Lawson Ung, MD
Research Fellow at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and HMS
PGY-4
12/24/2019
One
question I often ask myself is whether I, as a young physician and researcher,
am doing enough to create a better and safer world for those around me. I
frequently wonder whether the youthful enthusiasm with which I entered medical
school has gradually withered away in the face of mounting professional
responsibilities. In what I now recognize as a watershed moment in my career, I
had the privilege of attending the keynote lecture given by Dr. Scott Allen,
professor of medicine at UC Riverside, at this year’s Global Health Symposium
at Harvard Medical School. As I sit down to reflect on the core lessons that
were taught, I am reminded
I
was deeply moved by Dr. Allen’s commitment to social justice, and his
unwavering dedication to the most vulnerable and underserved populations in our
community. I was surprised to learn that at the tender age of 17, Dr. Allen
became involved in helping Cambodian refugees secure humanitarian visas in the
wake of the Khmer Rouge. My parents – who suffered terribly under Pol Pot –
were among hundreds of thousands of traumatized Cambodians who languished for
years in Thai refugee camps before being resettled elsewhere. I was instantly
gripped by how this transformative experience later propelled Dr. Allen into
medicine, and how he has managed to use this platform for just causes.
Egregious violations of human rights happen more frequently than I think we dare
to admit. It takes a great deal of courage to speak out against these cases,
most recently exemplified by Dr. Allen’s work in bringing publicity to the
physical and mental distress felt by children and their families currently
detained under the US’s “zero tolerance” immigration policies. Those in the
audience later learned that these policies did not know a political color,
leaning, or persuasion. However, there is no doubt that the specter of
indefinite detention has long-term consequences for human beings, particularly
children.
Having
integrity was once explained to me as the conscious choice to do the “right
thing” even if this would prove to be the hardest course of action. By virtue
of being physicians, we have an unparalleled platform to advocate for our
patients and for the interests of public health, even if this comes at great
personal and/or professional cost. The arc of Dr. Allen’s career shows me that
doctors – often pushed to the fringes of policy debate, and told to stay “in
our own lanes” – can be true instruments of change. I will bear in mind that
there may be instances during my own career where I may be compelled to seek
institutionalized changes on issues affecting my patients and their wider
communities. The key lessons I learned brought me back to the pledge I took
upon completion of my medical degree, and I am thankful that I had the
opportunity to attend such a wonderful and inspiring talk.
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