Physicians Say Farewell to Their Silent Mentors after Completing TCU’s Surgery Simulation Program

Text: Chia-Yi Lee
Photo: Jung-Hui Hsu
Translation: Steve J. Lin

TCU is grateful for the selfless giving of body donors, so it names them “Silent Mentors.” Up to this point, 38,100 persons have wished to be Silent Mentors, and among them, 1,085 have fulfilled their wishes. Seven hundred ninety out of 1,085 taught at Tzu Chi University, and 295 taught at five other universities. Director of the Medical Simulation Center Dr. Guo-Fang Tseng mentioned that, before TCU initiated the Silent Mentor Program, most cadavers were deceased inmates or unclaimed bodies, and the number was not sufficient to meet the need in Taiwan. Since TCU pioneered this program in 1995, the majority of Silent Mentors are Tzu Chi volunteers, Masters of Jing Si Abode, or their family members. During their lives, they were devoted to helping others, and taught students or physicians after their passing. Thus, they are the best teachers for teaching skills and knowledge, as well as the essence of selfless giving. Throughout this program, TCU focuses on its humanistic culture. To enable the deceased to rest in peace and the family to live in tranquility, and to deepen the students’ learning, TCU requires these students to visit with their Silent Mentor’s families before the class starts, and asks students to share their interactions with Silent Mentor’s families, as well as their Silent Mentor’s story.

Some Silent Mentors are involved in gross anatomy courses, while others participate in the Surgery Simulation Program. The Surgery Simulation Program offers training in basic skills to students and junior physicians, and also provides advanced training sessions to senior physicians. From October 2-6, 147 physicians working for 44 hospitals in Taiwan and overseas came to TCU, to attend training sessions in 33 surgical procedures.

Eight Silent Mentors took part in this Surgery Simulation Program. They were Hsiu-Feng Li Yang, Ching-Chuan Chung, Kai-Lu Tien, Ming-His Hsu, Cheng-Hsiung Chang, Yu-Chung Chang, Tsung-Chang Chang, and Chien-Hsing Li.

Master Cheng Yen appealed to the general public saying, ”we only have the right to use our physical bodies, yet do not possess them,” to encourage body donations. Silent Mentor Hsiu-Feng Li Yang answered the Master’s call and signed the consent form for body donation in 1995. In the eyes of her family, Li Yang always tried her best to overcome hardships. She joined Tzu Chi in 1986, taking part in recycling work, preparing meals for the needy and other volunteers, and accompanying students at Tzu Chi Schools or staffs of Tzu Chi Affiliates. She also loved to be with hospital patients and their families, even when she was ill. After joining Tzu Chi, Silent Mentor Ching-Chuan Chung believed that helping others was his job, thus he set up a recycling station at his own house, and invited his neighbors to do recycling, so they were able to care for each other and love Mother Earth. He dedicated himself to recycling work for over thirty years.

Most Silent Mentors’ families stood behind their decisions, yet some didn’t. Silent Mentor Chien-Hsing Li’s family had a tough time right after he made his decision. His daughter-in-law Yu-Ling Li said that her parents-in-law and grandparents were Silent Mentors, yet four of them were not Tzu Chi volunteers. Li was a conservative person, and wanted to be buried after passing, but he changed his mind later on. He attended the ceremony sponsored by TCU for his father-in-law, who was a Silent Mentor, and was deeply touched. Afterward, he studied the Silent Mentor Program, and decided to become a Silent Mentor. His relatives criticized Yu-Ling and her husband saying, “How dare you let your father make this decision! How cruel you are to let your father be cut by so many surgical blades!” Yet the couple believed that, “If it’s right, just do it!” They also wanted to help their father to fulfill his wish of having a decent burial ceremony, thus they stood firmly behind his decision. On the day she saw so many physicians and faculty members coming to say farewell to her father-in-law, Yu-Ling said to her father-in-law, “You always wanted to have a decent ceremony, and you have witnessed today that the ceremony is a really fine one!”

Secretary of the Taiwan Head and Neck Society Dr. Cheng-Ping Wang recalled that ten years ago he had taken part in TCU’s Surgery Simulation session. He was touched by the warmth of the program, which inspired him to reflect, “Why do I want to be a physician?” He also learned the skills of decreasing bleeding during surgery during that session. Ten years later, these young physicians are so fortunate to go through a similar program as he did ten years ago. Dr. Wang was grateful to all the Silent Mentors and their families, and he believes these young physicians will do their best to apply what they learned to care for their patients.

On October 6, the Masters of Jing Si Abode, TCU President Pen-Jung Wang, Vice Superintendent of Hualien Tzu Chi General Hospital Pei-Jung Chen, physicians, and Silent Mentors’ families walked the last stretch with Silent Mentors. The same day, Silent Mentors’ remains were brought back to TCU after cremation, a part of the remains were placed in TCU’s Great Giving Hall, and the rest were taken back by their families or will be buried in Hualien.