery training program, I focused on the treatment of adults since at that time [in the 1990s] there was no full-time pediatric specialist in our neurosurgical division. Because of this, my husband, a pediatric neurologist, encouraged me to specialize in children. Now as a pediatric neurosurgeon, I diagnose and treat a variety of brain, spinal and nerve-related illnesses in children and teens aged 0 to 18 as well as some adults with congenital anomalies.
(Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
In my experience, female doctors enjoy equal access to professional development opportunities as their male colleagues. I think women physicians tend to emphasize altruism over heroism, or say, individualism. Some male doctors take pride in performing a first-of-its-kind surgery or in the total number of operations they’ve conducted. My major concern is devising an effective surgical strategy and delivering the best outcome for my patients.
The most unforgettable experience of my career occurred about 23 years ago when NTUH mobilized 30 specialists from a variety of departments to perform an operation in the angiographic theater on a 2-kilogram newborn suffering from heart failure caused by a large dural arteriovenous fistula [an abnormal connection between an artery and vein in the protective membrane covering the brain]. At the time, it was just the fourth such case documented in English medical literature and the first at NTUH. The surgery took almost an entire day. Afterward, I was deeply impressed by the teamwork of the physicians and the standard of care we delivered. That patient is now a college student and visits us every year.
On a typical day, I get up at 6 a.m. to prepare breakfast for my family and start work by attending a 7:30 a.m. meeting. I’m usually in the operating theater by 8:30 a.m. and it’s not uncommon for a surgery to take eight hours or even longer, so we often don’t get to eat lunch. On certain days of the week, I provide outpatient care in the afternoons and then do rounds. If I get home by 8:30 p.m., I’ll cook dinner for my family. The best thing about this lifestyle is that I’ve never had a problem getting to sleep. On Saturdays, I usually attend academic seminars, lectures and meetings organized by the hospital or various medical associations. I also love to pass on my knowledge and experience to young physicians by giving lectures. I’m used to staying busy and hardly ever take vacations. When I’m in Taiwan, I never turn off my phone as I need to be on standby for emergencies.
Helping patients recover their health and well-being brings me immense happiness. I push myself hard to improve every day and I’m committed to building links between Taiwan’s pediatric neurosurgeons and overseas counterparts. I also work to promote the country’s medical expertise and services by presenting case reports and research results at international conferences.
As my husband is a doctor, he understands the requirements of this job. I have to admit that I didn’t spend enough time with my children when they were young, but they understood that I always put my patients first. Now my two daughters are grown up, so I have less stress from trying to balance work and family responsibilities. One of them is an anesthesiologist and just got married this year. My son-in-law is a resident physician at NTUH and wants to become a neurosurgeon, too. I’m gratified and proud that he’ll have the opportunity to pursue this training at Taiwan’s foremost medical center.”
—interview by Kelly Her
Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw