I chose to study at the Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine (GIHM) at Taipei Medical University because I hoped to gain a deeper understanding of medical education. I have been working in the field of medical education for many years, but being in charge of curriculum planning, I still find my training in the humanities lacking. This gap in knowledge is one of the reasons why I have been feeling increasingly stressed out in recent years. The increasing focus on holistic, patient-centered care gave me the idea of going to GIHM to be inspired through exposure to a variety of perspectives in the humanities.

As a working professional, completing this Program as a part-time student was a very stressful experience, especially since I needed to fulfill a total of 32 credit hours while handling my responsibilities in the hospital and at home. So, I tried to complete most of my required credits in the first year. I was able to complete most of the credits, thanks to the professors who helped to arrange most of the classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Not compromising my responsibilities at home and at work, I usually used the weekends or time after work on weekdays to prepare for my assigned readings.

Because my job is highly related to medical education, I was always looking forward to discovering and solving problems through learning. Under the guidance of Dr. Tsai and Dr. Tang, I quickly decided on the topic of my thesis entitled, “The impact of early clinical exposure on medical students’ basic science learning performance." The discussions I had with my supervisors and classmates pointed me in several new directions, which I had previously not thought of. Under the guidance of Dr. Tsai and Dr. Tang, I gave an oral presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Taiwanese Sociological Association. This was a very important professional experience for me. At the meeting, I received suggestions and guidance from people in different fields. In addition to research-related training, I learned to view things from different angles, something I consider a very big influence brought about by my training here. I am now able to understand people and topics from different angles. I have also learned to appreciate the importance of cultural sensitivity. These are all quite different from my past training.

I currently work in the teaching department of Shuang Ho Hospital. This department assists in the hosting of various classes in and out of the hospital, including the running of internships for dental and medical students, and training programs for PGYs, residents, and clinical instructors.