It is indeed a great honor to be asked to speak to you on scholarship and education today.  After 20 years of formal classroom learning and 4 years of postgraduate training, I am still a student, learning from my students.

 

School is a lot more challenging today.  Computer is no longer a college course.  It seems that learning how to type on the keyboard… is more basic than learning to print and write in script.

 

Let me bring back some memories of what I did in my younger days

8 yrs of Catholic grammar school + 2yrs. Chinese school (2nd And 3rd)

4 yrs Catholic high school (Power Memorial)

4 yrs of Iona College in New Rochelle

4 yrs. At NYU School of Medicine

5 yrs of post graduate training - makes 25 yrs of learning – a ¼ century

Many exams along each step of the way!

 

Was it smooth sailing along the way?  Of course not.  I needed to push myself.  I was no boy genius – had to work long hrs. – just like my parents when they worked in a hand laundry. Medical school wasn’t cheap even in those days. But much cheaper than today - $4000 could pay for a year’s tuition and buy my first car – a Ford Maverick.

 

There were a few times when I considered quitting – that’s the easy way out.  It is important to make a goal for yourself and try to stick to it. I’m sure that those of you in grade school would love to have a chance in getting into Stuyvesant or Bronx Science.  If you pass their rigorous testing, that is a tremendous accomplishment.  Having gotten there, means you have to compete with others of similar talents.  If you don’t make it, it’s not the end of the world.  A less challenging school is an opportunity to be excellent as well.  As a matter of act, I chose not to go to an Ivy League school like Harvard, Yale or Columbia – I didn’t even apply.  I instead tried to save my parents some money by using my 4 yr scholarship and spending the money for med school. 

 

I have 2 kids, Melissa and David.  They have the advantage of being 2nd generation Chinese.  Melissa was a Westinghouse scholar, among the tops in her HS and went to NYU.  David went to Rutgers – didn’t like NYU.  Melissa is now in her 3rd yr of med school and David who was a computer science major, is now working in the NYU Radiology IT dept and my consultant in all computer problems at home and in the office.

 

The goal of a good education is to make you a knowledgeable individual with a moral background to be a productive member to the community. 

 

Some things that you should not do:  Any criminal behavior – like driving while drunk

Drugs – that are illegal or abuse of legal ones, such as steroid use by athletes

                                                            Cheating on exams

Lying to beat the system…even the President can get into trouble.

                                                            …you get the idea!

Things that you should do:  Work hard to succeed; play hard to have fun

                                                Accept criticism/ rejection

                                                Have a reasonable goal – know your strength and weaknesses

                                                Be willing to change in your outlook and way of life:  opportunity knocks to those with an open mind and a strong will to succeed.

                                                Then, there is job satisfaction – need to enjoy what you’re doing

 

As a doctor, I have the opportunity and responsibility to maintain my skills for the care of patients.  As a radiologist, I try to bring the best diagnostic imaging technique to correctly analyze a patient’s illness or to re-assure one of their good health.

 

Among the luminaries from China, some older folks may have heard of I. M. Pei.  He is a very well known architect, born  in Canton, China.  He received his B.A. in architectecture from MIT and his Masters Degree from Harvard.  He is renowned for many famous buildings including the Hancock Tower in Boston, Javits Convention Center in NY, and Lourve Pyramid in Paris.  Although now retired, his firm, which he founded, recently completed the new Ambulatory Care building at Bellevue Hospital, my home base for over 20 years.

 

 

But not everything needs to come from books – some excel in physical or fine arts skills. 

 

Some of you may have heard of YoYo Ma, the famous Chinese cello player, who started to play at the age of 4.  He is a world renowned musician, who regularly performs at Carnegie Hall.

 

More of you may have heard of Chien-Ming Wang – a rookie pitcher for the 2005 NY Yankees – only the 2nd Chinese player in Yankee history, as far as I know.

 

All of these fellows are very talented in what they do.  They have to work hard, practice constantly, and demonstrate their skills every time they perform.  These major leaguers are role models that you should learn from.

 

Major Leaguers - all wear caps.  Caps are worn when playing for team – for a unified purpose – to win or even lose as a team.  Some of you recognize that this cap represents a great team from Flushing, the NY Mets….  And this cap…a team from the Bronx, the NY Yankees.  And finally…this cap…a team of surgeons!  So besides, being a star…sometimes it’s good to part of a larger group….not a street gang…but an organized group like the Fung Toy Hung Assn. who year after year provide family functions and scholarships that many of you will receive today.

 

So in closing, I want to congratulate all the scholarship winners and their families on a job well done.  This recognition hopefully will encourage you to have even better achievements in the years ahead.  Congratulations to one and all! 

 

 

 

Thank You/     Joseph Yee, M.D.   Email:  joey4629@aol.com