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Dr Thach N Nguyen (L) and his counterparts in a working visit to China |
He came to America and managed to approach cardiovascular studies and became a famous cardiovascular specialist in the world 20 years later. He is Dr Nguyen Ngoc Thach. Binh Dinh Newspaper reporter had a talk with him when he came to attend the 6th national internal medicine congress taking place in the province in late April.
Never stop!
After studying the field of internal medicine for three years in New York, he specialized in cardiology in 1987. He then had to earn his living 10 hours each days and presented cardiovascular issues in many hospitals.
Why did you decide to study cardiology, a very new field in the world at that time?
The reason is very simple. The cardiology had many challenges and questions that need resolving in the 80s.
Now, he is one of well-known cardiovascular professionals in America. He is director of cardiology at Community Health System, St Mary Medical Center, Hobart IN. He is the only Vietnamese member of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). His name was also listed in “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s who in the world” editions.
What do you think about cardiology?
The knowledge of cardiology is limitless. As a cardiovascular specialist in the computing age, I’m approaching scores of information. How to selectively use new information in our treatment?
“Without new ideas, you have to follow the others forever”
Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Thach is the best-selling author of many cardiovascular books translated into different languages. His “Practical Handbook of Advanced Interventional Cardiology” is considered as the guideline for cardiovascular doctors.
What is the key of your success?
New ideas. When presenting at a cardiology congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last month, I tried to mention my new ideas in the report. It were new ideas that make Malaysian doctors surprise.
Experts participating in the national internal medicine congress held in Quy Nhon were also interested in my reports.
In the American’s thought, new idea is very important. A person could work manually with five dollars per hour, but he will have higher income if he has new ideas. That’s why you need new ideas to work better. Without any new ideas, you only follow the others forever.
Is that enough?
Not yet. When I had new ideas, I had to present them in a way in which listeners feel interested as they were listening to a piece of music composed by Beethoven or Bach. That is the key of success of my reports and program.
However you need to prove them at first. When working in hospitals, I always remind myself to raise questions, such as “Is this done enough?”, “any way better?” or “Did I miss anything?”
I have a key question for experienced doctors: “What must I do when using all medical recommendations but patients didn’t recover?” Thus, if I had had new ideas, I would have used them at that time. I might succeed or fail. Other questions then were “Why?” and “How to do better?”
Before being successful, what do cardiovascular doctors need, do you think?
We need to have a heart of gold, apart from a bright brain. ACC Chairman, Pamela Douglas, asked me how I successfully work with my counterparts in China, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, RoK, Thailand, and Japan. We work together basing on Confucian teachings, I answered.
Vietnamese doctors are as good as their counterparts in the world
What do you think about the development of interventional cardiology in Vietnam?
In 1997, some American specialists helped Vietnamese doctors to carry out some cases and they would be able to “compete” with cardiovascular experts worldwide in field of interventional cardiology ten years later.
There are many cardiovascular patients in Binh Dinh. Have you planned to help the province develop interventional cardiology?
When coming to Quy Nhon for the first time, I had a talk with some hospitals’ directors. On my visit to Binh Dinh to attend the congress, some American doctors and I planned to return to Quy Nhon in October this year to carry out first interventional cardiovascular cases in Binh Dinh.
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