Newsletter No. 340

No. 340, 19.6.2009 Phoenix Ho 何凱琳 1 現在還有人叫你做「神童」嗎？怎樣看「神童」這個 標籤？ Does anybody call you ‘whiz kid’ now? How do you feel about this nickname? 有，同學常戲稱我：「喂，神童！」我總是答：「啐！亂說甚麼 咧？」我想必須天賦異稟才算是神童吧。我只是對很多事物 都有興趣，都想知道，我會去學，在學習知識方面也比較快， 但單憑這點讀書天分應不足以稱為神童吧。 Yes, some of my classmates still do. Usually I answer, ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ I think you must be really gifted to be a whiz kid. I am just curious about a lot of things. I try to learn as much as possible and I may be a quick learner. But I don’t think this tiny advantage qualifies me as a whiz kid. 2 自從獲中大錄取後，傳媒的追蹤報道幾乎無日無 之，你又成了網上討論的熱門對象，有些批評頗為 不客氣。你對此有甚麼感覺？ Ever since you received the offer from CUHK, you have been the focus of the media’s attention and a hot topic in online discussions. Some of the comments are rather hostile. How do you feel about that? 傳媒的貼身追訪不會令我不耐煩，只是叫我沒有時間做自己 的事。第一天上學，記者在課室外呆等了兩個小時，他們可能 比我還要慘。也幸好有些記者是中大校友，教我怎樣坐車，否 則我真會迷路，不知道怎樣從聯合走回逸夫。到現在，偶爾也 有些記者會傳來友善的問好。 我沒有親自看到網上的惡意批評，是中學同學告訴我的。我 說：「有這樣的事嗎？算吧，別理它。」嘴巴在別人身上，我不 能把它閉上。我沒生氣，批評我沒所謂，但是幹嘛拉扯到我家 人，這我可有點不高興。不過，就算看不開，事情也總會發生， 那不如看開點。 The paparazzi won’t make me lose my temper, but they deprive me of my time. I remember there were reporters waiting for two hours outside the classroom on my first day at CUHK. In that sense, they deserve more sympathy than me. I’m grateful to some reporters who are CUHK alumni for showing me how to take the campus shuttle bus. Otherwise I would have lost my way somewhere between United College and Shaw College. I still get friendly messages from reporters from time to time. I did not read the vicious online attacks when they first appeared. My secondary school classmates told me about them. My response was, ‘Really? Ignore them.’ When people choose to babble, I cannot shut them up. I was not angry. It’s all right to comment on me, but there’s no point to involve my family. I was a bit unhappy about that. Anyway, like it or not, things happen. You’ve got to take it easy. 3 年紀小可會影響入學後的過渡？ Did your age affect your adaptation to university life? 同學對我都很接受。最糟是不夠年齡參加交流，早些時報名 參加台灣交流團，以為可以認識那邊的醫科生，一同到醫院巡 房，學習診症……多高興，填寫報名表個人陳述部分時，自覺 何凱琳，傳媒好以「神童」稱之。以八年完成中小學，2007年 會考，取得九優佳績，獲中文大學醫學院破格錄取，十四歲 入讀基礎班，2009年夏將正式升讀大二。 Phoenix Ho is the favourite ‘whiz kid’ of the local media. Having finished primary and secondary schooling in eight years, she sat for the HKCEE in 2007, obtaining nine distinctions, and was admitted by the CUHK Faculty of Medicine for a year of foundation studies, at the age of 14. She will proceed to the second year of the MB ChB programme in the summer of 2009. 內容還真不錯，資料也很充 實，可是過了幾天，對方說 對不起，不能接受你的申 請—就是因還差兩年多 才夠規定的十八歲！ My classmates are very kind to me. The worst thing about my age is that I am not old enough for exchange programmes. I applied for a Taiwan exchange programme earlier, thinking that I would come to know some medical students there. I think I wrote a pretty decent personal statement for my application. But to my disappointment, I was rejected because I was under 18. I still have over two more years to go. 4 大學最近錄取了一位十三歲的學生，你對他有甚麼 忠告？ The University recently admitted a 13-year-old. What advice do you have for him? 一定要享受大學生活，這跟中學生活的分別可大了。更自由， 可以多玩一點。我們醫科生也想多玩一點，無奈時間表就是 那麼緊湊，也多考試測驗，所以不能放肆地玩。我相信主修 其他科目的話，可以更享受大學生活。所謂大學五件事－「上 莊、住宿、走課、兼職、拍拖」，都是要試的。不過說到拍拖， 那就遇上了才算吧。 