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General practitioner Dr Lisa Chan shares her thoughts on beauty, her professional and personal missions and how she strives to balance a busy career with time for herself, family and friends.
In conversation with GP Dr Lisa Chan
What is your opinion on beauty?
I think beauty is a form of self-love and self-expression and is deeply connected to the way our inner selves value the world around us. Everyone’s standards of beauty are different, and everyone’s criteria for what they find beautiful will be different, depending on what they’ve been through and what they need in their lives at that moment. When something is made out of pure love and authenticity, it usually finds a way to be beautiful.
I feel that beauty is very personal, influenced by culture and influenced by the love we have received in our lives. For example, for me, the most beautiful dishes in the world are my mother’s scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Whenever I was upset about something, she would make this dish without me even having to ask for it. It’s nothing fancy, but it evokes an irreplaceable sense of home, love and devotion. When you’ve experienced something beautiful, it sticks in your mind, triggers an avalanche of emotions and feelings in you, and changes you for the better.
Even in medical aesthetics, perfection is neither guaranteed nor encouraged. Medical aesthetics can help boost self-esteem, but true beauty must be holistic and emanate from the soul and body.
Have you been interested in beauty since childhood?
Ever since I can remember I have been interested in all forms of beauty – even as a child I was inspired by nature, art and music. There is something about beauty, be it physical or spiritual, that just rejuvenates my soul. The same goes for the inner beauty of people – discovering the depth of kindness, goodness and honesty in others always fills me with gratitude. I’m blessed to be surrounded by beautiful things and people at work – I’d go so far as to say it’s an integral part of my life these days.
Did you play with makeup or start incorporating skin care regimens when you were young?
Makeup and skincare didn’t really become an interest of mine until my university years, after I recovered from Graves’ disease and came out of my shell. I used to worry a lot about my appearance, and I guess that’s partly why I’m drawn to things like art and music. With makeup, I learned mainly by reading magazines and watching beauty vlogs.
When do you feel most beautiful?
I feel most beautiful when I am balanced, happy and in harmony with myself. This means taking time to take care of myself, manage my emotions, and surround myself with the people I love. I see the beauty in the love I have witnessed among my family members and their relationships, which has taught me how to love and formed a great support system to build my dreams. I also feel most beautiful when I am in nature, when I am reminded that I am connected to all living things and that I am part of a much larger universe. It fills me with gratitude for the life I have and the beauty that surrounds me.
What is your mission in life?
My mission in life is to put my passion, perseverance and small talents to good use to touch people’s lives in whatever small way I can as a doctor. As the Hippocratic Oath states: “I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special duties to all my fellow human beings, those of sound mind and body as well as the sick.”
Everyone has a dream near and dear to their heart. As a physician, I am privileged that my patients trust me enough to share their deepest fears, insecurities, and longings with me. It is truly an honor to be able to give them confidence and assurance as they forge their own paths and to be a part of their lives and the important decisions they make. So I hope to build a sanctuary where my guests can retreat at any time, safely share their dreams with me and be themselves, regardless of their age, illness, disability, faith, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social standing or any other factor – they should not let these factors dictate how they present themselves to the world or how they perceive their own beauty. During my many years of medical training, I have taken the Declaration of Geneva to heart and applied it to the idea of the diversity of beauty, and helping people find the power within themselves to be their true selves and blossom into their own kind of beauty beyond imagination is my ultimate goal.
What would you share with women entrepreneurs who are facing obstacles?
We don’t always have the wisdom we need at the time we need it, so it’s normal not to always get things right the first time. Don’t let obstacles or mistakes define you. They are the spices that give the flavor of success.
Don’t be afraid to dream big and take risks in creating your vision (if you regret not trying). Building a great support team with good people – hire for character and values, not just skills. Stay true to your values in everything you do and let your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.
What philosophies do you hold dear as a doctor?
Always be better than you think you should be because everyone you meet is fighting a terrible battle you know nothing about. Also, always be sincere and show gratitude to your patients and colleagues.
You obviously lead a very busy life. What advice would you give to young women struggling to balance work and life outside of work?
I am extremely fortunate to have a career that is also my passion and close to my heart (so my life and work can be combined), to work with my family and best friends as a dream team (huge saving time!) and for everything to magically come together. However, I feel that my work and life are still not in perfect balance and I am still learning to be a better time manager (learning is continuous and lifelong). Over the years I have read books and discussed this topic with my mentors and colleagues.
I try to live by two main principles. The first is to apply the 4Ds of time management: do, delay, delegate, and delete. I’ve learned to put each task into one of these categories, which allows me to manage my limited time more effectively and stay focused on what matters to me. Second, I log my daily activities as this helps me understand how I spend my time and where it is wasted. No matter how busy I am, I always find time for myself (my well-being, such as exercise, hobbies, self-development, conscious rest and free time) and my family members.
Who has been the biggest influence in your career so far?
My medical colleagues. I consider them my brothers and sisters, and their hard work, their innovation, and their unwavering commitment to the well-being of their patients inspire and guide me. One of the biggest challenges in the field of aesthetic medicine is that it is new and not fully established in Hong Kong.
There is no formal medical college for aesthetic medicine and it is not considered a specialty. Doctors mostly practice in isolation, and the challenging change in practice from working in a multidisciplinary environment to solo practice can create some stress for newcomers, but fortunately we have a tight-knit community of many wonderfully friendly colleagues who are selflessly committed to teaching, research and development. this growing community. I am honored to follow in their footsteps and to be able to share their kindness and knowledge with those who follow me in medicine.
My amazing father-in-law is also my main pillar of strength. He is an exemplary physician who strongly believes in lifelong learning and has imparted his many nuggets of wisdom.
Last but not least, my patients have shaped me into who I am today. They taught me that every person and situation is unique and that it is important to be a good listener. I am also filled with gratitude for all the trust and love my patients have shown me. Maintaining this trust requires hard work – as much as possible, I need to stay abreast of the latest guidelines, studies and lines of research in evidence-based medicine.
The human aspects of patient care cannot be taught in medical school. They can only be taught to us by those we care for, and I can’t wait to pay it forward and offer patients the same kindness, light, and encouragement that my colleagues and patients have given me. My greatest hope is that I can always maintain the best traditions of my vocation and never lose the thrill of treating and helping the patients who come to me. And my greatest dream is to be able to take them with me on a journey of holistic beauty that embraces their minds and bodies and every aspect of their extraordinary diversity and uniqueness.
Check out Dr. Lisa Chan’s stories here
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