Dr. BeiLei Zhou, MD

Specialty; Field of Medicine: Ophthalmologist; Health and Epidemic Prevention

Q&A Interview

Q: What experiences in your personal and professional life inspired your career in the medical field?

A: "Throughout my professional career as an ophthalmologist, I have encountered countless cases that were on the spectrum of both difficult and memorable. I vividly remember seeing a bloody patient lifted from the ambulance. When I saw him, he had no expression on his face and was extremely pale. At the moment, my instinct was to rescue him immediately so we proceeded to perform various procedures such as sutures, infusions, and blood transfusion. Over time, the patient’s health conditions improved and brought a huge sigh of relief for me and my team. We were all extremely exhausted from the whole process and were sweating profusely, but we were at peace knowing that the patient’s life was saved. That was the only thing I cared about. I have performed many cases throughout my career and each case inspired me to work harder to bring hope to my patients."

Q: What sort of challenges did you face as a woman pursuing a career in the medical field?

A: "As a woman in the medical field, I encountered many situations where I faced prejudice from society. One of the most common misconceptions that people still have is that male doctors are ‘more professional’ than female doctors. In order to challenge this misconception and break boundaries within my profession, I worked extremely hard to get recognized by my colleagues and my patients. Even though this misconception still exists, I believe that women are just as, or more capable as men are in succeeding in our work. Instilling this belief has helped me be more confident as a female doctor and sustain the longevity of my profession."

Q: How did you decide your specialty?

A: "Ever since I was young, I noticed that there were many factors that caused pollution and harm in the environment and in the human body. As a result of the pollution, various human diseases emanated and for some of the diseases, it took many years to find a cure. This motivated me to pursue medicine and become a doctor. I understood that it was paramount for me to work hard to be successful in this field, especially because it involved curing serious diseases where people's lives are at stake. When I look back, I see many highlights throughout my career at different points during my journey as a doctor. I realize now that those moments are what brings value and pride to my life and career as a female doctor."

Q: What advice would you give to young girls who are interested in pursuing a career in the medical field?

A: "I would advise young girls to study the field of medicine with an open mind. But during the initial stages of their studies, the foundational knowledge must be laid. They must also learn from the experiences of the older generation of doctors because they can use it as wisdom to learn about the specific nuances within the various fields of medicine. When they encounter difficulties and struggles, they must be bold and face them with confidence while being cautious at the same time. Discovering that balance requires years of experience and dedication."

Q: Given the inherent challenges and stress involved with medical school, residency and practicing medicine, how do you manage and cope with the ups and downs of your career path?

A:"I believe the most important thing to consider when going through medical school, residency, and practicing medicine is to approach it with a certain mindset where we are prepared to handle pressure. When you try to put too much pressure on yourself, it will become burdensome and overtime you will crumble. That’s why it is vital to develop a mentality of accepting smaller levels of pressure early on so that as the level of pressure increases, you will be able to handle it mentally. One common pressure that many medical students put on themselves is the need to know how to treat every disease. It takes years of experience for one doctor to know how to treat one disease, let alone many. We need to accept the fact that we have certain limitations even though we are ambitious and aim to find the solution to every problem. There are plenty of patients who cannot receive effective treatment and are on the verge of death. As much as I want all my patients to be cured, there are times when I cannot do much to help them recover. In those situations, I must adjust my state of mind and relieve the pressure of me needing to be the savior of the patient and provide psychological assistance that the patient needs in the moment."

Q: How did patient treatment cause challenges with patient care due to COVID-19 in your field of medicine?

A:"COVID-19 is a huge challenge for us right now because we still haven’t found the most effective methods to cure our patients. When treating COVID patients, the first most important thing we need to consider is to protect ourselves from spreading the virus. Therefore, we must first isolate ourselves. The second most important thing is to isolate patients from each other. If the patients are not isolated, there can be a possibility that the virus can spread from patient to patient."

Q: What was your most memorable case/experience?

A:"My most memorable case/experience is when I rescued an extremely sick and elderly patient. When the patient was sent to us, his heartbeat had exceeded over 160 bpm and his breathing was weak. The verbal and physical response of the patient was extremely slow, which indicated that he may have no signs of life. It felt hopeless. At the time, we were in the village and had limited resources and equipment to properly treat this patient. However, we did not give up. We relied on our artificial respiration and heart massage devices. We applied the devices for about 30 minutes and I felt my anxiety increasing by the minute. By the final minute, he started to see signs of regular heart rate and breathing. Eventually, we were able to bring him back to his normal state. We let out a high sigh of relief. It was a blessing for me to be able to save a life in a situation where a patient could have died."

Q: What would you be if you weren’t a doctor?

A:"If I wasn’t a doctor, I would want to be a drug researcher because I would have an opportunity to discover solutions and cures to treat more diseases."