Psychiatrist Is Paying It Forward

At APA’s 2017 Annual Meeting, I heard Dr. Tiffany Ho share her story of childhood escape from Vietnam, the trials she encountered when she first came to this country, and the eventual triumph of reaching her goal to become a psychiatrist and having the opportunity to help other people as she had been helped. Her story prompted me to reflect on the fact that every APA member has a unique story to share about why he or she aspired to enter one of medicine’s most challenging and rewarding specialties. I invite you to share your story and let it lift us up and reinvigorate us as we set a course for not only our future but the future of psychiatry in general. If you are interested in writing a brief article about why you aspired to be a psychiatrist, please contact me at [email protected]. —Anita Everett, M.D., APA President

All of us are called to be of service to others, and in the best of worlds, our story—our own life experiences—lead us to career choices that allow us to make that happen. This is my story, a story with messages of love, trauma, hope, resilience, and joy.

I was born in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War. When I was 7, my country was taken over by the North Vietnamese Communists. Overnight, my father, who was a teacher and a veteran, was taken to a forced labor camp and incarcerated for six years without receiving a sentence. Life was very difficult for my mother, me, and my three siblings, who ranged in age from 5 to 12. During this time, my family never had enough to eat, and we kids were left to take care of one another as my mom had to work, attend numerous propaganda meetings required by the new government, and save whatever food and medicine we had to bring to our father every few months when the family was allowed to visit him at the labor camp.

Because the conditions in Vietnam were unbearable, my parents decided to use the little money they had saved to have their children smuggled out of Vietnam; however, they could afford to send only two of us. Faced with a heart-wrenching decision, they finally chose my brother and me: my brother because he was the oldest and they were worried that he would have been drafted once he turned 16 years old and me because I was the one they thought would be most able to survive in another country without their support. My brother and I weren’t even allowed to travel together—there was only a 50 percent chance that one of us would make a successful journey. Many “boat people” perished at sea due to stormy weather, pirates, and lack of food and water.

On a dark night, I was smuggled out of Vietnam without being able to say goodbye to my family and friends. During my journey, there was a specific moment that has defined me as an individual and how I would lead the rest of my life: the boat engine failed, the water and food supply on board ran very low, and all onboard risked being close to death. As we prayed to God to help us survive, I felt that a higher spiritual power was calling on me to have the courage to survive this ordeal and dedicate my life to helping others in similarly vulnerable circumstances.

After our rickety old boat was rescued at sea, I was brought to the Philippines and lived three months in a refugee camp as an unaccompanied minor. Eventually I was resettled in the United States in the care of relatives. My high school years were tough—I was very lonely and sad. I missed my family terribly and felt alone much of the time. I worked several hours a week after school to help my uncle in his laundromat, washing, drying, and folding clothes for customers. I was filled with sadness when I first moved to the United States, but as the years went by, I experienced many blessings such as being able to attend Princeton University and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and do my residency at the University of California, San Francisco. One of the greatest moments in my life was being reunited with my parents and siblings months before my college graduation. It was an immensely wonderful gift to have them back in my life again after being apart for 10 years.

As I continued with my schooling, I wanted a career in which I could make an impact and help people. My choice in selecting a career in psychiatry was based on personal reasons as well and the desire to help family members who have serious mental illness: my uncle, who lived with my family for several years, suffered from trauma and psychosis and subsequently lost his life; and my older sister struggles with bipolar disorder.

I am proud to have received the 2017 Jeanne Spurlock, M.D., Minority Fellowship Achievement Award, but it is my family whom I honor for what I have accomplished. My family made incredible sacrifices to give me the opportunities that brought me to this point in my life. I am also very thankful to several of my mentors, including Linda Davis, who guided me to apply to college; Dr. Francis Lu, who advised me to apply for the APA Minority Fellowship and the Daniel X. Freedman Congressional Fellowship, and Dr. Nang Du, who to this day continues to be my role model as a first-generation Vietnamese-American psychiatrist.

I realize my story is not unique. There are countless others with more compelling life experiences. I am lucky that I have been surrounded by family, friends, and colleagues who have helped me grow into the person I am today. Though it may sound corny to say this, I hope I bring my experiences and my heart into my work in psychiatry to help make this world a better place. ■