Dr. Tracey Vuong

My path to Medicine started when I was a child. I used to be afraid of going to a doctor, but I always wanted to be one. During high school, volunteering at a local hospital showed me that it’s an immense amount of hard work and perseverance to achieve an MD degree. Yet, there was no other career that made sense innately as much as medicine did. To me, everything about the human body, and its diseases connects like a story. Hence, from the beginning, it was medicine and medicine alone for me. Choosing to do Pediatrics was a no brainer. I used to tutor children and babysit before going to medical school. I realized that taking care of them, whether it’s their education or their health when I was in Medical school, gave me a sense of satisfaction and pleasure. Going into pediatrics as a resident helped me realize the immense potential children have, and how it is our job as adults to make it bloom. Seeing children thrive made me happy, and caring for the children who are at the end of their life helped me realize what gratitude meant. Working with children and their families made me a better physician and helped me grow as a person. These experiences taught me that Pediatrics is my heart is.

In my heart, I feel I belong to many places. I have travelled wide in my life so far. From India, it was Denver, Michigan, Arizona, Los Angeles (CA), New Jersey, Fremont (CA), Sacramento (CA), Dallas, Grenada (West Indies), Brooklyn (NY). There were several other pit stops in between as well. But moving from place to place after creating roots, and then trying to flourish in a new environment takes much adaptability and optimism. But for now, home is where my family is, which is Dallas, TX. I am thankful for my parents and my brother and sister for staying with me on this voyage of life.

I went to St. George’s University located on the breath-taking island of Grenada. It was medical school on one of the most beautiful places on earth. Watching the emerald blue waves crash against the sand and rocks, or watching the starlit sky with its shooting comets, is the perfect remedy after a stressful study session or exams. After two years of studying there, I went to NY to do my clinical clerkships in Kings County hospital and other nearby hospitals. After this I was a resident at Maimonides Medical Center in Pediatrics, which is known as the mini–United Nations in Brooklyn, due to the many diverse populations that flow through this hospital. It was rich in pathology and taught me about many diseases, which to this day, some attendings say they have only seen in textbooks.

I have additional certifications in Basic life support (BLS), Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), Pediatric advanced life support (PALS) and Neonatal advanced life support (NALS).

I enjoy the opportunity I have to make children feel better, to provide reassurance to parents, and I specifically value the opportunity to make a difference in a struggling teenager’s life when they are at their most crucial point in development.

I believe I have done my job as a physician when I have earned a patient’s trust. Trust is the first step to a good doctor-patient relationship. Only with trust does any of the treatment done will be appreciated by the Patient. Patient satisfaction is highly important, and in pediatrics specifically, that means earning the parents and the child’s trust.

If biology, chemistry makes sense, then you will enjoy studying medicine. But to know what it truly means to be a physician, volunteer and shadow as much as you can. Talking to physicians will help you realize the financial investment and the time that is necessary to become a physician. It can be very rewarding, but it can also be very challenging.

I think having a balance between work and life is extremely important in a doctor’s life. When I work, I am present hundred percent. But my motto is to stop thinking about work when I leave the office. Physical and mental wellbeing are very much important to sustain a good life as a physician. I also value being physically active when I am not working. Whether that is exercise, or gardening or going out somewhere, it is important to be physically active, and of course eat healthy!

I love to paint and draw. I have done it since I was a child. It is something that has got me through all these years of studying and stress. I love to paint portraits of people, scenic places in oil paints and acrylics. I also love to draw the same in graphite. It is my second passion, and painting after a series of exams or a hard ICU clerkship helps me balance emotions and find peace. It is a meditative process.