When I entered residency training in Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, all I wanted is to become a good ENT surgeon. Through the years of training and seeing many patients with different diseases, voice cases interested me the most. I even became a voice patient once which added more to my eagerness to know more about this subspecialty. Our hospital does not have a very good foundation in voice subspecialty and in order for me to acquire knowledge and skills in the field that I want, I need to look for a competent hospital that can provide me with these.
The first time I've been to Seoul, I told myself that I would definitely be back. I love everything in Seoul, the people, rich culture and tradition, the places, and also the food. The second time that I came to Seoul was an invitation to observe in one of their biggest hospitals. Then I thought, why not look for a hospital in Seoul that offers a training in the field that I've always wanted. I have searched and found that there is one prestigious center that specializes in voice, the Yeson Voice Center. Yes, I found a hospital but I don't know how to get in and where to start. Maybe I am just so fortunate and this is really the path that I should take for Yeson Voice Center just so happened to be looking for an ENT specialist from the Philippines to be their trainee. Without a doubt, I immediately applied for the position.
The training program is in cooperation with Korea Health Development Institute. They aim to give overseas medical doctors an opportunity to gain extensive medical knowledge and skills, while broadening their understanding about Korea and the country’s medical services.
A doctor's education never ends. We need to pursue on continuing education to stay up to date and learn new advancements in our chosen specialty field. A center that gives unparalleled opportunity to obtain broad knowledge and high skill is Yeson Voice Center. The center is spearheaded by notable group of gentlemen with the best knowledge in the field of Voice. The Director of the center is Dr. Kim Hyung Tae, Chairman of Board of Directors is Dr. Yoon Hee Ro, Associate Director is Dr. Lee Ji Wook, and and Associate of the hospital is Dr. Kim Hyun Soo. The faculty is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and advancement in the art and science of voice. The training provides variety of clinical opportunities including assessment and treatment. Exposure to have additional experience with major areas of specialized assessment strategies and medical and surgical intervention. In my three months of training in Yeson Voice Center I look forward to acquiring as much knowledge and skills with the help of Dr. Kim Hyung Tae who directly supervises my training.
There are diverse patients seen in Yeson Voice Center and specialists are well trained to best evaluate and diagnose these cases. They have Vocal Fold Paralysis; Dysphonia secondary to Vocal Cord nodule, Vocal Cord Polyp, Vocal Cord Cyst, Granulomatous Laryngitis, Reinke's Edema, Sulcus Vocalis, Laryngeal Papilloma, Laryngeal Cancer, and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux ; Spasmodic Dysphonia; and Functional Dysphonia. The faculty are also highly specialized to perform different procedures using state of the art equipments. Percutaneous Injection Laryngoplasty, Microlaryngeal Surgery, PDL Laryngeal Surgery, Voice Feminization Surgery and Botox Injection are done in the center, and I get to observe all of these procedures. I am given the chance to see different cases and learn the techniques on how they are surgically managed. A higher learning and more specialized skills that I can practice in the future. Techniques that I can share to my fellow Filipino ENT, residents in training, and patients.
In order to arrive at a correct diagnosis and plan of management, a meticulous examination are always done. The center is equipped with the largest diagnostic facilities for voice examination. They have equipments for computerized voice analysis, aerodynamic examination, digital laryngeal stroboscopes and nasopharyngoscopes of Kay Elemtrics. They have also introduced high speed vocal cord color filming equipment and phonokinetic evaluation for the first time in Asia.In the afternoon, I get to observe in the examinations done at the Artceum for the clinical evaluation for voice: Psychoacoustic Evaluation, Phonatory Aerodynamic Test, Speech and Voice Acoustic Study, Voice Range Profile, Rhinolaryngeal Stroboscopy, Nasometer II, Screening Language Evaluation, Phonatory Pattern Screening Test, and Multichannel Phonokinetic Evaluation System. Their facilities are very much advanced which I will encourage our hospital to have in order to reestablish our voice laboratory.
During weekends, I get to see the beauty of Seoul. At first glance, Seoul appears to be a sprawling concrete
mass of high-rise modern buildings interspersed with historical treasures. But
on a closer look, the city can be divided into numerous smaller districts with
their own distinct character.
There are many reasons why I love Seoul. They have a
very rich culture and tradition. The architectural traditions has been
restored and maintained to its finest. A proof of how they value
their history. I have been to some of their palaces and temples and
I can't help but be amazed. There is the famous Gyeongbuk Palace and
Changdeok Palace, also the Bongeunsa Temple and Bulguksa Temple, each with its
own identity and story to share.
You can see people bustling around the busy streets of Seoul
especially its famous places. Seoul is one of greatest places to go
shopping. You can see the diverse fashion sense of Seoulites. They have
big department stores like Lotte, Hyundai and Shinsegae, which are dazzling
emporium selling all kinds of merchandise. But for those who is in a
budget, there are stores all over where you can easily splurge at a reasonable
price. Favorites would be Dongdaemun, Namdaemun, Insadong, and Myeongdong
shopping district. These places are usually crowded and being bumped
around is very common. Shopping can be very much tiring, and anywhere you
can just see food stalls selling different kinds of street food. Grab a
bite and the experience is worthwhile.
If you're looking for serenity, a walk along the
Cheongyecheon Stream would be a perfect place. It is a 5.8 km remarkably quiet
walk along the stream since it is 15 feet below the street. There are
small waterfalls, fountains, and overhead bridges. Another place that I find amusing and
romantic is the Namison Island. The
tranquil view of the island is captivating. For a little excitement, you can
try to enjoy the rides at Lotte World and for more extreme adventure, Everland
is a must go to attraction. Also, at night, it is great to visit Seoul Tower to have a view of whole of the city of Seoul.
The
Gangnam Style by Korean singer PSY was very popular all over the world at the time of my visit in Seoul. Everyone is talking about it and you can hear it being played everywhere. It's even a dance craze that most are raving
about. To have a better grasp of it, my coordinator arranged a good place
for me to stay in Gangnam while I'm on my training. I can see everyday
how much fun it is at night as most young people go here to party and have
couple of drinks with friends and sometimes party lasts till early
morning. There are even many good restaurants and shops around the area. I stayed at M Chereville Serviced Residence which is few minutes
walk from Gangnam station. One of the busiest subway station I have ever
seen with a huge shopping area just within the station. My room is very
spacious and comfortable. I have a small kitchen and even got my own
laundry machine inside the room. There is also an internet access so I can
always keep in touch with my family. It is a very convenient place for me and I guess anyone who's away from their own homes.
The whole experience would not be possible without the assistance of KHIDI and the staff of Yeson Voice Center. It is truly an honor for me to be trained by Professor Kim Hyung Tae. I admire your dedication and passion to the profession. I hope that someday in the future I can be a good voice specialist like Professor Kim. With great gratitude, I thank all the faculty and staff of Yeson Voice Center and KHIDI for the very warm welcome and making my stay in the Seoul a wonderful experience.
Kamsahamnida! =)
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