He should make the most of university life. It’s so different from secondary school; there is much more freedom for you to enjoy yourself. We medical students want to have fun too but our timetable is packed with exams and tests. I believe non-medical students have more fun. There are five ‘must- do’s’—be part of the student union, live on campus, skip a few classes, keep a part-time job and date. You’ve got to try them all. But as for dating, it’s better to let fate decide. 5 可有遇到令你沮喪的個案？ Has your enthusiasm ever been dampened? 不是沮喪，而是有點揪心。一個單身、四五十歲的病人，只有一 位親人陪伴來看病。醫生告訴他癌細胞有擴散跡象，不能做 手術，只好求助於化療，如果成功的話，也可能延長性命一年 半載到三五年不等，但副作用是可能令病情急劇惡化。正當醫 生與他商討的時候，那在旁的親人卻游說他不要治療，與其 冒險才延長那一年半載，倒不如想想怎樣去完成未了的心願， 確保自己心安理得的離去。這番話自有其道理，但是出自親人 口中，坦白得來卻有點殘酷。最後病人選擇不治療，目睹他由 懷着一線希望到放棄以至近乎絕望的離去，很是難過。 I can’t really say it was dampened, but the experience was disheartening enough. There was a cancer patient in his mid-forties, accompanied by his only relative. The doctor told him that the cancer cells were proliferating and that chemotherapy would be the only feasible treatment. If it turns out to be successful, he may have half to a couple of years more to live, but the side effect may also lead to a sudden fatal deterioration. As the patient was pondering, his relative told him not to take the risk, but rather accept his fate, and make good use of his remaining time to fulfil his wishes and prepare to leave the world in peace. There may be some truth in her words, but somehow it’s cruel when they come from a relative. It’s sad to see the patient give up what little hope he had. 6 當醫生的志願可曾動搖？ You chose the medical path. Have you had second thoughts? 我想得最多的是日後能否肩負一個醫生的責任，也許因為第 一年的課程還是着重知識基礎，上病房的機會不多吧。很多 斷症的技巧還沒有運用純熟，例如檢查腹部，力度太小會不 準確，太大又怕弄疼病人，摸到了又怕斷錯症。我也擔心日後 不曉得怎樣跟病人溝通，例如怎樣透露壞消息而不會打擊他 們，這些都令我誠惶誠恐。幸而由於上莊的緣故，認識了高年 級的同學。他們見多識廣，會跟我分享在病房觀察的心得，令 我心理上有所準備。到現在我還是相信自己會走行醫之路。 What frequently comes to my mind is whether I will be fit to shoulder the responsibilities of a doctor. I’m afraid that my diagnostic skills won’t be good enough. Take the abdomen check for example. Pressing too lightly may affect the accuracy of one’s diagnosis, but pressing too hard may cause pain to patients. Even if you feel something inside, your diagnosis could be wrong. I also worry about how to disclose bad news to patients. Fortunately, I know senior students who are willing to share their clinical experience with me and that helps me prepare myself better psychologically. Up to this very moment, I am still confident that I will become a medical practitioner. 7 如果不選醫科，會選甚麼？ If not medicine, what would you choose to major in? 沒有啦！小時候也曾想過當律師，長大了發現自己的語文能 力不夠好，叫我看法律文件的話一定慘得要哭，所以打消了 這念頭。其實所有「師」級職業都曾在我考慮之列，教師是其 中之一。到現在我仍在想，假如唸得好的話，將來可以教醫科 生呢。不知道教授們是否沒當學生太久了，不明白學生在想 甚麼。其實我們每天都在痛哭呢，因為他們授課的速度實在 太快了，我們根本不明白他們在說甚麼。教了十頁，回家只能 看七八頁，總是追不上，卻已在教下一個課題了。距離愈來愈 遠，真不高興！ I don’t think there’s anything else. I dreamed of becoming a lawyer when I was little, but I gave up after realizing that I’m not that good in languages. I definitely would end up crying over piles of legal documents. Actually I considered teaching, and I think I may take up teaching in the medical school if I graduate with good results. I think our professors do not understand our plight because they have forgotten how it was like to be students. They teach too quickly in class and we can never catch up. While we are still dwelling on a topic, they have already jumped to another one. The experience of constantly chasing after the curriculum is not at all pleasant.