Focusing on the Future Dr Pear Pongsachareonnont, First Recipient of the Thai Scholars Fellowship Fund at the Harvard T.H
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The Bangkok Post’s lifestyle, arts and culture section motoring movies The new Mazda 3 Ben Platt nails it is almost perfect in The Politician p5 p7 LIFE Bangkok Post MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2019 FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE Dr Pear Pongsachareonnont, first recipient of the Thai Scholars Fellowship Fund at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, is passionate about contributing to Prince Mahidol’s dream of advancing the collective health of the Thai people STORY AND PHOTO: CARLETON COLE rom the vantage point of her advances in Thailand’s public health Dr Pear is making good use of the fund- The birth of King Bhumibol on Dec “We need to be proactive, to anticipate skyscraping clinic-office in and medicine. ing, having recently started an online/ 5, 1927, was precipitated by an another problems and apply preventative treat- Chulalongkorn Memorial KTBF is a non-profit organisation that campus-based programme with Harvard legacy moment in Thai history, sparked ment. For example, as a retina specialist, Hospital’s Retina Unit, oph- established and maintains the King Bhu- University to earn a master’s degree in by an encounter when Prince Mahidol, I see a lot of diabetic patients. We need to thalmologist Dr Pear Pongsa- mibol Adulyadej Birthplace memorial site public health in epidemiology, to sup- who met a group of students arriving better spread the message of the perils of Fchareonnont takes in the sweeping scene at King Bhumibol Square, adjacent to plement her education and experience by train from San Francisco at Boston’s lifestyle choices that lead to diabetes and before her, dominated by the urban oasis King Rama IX’s birth site at Mount Auburn at Chulalongkorn University. South Station on Sept 21, 1918. its debilitating long-term effects. that is the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. Hospital and Harvard University, and The awardee, who was raised in a Alighting from the train along with the “Diabetes can lead to amputation, Nearby skytrains glide back and forth has placed several plaques at old homes business-focused Thai-Chinese family winds of history was Sangwan Talapat, poor vision and shortened lives. These to and from Ratchadamri Station above and sites along the Trail of Thai History in a working-class part of the city and who was embarking on a career to study effects are treatable but not reversible. Phaya Thai Road. Baiyoke II Tower and a throughout New England that are asso- attended St Joseph’s School on Convent nursing at Simmons College on a scholar- As a public-health professional, I want to jumble of mid-rise buildings punctuate ciated with the legacy of the royal family. Road, now serves as secretary of the hos- ship made available from Queen Savang reduce the burden of patients and society the horizon. pital’s Ophthalmology Research Unit and Vadhana. She would eventually become by raising awareness of preventative steps In her mind’s eye, she sees much farther. deputy chair of the Vitreoretinal Research known as Her Majesty Queen Srinag- we can all take.” The first recipient of the Thai Scholars Unit in the Department of Ophthalmol- arinda, the Princess Mother, and would Dr Pear, who sees 40-80 patients and Fellowship Fund, Dr Pear says she feels ogy. Dr Pear’s family experienced finan- become mother of two kings and grand- works around 12 hours a day, five days a honoured with the opportunity to follow cial hardships growing up in operating mother to a third, Thailand’s current week and half days on Saturdays, says that in the footsteps of Prince Mahidol, who is businesses. But far from setbacks, she says monarch, His Majesty King Maha Vaji- if governmental and private stakeholders remembered as the Father of Thai Med- these encounters with humbleness at an ralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua. pool their energies, policy that aids soci- icine for his trailblazing work in having early age ultimately became catalysts for With Chinese heritage and commit- ety can be made and implemented. spread awareness of needs related to what would eventually become her life’s ment as a scholarship recipient, Dr Pear, “At Chulalongkorn Hospital we trained public health in the country. While from work and passion to give back to soci- whose experience includes an interna- ophthalmologist who go to work in the her office Dr Pear enjoys looking out ety. An ever-present source of support tional fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery hard-to-reach villages in rural areas, occasionally at the horses that race fort- during her childhood, says Dr Pear, who at the University of