President Yangsheng Xu(left) presents the appointment letter to Dean Davy Cheng

As the founding Dean of School of Medicine, one of the youngest schools in CUHK-Shenzhen, many students may not know much about Prof. Cheng. In this interview, he will briefly introduce himself and MED. In the current post-epidemic era, he argues the kind of good doctors society needs and how medical students can work towards the ultimate goal of becoming a real good doctor.

Professor Davy CHENG

   Founding Dean & Presidential Chair Professor, School of Medicine，
   The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, CHINA
   Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS)
   Fellow, The Royal Society of Medicine, United Kingdom (RSM)
   Fellow, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)
   Honorary Member, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Anasthesiologie und Intensivmedizin (DGAI) 
   Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, Western University, CANADA
   Adjunct Full Professor, University of Toronto, CANADA
   Canadian Certified Physician Executive (CCPE)

Prof. Cheng completed his BSc in Biochemistry at the University of Ottawa in 1977. He was awarded Medical Research Council Studentship entering graduate school and completed MSc in Biochemistry at Western University in 1979. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine (with an Honor Award from the Medical Society), University of Toronto in 1983; entered his postgraduate specialty training in internal medicine and completed anesthesia specialty at the University of Toronto in 1987. Prof. Cheng further his fellowship in cardiovascular anesthesiology at the University of Iowa & Hospital Clinics in 1989. His academic appointment in clinical and teaching/research practice began in cardiac anesthesiology and intensive care medicine at the Toronto Western Hospital and the Toronto General Hospital (University Health Network), University of Toronto.

Prof. Cheng is a globally recognized healthcare leader in the forefront of research, practice and healthcare policy in the fields of perioperative surgical and anesthesia care, cardiac surgery, critical care medicine, and evidence-based clinical decision-making.

Q: Hi Prof. Cheng, many students are very curious about your careers in medicine. Can you share with us why you choose medicine?

I grew up in Hong Kong as a young teenager. And I went to Toronto, Canada in the 70s. Both my high school and university were in Ontario, Canada. Regarding why I choose medicine, it's similar to many other medical school students - I like to serve and to help the sick and those in illness. Medicine is a noble and respected profession. We have all the traits to become good doctors for all the people in those who are interested in science, humanity and have a compassionate and caring personality.

For my particular personal aspect, I choose the career of medicine under the influence of my grandfather. My grandfather is a traditional Chinese medicine physician in Hong Kong. When I grew up as a young kid, I always looked up to my grandfather as a respectful and caring physician in the community. So that's probably always in my mindset—If I'm going to choose my career, medicine will be the top choice. Then I got accepted into the University of Toronto and quite a few other medical schools. I picked University of Toronto as it is the best research-intensive medical school in Canada.

Q: As a doctor, you must have performed many extraordinary operations. Can you share with us your most memorable experience? How you feel when you make a real difference to people’s lives by helping to alleviate pain and suffering?

As a doctor, you're going to have many memorable moments in your career. I am as a medical specialist in anesthesiology and critical care medicine. I have been privileged to a full spectrum in care of patients in acute care hospitals.

Let me give you an example: if you're a cardiologist, you only look after the patient's heart and all its other complications. If you're an ophthalmologist, you only look after the patient's eyes. As an anesthesiologist and critical care medicine, I am privileged in helping a neonate taking his/her first breath in life during complications in obstetric delivery; all the way to taking care of an elderly or terminally ill patient during his/her last breath in life. And then anything in between, in a critical care unit, I had dealt with patients with heart disease, lung disease, neurological stroke, and general surgical patients; relieving their pain, facilitate their recovery in intensive care units. So, I have been very fortunate and rewarded in my clinical practice to see many clinical care scenarios, from the happiest to the saddest moments. They are all my memorable experiences.

Dean Davy Cheng’s awards in the anesthesiology and critical care from different countries

Dean Davy Cheng looking after COVID patients

Q：After spending over 35 years practicing and advancing medical education in Canada, what attracts you to China, to CUHK-Shenzhen?

