Dear Dr. Pao.

I would like to start my speech in the form of a story.

My 1st of Taiwan and Far Eastern Memorial Hospital-I met Dr. David (許大立醫師), and received a very warm and happy welcome. I still remember the smiling face with which Dr. David greeted us and showed us the entire hospital. The smile I saw then has always been on his face till today, and I hope it remains forever. He seems to be a very happy soul.

No wonder the hospital appeared to me like a ‘state-of-the-art’ hospital. Very nicely planned and the vibe appeared to me like if I ever were a patient I wish to get treated here. And at that moment I realized it would be fun learning in this hospital.

And then we were told that we would see Dr. Pao at the outpatient at 1:30 PM.

I was eagerly waiting to meet my mentor, whom I had been chasing since the day I saw him at the SMISS-AP Conference in India. From what I learned in my previous fellowship, I learned that you should research the mentor under whom you will be training, and I did the same. I read almost all the articles he published, and in due course, I saw almost all his videos on YouTube.

And then it was time to meet him at the Outpatient. At the 1st go, it was a very formal meeting, just asking names, country, and the basic details, and then we started seeing patients. My first impression of him was that he is an introverted personality. But then, as the OPD started, we came to know more about him. I was really impressed by the outpatient data system and the Taiwanese insurance scheme.

As students, we are always eager to learn new things from our mentor. Likewise, I assume the mentor would be interested in knowing what his students learned from him. It is said that a good teacher teaches the subject well, but a great teacher teaches you something more than that. So I would like to list down things which I learned from him in the outpatient.

1. It is a quote in medicine that says, “A doctor treats the disease, but a good doctor treats the patient”. I found this in him.

2. He is a surgeon who enters the OPD with one bag but exits with many bags. This shows how much he is loved by his patients and how good a doctor he must be.

3. Be it any patient, rich or poor, he has never differentiated them. He gives equal time to all the patients, and the patient leaves when he feels satisfied. Usually, in such a heavy OPD with many patients waiting, it is difficult to give each patient ample time and answer every small query. But he answers all the queries patiently, and patients leave the outpatient happily and satisfied.

4. Though a famous spine surgeon, patients come to him for other orthopedic problems as well, be it knee pain or shoulder pain. It’s the faith that the patient has in him that develops the trust that he can treat other non-spinal conditions as well.

5. It is the efficient system that he has developed, which enables him to finish a heavy OPD in a reasonable time. That is possible because of good teamwork between the doctor and the nurse.

6. In India, we say that a spine surgeon should know three things: decision, incision, and precision. Decision I learned from him in the outpatient, incision, and precision I learned from him in the OR. He is very clear about his thinking process behind every particular case. It is either black or white. Nothing is grey. This shows how clear his thinking process works when it comes to making decisions for patients. And it has been consistent throughout.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. If I were to describe the entire iceberg, maybe we’ll fall short of time.



Coming to things I learned from him in the OR.

1. He has a very balanced emotional state when he is operating like a flat ECG. Same reaction when there is excessive bleeding and same reaction when a good decompression is done. Sometimes he even laughs when there is bleeding. Maybe he has achieved this state of mind after a lot of rollercoasters in his younger days.

2. Even after becoming a senior surgeon, he still thinks like a young guy, always wanting to improve his technique, find ways to reduce complications, and make Surgery smooth and easy.

3. Also, I came to know yesterday that on YouTube, he likes to watch carpentry videos. Also, he likes to do Chinese calligraphy as his hobby. If we look closely, even when he’s not operating, he is still operating. Through carpentry videos, he tries to find ways to improve his technique, and through Chinese calligraphy, he is sharpening his fine motor skills. On that day, I realized you need such a level of compassion towards your career to reach this level of greatness.

4. I might have asked more than a hundred questions. Sometimes I thought the question might be too silly to ask, and sometimes inappropriate to ask between surgeries. Yet every time he answered all my questions, be it in the outpatient, be it in the OR, without getting irritated.

5. Even after a major surgery, during which he was supposed to have lunch and relax, he chose to teach us and share his presentation. Very selfless of him to do this for his residents and us. This is what makes him a great human being, apart from being a great surgeon and a great teacher.

6. In today’s time, where every surgeon is charging tuition fees for fellowship, Dr. Pao decided not to charge. This shows how sacred medical knowledge is to him, and that teaching cannot be a business.

So, like this, the list is never-ending, so I would like to end my speech by saying that I’m sure all the fellows who have learned from Dr. Pao would not just be great UBE surgeons but also good human beings and compassionate doctors. And that’s how Dr. Pao would be continuously treating patients through his teachings imparted to his fellows.

Also, I would like to thank Dr. Kevin (黃昱豪醫師) for being like an amazing brother to me in the entire journey. And I hope this bond continues beyond. I wish him good luck for his exams and a wonderful career ahead.

Also, 2 lines about Lisa Ma’am. I think she is a perfect match for Dr. Pao. The more silent Dr. Pao is, the more expressive she is. The more introverted Dr. Pao is, the more extroverted she is. I would say this is a ‘match made in heaven’. Also, she is the one who keeps the environment lively by her presence.

Now I would like to thank my closest friend in Taiwan, Dr. Dat. He was my family here. A great human being, very soft and down-to-earth. Always smiling. I have made good memories with him exploring Taiwan and eating food together. Thank you for everything Dr. Dat.

Last but not least, I would like to thank Wei (蔡武育護理師) for sharing the videos. I would also want a Wei in my team. People like him make life easy for us and save a lot of time. I would like to thank the OPD nurse (李淑娟護理師) and the OR staff for their help when needed.

And special thanks to that patient who comes 1st in every OPD who gives us delicious coffee on every outpatient day, which used to make us feel fresh and awake. I will definitely miss his coffee in India.

Also, I would like to thank Miss Kai (黃凱儷小姐) for carrying out all my formalities seamlessly.

Thank you so much, everyone, for the patient listening. I am happy that I will be returning to India with so many beautiful memories, new teachings, and experiences. Thank you XieXie.

Shah Meet Kirit

June 3rd, 2026