The surprising decision of a U40 doctor in Dong Nai

Overcoming difficulties

On a cold winter morning, Dr. Duong Thanh Tai (38 years old, from Dong Nai ) started a new working day at the Abben Cancer Center, Spencer Hospital, USA.

Dr. Tai does not come from a family with an academic tradition. His father is an employee of a steel company in Thai Nguyen, his mother is a farmer. In 2002, his family moved to Dong Nai.

In a foreign land, his parents worked hard to earn a living and provide for their children's education. As a child, because he did not have a household registration, Tai studied at a private school, which added to the family's financial burden. He also felt inferior because private schools were often not highly regarded.

Dr. Duong Thanh Tai when he was working as a Medical Physicist at a hospital in Dong Nai. Photo: Provided by the character

With a not-so-stellar starting point, Tai was behind many of his friends in college. However, he studied hard, persevered in the face of difficulties, and graduated with a degree in Physics from a university in Ho Chi Minh City.

After graduating, he worked at a hospital in Dong Nai as a Medical Physicist. This is a field that connects physics and medicine, playing an important role in diagnosing and treating cancer.

At the hospital, he worked and became a research student at the same time. Dr. Tai said: “At that time, I had to meet with my teachers every month to report on my research progress. At times like that, I often lived in anxiety and fear because I had nothing to report.

I tried to work during the day and study at night. To fight sleepiness, I drank coffee. When the coffee no longer worked, I drank strong tea. When the tea lost its effect, I chewed a handful of raw tea leaves to continue studying.

However, after 2 years of doing research, I had no results. This made me feel defeated and discouraged to the point of crying while walking, thinking about giving up. But I did not want to disappoint my family and the hospital where I worked.

I also did not want my research topic to be unfinished, so I tried hard to study. Finally, my research topic achieved good results and was published in specialized journals. I was qualified to defend my doctoral thesis."

Unexpected choice

After his success in the field of Medical Physics, he was invited by Harvard University to participate in a research program in the US. Photo: Character provided

After defending his doctoral thesis, Mr. Tai continued to work at the hospital for 12 years, becoming an experienced Medical Physicist. He has contributed to the development of this field in Vietnam through research, teaching, and international cooperation.

In 2022, he received a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.

After completing this program, he has 3 options: Postdoctoral research; become an assistant professor; return to work as a Medical Physicist in Vietnam or internationally. He also received an invitation from Harvard University to participate in a research program in the US.

He surprised many when he chose to become a Medical Physicist at Spencer Hospital.

He chose to become a Medical Physicist at Spencer Hospital to apply this field to cancer treatment. Photo: Character provided

Dr. Tai explained: “I was very happy to receive an invitation from the most prestigious school in the world. But I chose to become a Medical Physicist to demonstrate my commitment to applying this field to cancer treatment.

This is an opportunity for me to directly contribute to patients. Working at Spencer Hospital, I have more opportunities to learn and connect with leading experts to pursue my dream of improving the quality of cancer treatment, contributing to the development of Medical Physics in Vietnam and globally."

Before starting his new job in the US, Dr. Tai returned to Vietnam to spread his knowledge of Medical Physics. He founded the Vietnam Medical Physics group: A community of science and practice to connect Medical Physicists nationwide.

The group is a place to share knowledge, experience, and professional information in the fields of radiotherapy, diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, radiation safety, and research and development of new techniques in medicine.