California San Fran- where there is greater need to provide nightly on the classic racetrack, she says is in her 30s, was the guiding force of the cisco, takes inspiration from the story of various types of healthcare,” says Dr the nation’s collective health is not worth TO MAKE A late King Bhumibol. the Princess Mother, who grew up in a Pear, who also serves as head of fellow- gambling on. “I am privileged to have been born simple home in Thon Buri before heading ship services for the Retina Fellowship, “We need to ensure Thai society is DIFFERENCE WILL in the era of King Rama IX,” she says. for her life-changing trip to the US. which trains ophthalmologists to sub- able to address the many health needs “There’s no one who has had so much “I do what I do because I care about specialise in retina disease. Also, she’s a of today,” she adds, noting that in many not happen BY influence on Thailand and been a source people,” says Dr Pear, whose thesis for leading member of the Asean Optometrist cases, something as simple but often CHANCE of such inspiration to so many genera- the Harvard degree she’s working on Society, a network of regional physicians overlooked as having an annual medical tions of Thais.” focuses on studying the quality of life of and public health professionals working check-up can help with a range of other- During her commute to the university the patient. “I want to see other people to promote better awareness of blindness wise more easily treatable ailments that — and hospital, where she also regularly be happy. Everyone else in my family is prevention across Southeast Asia. like diabetes — if only detected in their “The fund was established as a pow- conducts surgery in the Retina Unit as involved in business, but this really wasn’t One of her most personally meaningful later stages are much more complicated erful tribute to Prince Mahidol, Princess well as teaches ophthalmology, Dr Pear my thing.” Instead, armed with her new milestones as a doctor is of having per- and costly to treat. Srinagarindra and their son King Bhumi- passes by a small park with a statue of knowledge from medical school, she formed cataract surgery on her father. In December 2017, Harvard Univer- bol Adulyadej. I hope it will help ensure King Rama VIII facing Thai lettering on a signed on at the Royal Thai Air Force, “Even though I had performed this pro- sity’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health that their legacy continues,” says KTBF’s building of the powerful and most pop- where she “gained an appreciation for the cedure thousands of times, there was of (HSPH) established the Thai Scholars Cholthanee Koerojna. ular statement attributed to his father: military mentality, as I really love rules. I course an extra degree of concern. Fortu- Fellowship Fund in honour of HM King The new fund continues in the altruis- “True success is not in the learning, but in feel that people who can follow the right nately, the result was successful. He was Bhumibol Adulyadej and Prince Mahidol, tic spirt of Prince Mahidol, who himself its application to the benefit of mankind.” rules can make everything better”. happy with the results.” King Bhumibol’s father. The Fund was donated 200,000 baht from his personal “In one way or another, my whole life Although she enjoys getting to know The eye specialist believes medical established in conjunction with the Thai funds to Chulalongkorn University to has been related to this hospital,” says Dr her patients in one-on-one consultations, professionals should strive to be mind- Physicians Association of America (TPAA) establish the Medical Science Scholarship Pear. “I grew up around this area of Bang- Dr Pear remains mindful of how public ful of the big picture, and consider how and King of Thailand Birthplace Founda- for students to study higher education kok and saw this hospital get bigger and health is a greater societal concern. to extend their expertise and a sense of tion (KTBF). The goal is to raise US$1.5 in the sciences, as well as contributing bigger. It is a privilege to be working here “I love being a doctor. But even though service far and wide. million (45.4 million baht) to create a per- $1,000 to the Harvard Endowment Fund in a field I am passionate about. I think the doctors may successfully treat countless “Global heath and public health are manent endowed fund to allow Thai stu- a century ago, and marks “A Century Of transmission of values from one genera- numbers of patients one-on-one, they a big deal. We need to care more about dents, doctors, nurses and public-health Progress In Public Health And Medicine tion to the next is a key attribute of what need to think about the country as a each other. More of us should speak out if professionals from Thailand to study at In Thailand”, a KTBF awareness campaign makes us Thai.