Well, it surprises me too. I have a great career as I mentioned above. Teaching, research, clinical practice and travel around the world to major Universities, Medical Schools and Hospitals collaborating and teaching about fast-track cardiac recovery and evidence-based health technology assessment in health policy. When CUHK-Shenzhen knocked on my door, eagerly inviting me to explore the prospect of a very challenging position to start a world class medical school with a 3,000 beds directly affiliated academic health sciences center in Shenzhen, China. It is a daunting task. I have seriously thought about that, as professionally I always enjoy the challenge as a change agent. Back in Toronto, I merged the largest critical care units at the Toronto General Hospital in Canada. When I was in London, I integrated the three big hospitals’ anesthesia and critical care medicine together. So, change in health care is a constant. I enjoy this kind of challenge, especially nowadays with a need in innovative medical education of physicians in the digital era and a complex health care system.

2017, Hosting International Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists at the Embassy of Canada Washington DC

I'm mostly inspired by the two presidents, the CUHK president Rocky Tuan and our CUHK-Shenzhen president Xu Yangsheng. Both of them have the vision and inspiration that we are building a unique international medical school with an academic health science center of 3000-bed hospital, which is bigger than any hospital I've managed in Canada.

And personally, living abroad as a Chinese Canadian for over 40 years. I felt very proud as a Chinese Canadian that the China has been really moving into the world stage, changing the livelihood of all the citizens in China and truly want to make a difference in health care for Healthy China 2030. So, with that plus the most important support from my boss (spouse),  I agreed to join CUHK-Shenzhen to contribute and to work with the team at CUHK-Shenzhen, CUHK and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government to build this world-class medical school and a comprehensive academic health sciences centre, And of course, in Sept 2021 I have the privilege to welcome all of you, our inaugural class of medical students, who are part of the most important reasons of why we build this world class medical school.

HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam and Shenzhen Municipal Committee of CPC Secretary Wang Weizhong Inaugurated School of Medicine of CUHK-Shenzhen.

Q：Last year, the School of Medicine has been officially unveiled, and you become the founding dean. What are the blueprint and your hopes for MED?  

We will envision becoming a global leader to nurture lifelong health through innovation and innovative learning, discovery, care, and leadership. Our school is not just teaching about the disease, but a lifelong health prevention and promotion for all of you, as Medicine is a lifelong career.

The blueprint is to build a global medical school, to train the new generation of medical doctors like all of you, to advance innovative research, to provide a comprehensive high-quality medical service from all of you, and to promote lifelong health with our network of the academic health science center and the community hospitals. We will build on the value that we are truly making a student-centered learning environment. We will be a diversified, imaginative, and innovative medical school. We will build teamwork in respect of each other. Most importantly, I like our school and all of you to have the social responsibility and accountability to your community as a leader.

Q: COVID-19 has changed our life and now we are in the post-pandemic world. Some say that COVID has catalyzed changes in medical education. Do you agree with it?

That is very true. The COVID changes not only medical education but also education as a whole around the world. In traditional medical school teaching, we have in-house lectures and demonstrations. However, the interaction has become a barrier because of the COVID. We lost many of the in-house teaching, learning, and training.

However, COVID is only one of the many infectious diseases in humankind. Before COVID, we have SARS, Ebola, HIV, H1N1 influenza and many other contagious diseases. Therefore, COVID is not the first nor the last. So, we need to reimagine and reposition our medical education in teaching and training. All you students need to do is work together with our faculties, your teachers, and advisers to ensure that you're learning all the objectives in foundation knowledge and technical skills.

Meanwhile, the technology acceleration facilitates us in teaching and learning. For example, some multi-media allow us to communicate and interact face to face. We also have the VR simulation of those in clinical cases and technical skill practice.

