As part of International women’s day, we asked Dr. Pi-Yi Chang (Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan) a few questions about the place of women in interventional radiology
1. Can you please introduce yourself?
I am Pi-Yi Chang, an interventional radiologist from Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan. I have been an attending physician for 10 years now. Besides being a doctor, I am also a part-time artist, tourist, and workout enthusiast. I enjoy working a lot, family gatherings and meeting with my friends help relax my mind after a long day at work.
2. What are the most interesting and motivating aspects of your work?
I am very much a hands-on person. You may tell from my hobbies that I am an active person too, therefore I enjoy doing interventional treatment as it gives me the chance to have practical experiences. Interpreting the images is also fun for me. On top of this, having the opportunity to be an invited speaker during international conferences and seminars spices up my life and satisfies the desire to share my professional experiences whilst travelling at the same time.
3. What is one remarkable moment/achievement in your career?
My most remarkable achievement is that I am now one of the Taiwan Society of Interventional Radiology (TSIR) board members. In the last three years, I have also been committed to the Young IR education in Taiwan because I feel the need to nurture the next generation of radiologists. It is important to pass down our experiences and knowledge so that our field can progress. Connecting with young minds really gives me a sense of fulfillment and brings me much happiness. I am very pleased to see them become experts in diverse IR fields.
4. According to you what are the barriers to women choosing interventional radiology?
Firstly, we women are constantly exposed to radiation, which is potentially more dangerous in pregnancy. That said, if we ensure that we are properly suited and protected by following the protocols then we are no longer in danger.
Secondly, generally in Asia, on top of professional work, women have more family commitments than men, therefore workload and being on-call can impose much more stress on women than men. This affects women choosing IR in the medical industry, particularly in the more conservative countries where women carry more family responsibilities, such as Japan and Korea where the percentage of women working in the IR field is significantly less than that of men.
Lastly, physical demand counts when it comes to wearing the lead radiation-prevention apron regularly, even for a whole day at work. I actually do weight-training regularly in order to be strong enough to hold the equipment. For men, it’s less demanding of course as biologically they are stronger. So as women we have to put in more effort in order to meet the physical demands at work.
5. Do you have some examples of the hardest challenges you had to face as a female interventional radiologist?
In Asian countries, male physicians still dominate the interventional radiology field. It took me a while to get used to being the only female in conferences most of the time. The number of IR women is increasing, and some of them are experts in their fields now. They are ambitious and always striving to improve in order to be just as competent as their male counterparts. I am very lucky to work in Taiwan because we value gender-equity, thus there is little gender discrimination in the workplace or salary inequity due to gender.
I am also a mother. It is quite challenging to take care of my son and balance work at the same time. Family support really matters. I appreciate my family very much and them supporting me in achieving my professional goals. My passion for interventional radiology helps me to overcome any difficult situations.
6. Is there a message you want to convey to encourage women to become interventional radiologists?
I love my work. I also enjoy my life very much. In this modern society, women should not restrict themselves, they should boldly go out and try something new. As long as you are passionate about what you do, no limitation or boundary can stop you, especially not your gender. Do not be deterred by the small number of females currently in this industry, but look to the future and be part of a force that will make a difference.
On this occasion, read below what Dr. Elika Kashef and Pr. Hélène Vernhet Kovacsik have to say ⬇️
