Le Quang Trong Trung (middle) with colleagues in the Department of Active Rehabilitation, as a second year resident doctor. Photo: Provided by character.
Before becoming a resident doctor in the US, Le Quang Trong Trung studied at Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University, Ho Chi Minh City. Although he used to be the best student in the department, he still felt that something was wrong. If only learning by heart in medical textbooks will be somewhat lagging.
Through the book "bedside pillow" tells about the medical journey of Dr. Joseph Murray - one of the four rare surgeons who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine - from the beginning to becoming a famous doctor, China was inspired.
"I want to follow the example of Dr. Joseph Murray, to be a physician who not only has good knowledge, but also has a loving, understanding and painful heart. I want to find teachers and access knowledge. advanced medical formula, "Trung shared.
However, how did that road go, Trung did not know. He changed his target, chose subjects to study, the rest of the time "plowed" English. "As a result, in the third year, I failed the first one subject, and that subject almost passed the whole class," Trung said. In return, he got an IELTS 7.5 certificate.
Graduated in 2014 with top 10 achievement, plus foreign language ability, Trung was assigned to the Department of Cardiology Intervention, Gia Dinh People's Hospital. For his parents, this is the ideal stop for children. But in China, there is always a desire to access advanced medical knowledge in the world.
Working for a while, the young doctor learned of the American resident doctor program and decided to pursue it. This intention of Trung was strongly opposed by friends in the industry and abroad because according to them, it was "impossible" and "as difficult as picking stars". Only one friend, when listening to the Center, suddenly threw a glass of water on the ground and said: "If you do not boldly remove the psychological barriers of stability, there will never be enough space to fit into ambition. and dream ".
He told his parents that he intended to quit his job to the United States to pursue his dream of becoming a resident doctor. When I first heard, three Trung jumped up, vehemently protested. He puts the innumerable advantages of his current job at the risk of his dream on the scale. Two or three children have dozens of quarrels. For many days, the angry father did not talk to his son. He was afraid that his son would go there because of difficulty, because of misery, he had to work in another branch and missed out his future.
Once so frustrated, Trung said: "I went to Saigon to study high school alone, passed the exam to medical school and economics, and during all my years of medical studies I have worked hard. Why I still do not believe until now. child? ".
In June 2015, Le Quang Trong Trung quit his job and left for the US. To become a resident doctor, you must first obtain an ECFMG (US medical practice certificate). During the exam review time, he had to work part-time to earn living expenses.
For more than 20 years, he only knew how to bury the book lamp, the first time Trung did manual work. He washes cars, holds pho in Houston, works as a waiter and cooks in Chicago. In the winter, the white snow rained, the young man went to work from 6 pm and returned at 6 am the next morning.
Once he went to work at a big restaurant, Trung was not used to complicated bills with hundreds of dishes, so he was confused. Not only did he have to pay for work all day to compensate, he was also blunted by people: "The next time if you make a mistake, you will kick your neck".
"At that time, I felt narcissistic, thinking I was a doctor in Vietnam, but now I was scolded as if I were very poor. But when I finished working, on the way home, listening to lectures to recharge, I again I'm proud of being a little closer to my dream, "he said.
In January 2016, Trung entered the first exam in basic scientific knowledge, in 8 hours with 280 questions. After that, he passed the exam in clinical knowledge. Eight months later, he had to pass a final exam in clinical skills, undergo a situation of asking, examining, diagnosing and providing treatment directions for 12 hypothetical patients.
Having scored high on these exams and interviews, Trung passed 4,000 applications to be admitted to the inpatient program at St Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, also a lecturer at Northeast Ohio University, since July 2017. That course, this hospital accepted 8 people.
Trung joined his colleagues at the Doctor's Dilemma exam throughout the state of Ohio in 2019, as a team leader. Photo: Character provided.
For the past 3 years, the Vietnamese boy's path to become a resident doctor in America has not been easy. In addition to adapting to culture and language, he also experienced many career stumbles. As a first-year resident doctor, Trung admitted an 85-year-old patient with acute end-stage heart failure. He was eager to win, determined to save this patient. Trung's teacher thinks the opposite. Late stage heart failure at this age is difficult to save, but it can only last a few weeks, but the quality of life at the end of life will be very pitiful.
Because of impulsiveness, Trung argued with him to try to save. After two days, the patient got out of danger. The day he transferred to the normal department, the young doctor was very proud. The patient's children kept saying thank you.
"But a week later he left," Trung said. He was in pain because he died suddenly in normal department, family members could not come in. He blamed himself, if his prognosis was good, only supportive treatment in the end-of-life palliative care department, he would be smiling in the last moments of his life with relatives.
"Through the incident, I absorbed the sentence 'pride is the death point of the medical profession'," he confided. Each patient is a whole human being with their past integrity, happiness, sadness, and desires. He is no longer anxious to save all lives as when he first entered the profession, but looked at the wishes of the sick, balanced with the wishes of his family. And you know how to stop at the right time.
Covid-19 pushes resident doctors like Trung into a vital battle. St. Elizabeth Youngstown is a terminal hospital, where people with low living standards, retirees tend to move in. The proportion of elderly Covid-19 patients is the majority. At the end of March to early April, the hospital had to open 2 more floors for mild illness, Trung's department increased from 22 to 33 beds.
The vice president of the hospital system of Trung sent an email to the resident doctors: "This is a crazy time. I have never experienced it. The inmates will forever remember the time they were tempered in the environment. this ".
Trung Le with his favorite bedside ultrasound machine during his three years working. It helps him do procedures, monitor hemodynamic response, assist with diagnosis ... Photo: Character provided.
What this Vietnamese doctor found most shocking was the severe lack of protective equipment. Every time she was on duty, Trung brought a bag containing N-95 and protective glasses. End of the night he wiped it clean, put a place to reuse for next time. Trung's wife appealed to the Vietnamese community to get many protective equipment for her husband's doctors and doctors. "That April was very horrible. The doctors were all frightened without knowing what would happen and how to treat it," he said.
Every 24-hour tour is an overwhelming fear. Trung not only pressures himself as the team leader, has to do procedures successfully once to save tools, but also has to be quick and good to protect himself, to avoid spreading to his wife and children for 8 months. However, coming home after the stressful direct tour, the doctor continued to check the online medical records to see if the patient was okay, until nearly noon did not sleep.
On June 23, Le Quang Trong Trung graduated from the American Resident Doctor program. In the summer of five years ago, Trung set foot in the flag country, the road was hazy, and today everything is clear. On July 1, he will be the official doctor for the system of Centra Health Hospitals and the visiting associate professor of internal medicine for the Medical School of Liberty University. Trung Le intends to continue striving in the field of scientific research, becoming a cardiologist.
Dr. Nathaniel Doe, associate professor at NortheastOhio University, director of the Department of Artificial Nephrology at Saint Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, said graduating from an American resident doctor is a difficult and tiring path. The difficulty is not only adapting to a completely new environment, the most difficult is trying to gain the trust of the patient.
"I feel fortunate to be able to collaborate with Dr. Trung Le. From the beginning of his internship, he has always shown an eagerness, enthusiasm to learn. He always studies documents to deal with other people." Trung is also always willing to teach his students in medicine and nursing.He is very close to everyone With this background, I have no doubt that Trung continues to excel. in career.
Phan Duong
Source: http://pctu.edu.vn/admin/?mod=news&act=news&lang=vn&sub=add