Its impact on us will not only cause stress for all the students but also your teachers. So you need to put on their shoes and help to ensure that you achieve your goal of the objective of learning. We are doing everything to ensure that you have the background support to become an excellent doctor.

Q：Prof. Cheng, we know that we should not be an excellent doctor only with the exquisite surgical skills. So what kind of doctors do you expect us to become in the future?  

I want all of you to be our new generation of doctors, able to provide the best clinical care that you can. Our mission for you first is become an outstanding, caring doctor. This is a lifelong, noble career in health care and continuing education. The field of medicine is changing rapidly. What we learned 20 years ago is different from today. The new evidence and new scientific discoveries have changed the diagnosis, intervention and treatment. It is a career of caring and an ongoing advancement of your medial knowledge.

The practice of your medicine is a practice of art and science. I don't want the doctors from our school to be technical only looking at a handheld computer to make the diagnosis. It is often the case that many doctors complain they don't have time to talk to patients. However, that shouldn't be the case anymore. With all these technologies (AI) helping to save doctors' time and provide more information (Big Data), you will have more time to be with your patients. You should use the technology to practice the art and science of medicine, to have humanity and compassion. I expect all of you to be the leaders in your community to promote health and treat the sick and the need. I quoted from Sir William Osler “The Good physician treats the disease; the Great physician treats the patient who has the disease”.

Dean Davy Cheng delivered a speech at 2021 White Coat Ceremony

Q：Now, people agree that medical school is one of the most stressful and tiring schools due to the heavy workload. Many students say that sometimes they feel like they are drinking water from a fire hose, they barely have time to go out to have fun. You were a student in medical school before. Can you tell us how can we balance our study and life? 

People always say study hard but play hard. Medicine no doubt is a very noble but also very knowledge rich profession. Many things to learn, right? But bear in mind what I mentioned before, evidence comes, changes, and advances. When you learn in a medical school with very heavy workload, when you come out to demanding clinical work, when you are in the care of the patient, you do need to take time to pause. The information you acquire in the medical school is the foundation. The first two years to build the foundation are the most important. You might compare to your other peers in other schools their first two years are more relaxed, but the projection on the lifelong career they don't have like yours. You will enjoy and treasure what you can do for your community. So, take care of yourself and take time to pause.  

It is very important to enjoy your work and study because you're building the foundation not only for yourself but for your future patients. There's a saying that when you find a job you love to do, you are no longer working. My job before and now is very busy and demanding. But I wake up every morning, I'm excited and I want to go to work, not because there's so much work and so many things that I cannot resolve today. It’s because I think I can make a difference and my team together can make a difference. When you are going to the library or in your computer, you have all the information resources at your disposal. You actually have more information on your fingertips with your computer and handheld compared to when I was a medical student, carrying a few heavy textbooks in my bag and trying to read them. You have tremendous advantages to capturing that information in a much more condensed and concise way. So, make use of the time, work hard and pause, don't forget to take a deep breath.

MED students coffee chat with Dean Davy Cheng

Q：Do you want to say something to our current and future medical school students?

First of all, all of you are the luckiest group. You are the inaugural class of CUHK-Shenzhen MED. You have chosen this innovative and new medical school, but also you have been chosen to experience the training in the new transformational medical curriculum with an international vision and innovation contextualized in China. This is a research intensive medical school. We never stop learning; we never stop advancing the medical sciences; we never stop transforming the health care and health system. So the key phrases for the students in CUHK-Shenzhen MED are discovery for health, education through innovation, care with compassion, lead by inspiration.

The most important for the current and future medical student is learning and listening, caring for each other, especially as a team in a class. You'll be the most senior in subsequent classes, so enjoy the six years of your medical training. This is not just medical school training. The friendship and your classmates, peers from up and down classes, they are not only your peers but your friends for life. They'll be in different professions in medicine which is a very prestige profession. You unlike your peers in other Schools will have a very rewarding and privileged job to be called “Doctor”.