A change for the better
“This place now feels like home,” said Hao Li, describing his connection to Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and the Windsor Program. What’s remarkable about this statement – maybe even to Li – is that it didn’t always feel that way for the fourth-year medical student.
Hailing from Toronto, Li accepted his invitation to join Schulich Medicine with some trepidation. He never imagined going to medical school in Windsor; all his friends were attending other schools, and he knew no one in the Southwestern Ontario region. There were times during his first year when he admits to feeling lonely.
A self-proclaimed perfectionist, he was driven to succeed in his new world and began to immerse himself in the tremendous and diverse range of offerings at the School and through outside organizations. Initially, he focused mainly on the academic and research aspects of medical school.
Describing himself as introverted and aloof, Li eventually found his class so receptive and welcoming that he simply couldn’t resist the warm social atmosphere that it created. And slowly he began to notice a change – in his comfort level, his interests and his personality.
A talented pianist who had once thought about a career in music, Li became involved the UWO Medical Journal by posting articles about music. In doing so, he hoped to share his passion for the emotional, spiritual and scientific aspect of playing. “For me, music has always had a spiritual aspect to it,” he said. “But now that I’m in medicine, I look at the intricate and complex pieces that I have played and I believe that you have to also understand how the body works, and understand how the body produces energy in order to truly master the pieces.”
Posting articles led to a gig as the editor of the Journal’s blog. His role of blog editor, as well as the departmental editor for the History of Medicine, opened up a world of new interests for him in the history of medicine, as well as medical humanities.
During the summer months, the pull of research opportunities available at the School kept Li close to campus. He secured an opportunity with the Summer Research Training Program and began working with Terry Peters, PhD, at Robarts Research Institute.
His project focused on ultrasound-guided spinal injections and the development of models that medical trainees use when learning the procedure.
It was an important learning experience for Li. Not only did it ignite in the young student a greater interest in research, but it also taught him more about himself as a future medical professional. “I am a results-oriented person,” he said. “And with research, you don’t always see immediate results. Through the research projects, I learned patience and gained critical skills in self-directed learning — both of which I can apply to my personal life and clinical work.”
In the past two years, Li’s research has moved into a new direction focused on the history of medicine, especially that of end-of-life care and euthanasia. This was because of his newly-developed passion for the history of medicine. He is scheduled to present one of his projects at a conference in Houston, and another presentation opportunity in Calgary.
Schulich Medicine offered up a world of unexpected opportunities for Li and he has taken advantage of many during the past four years. Reflecting on his medical school experience, what’s most surprising to him is how much he has changed as a person. And while he credits the countless opportunities available to students as contributing to that change, he believes the strong interpersonal dynamics in his class and the School culture were also major drivers for that change.
“I probably wasn’t the nicest person when I arrived to the School,” he said. “I wasn’t the kind of person who worked well in a team; I was much more cut throat. I’ve learned to be more collegial and collaborative, and I’m a better person for it.”
In his final year, Li is now looking forward to his residency. He’s hoping for neurosurgery and the new world it will take him – perhaps even another new place to call home.
Rapid Round with Hao:
If you were a super hero, what power would you want to have?
I’d like to have super speed, like “Flash”. I live such a tight schedule, so it would be great to move from one place to another much more quickly.
Favorite movie?
When it comes to the classics, I would say My Fair Lady. When it comes to action movies, it would be The Lord of Rings series.
Paper or digital books?
Paper – and anything by Tolkien. His books are difficult to read, but I love the artistic imagery and the amount of detail he includes.
Favorite composer?
Rachmaninoff – he puts so much variety into his music. There are very complicated patterns and they add so much flavour and colour into his pieces.
Favourite food?
Anything Italian.
