Cecily Wang wanted to become a doctor to help people in the most fundamental ways possible, only to become disillusioned with the profession during medical school and residency. It wasn’t until she went on an international relief mission to Haiti in 2006 that she found herself practicing medicine as she had originally envisioned. She was able to help a sick person in great need, unencumbered by red tape and regulations. The patient’s health was all that mattered.
Cecily has continued to do demanding and extraordinarily challenging international work with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and other aid groups, addressing health challenges faced by communities affected by earthquakes, cholera, famine, and civil war in diverse regions, including Haiti, Myanmar, Samoa, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Syria. In the process, she has been stretched to her emotional limits, witnessed the worst and the best in human nature, and learned more about herself than she once could have imagined, all while performing life-saving surgeries and providing critical care to those in need.