People sometimes ask if I have always wanted to be a doctor. No, but it is certainly one of the top-rated dreams for an Asian immigrant.
Growing up in Beijing in the ‘80s, I rarely visited the pediatrician, and my family usually depended on traditional Chinese medicine. For example, whenever a runny nose and a fever set in, I would be given a sweetened herbal medication called Ban Lan Gen and be forced under a stack of blankets until my pajamas were soaked with sweat, which means that the fever had broken and I would soon recover.
When it comes to medicine, the average Chinese person seems quite torn between their traditional medicine and Western practices. Not many are well-versed in traditional medicine — featuring powerful potions and genuine side effects — but every Chinese person has been steeped in a unique mixture of culture, tradition filled with anecdotes and myths, and a dependence on nature and a distrust for the man-made.
I myself harbor a great interest in acupuncture and toxicology. While I studied at Georgetown University School of Medicine, I took a class on alternative and complementary medicine, which taught me traditional Chinese medicine is not to be trifled with, and that Asian people who are scared of strong Western medications should exercise equal caution over Chinese potions.
Although I share in this cultural understanding about the human body and health, my systematic training in Western medicine remains the pillar of my practice as an internist. This can sometimes be challenging with Asian patients. They often see little value in preventative care and regular checkups, which I appreciate as the basis of sound medical care. Patients can also give pushback about starting a medication, because they believe — and rightly so — that everything with an effect has a side effect.
In the end, it comes down to communicating outside of typical Western medical care — more in the realm of preference, philosophy, and faith. These human discussions provide an important context for medical care and is what makes primary care most interesting for me. Not all doctors share this view, but that is okay. I think it enhances my effectiveness and benefits my patients.
2024 marks my tenth year practicing as an internal medicine doctor. I first spent some time as a hospitalist and at an urgent care center, but I seem to have settled in the right spot at MPCP, for which I am truly thankful. And if you’ve read this article to the end, I wish you a blessed new year.
Dr. Wang is a Maryland Primary Care Physicians partner and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She received her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. She cares for patients in MPCP’s Columbia office.
