Chapter 05: Stepping Down as Chair of Neuro-Oncology
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Description
The recorder is started during a conversation in progress. Dr. Yung offers brief comments on his decision to step down as Chair of Neuro-oncology. (He stepped into the role as interim chair in 1999 and became permanent chair in 2002.)
Identifier
YungWKA_02_20140507_C05
Publication Date
5-7-2014
Publisher
The Making Cancer History® Voices Oral History Collection, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
City
Houston, Texas
Interview Session
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD, Oral History Interview, May 07, 2014
Topics Covered
The Interview Subject's Story - The Administrator; The Administrator; Career and Accomplishments; The Patient; On Leadership; On the Nature of Institutions
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Disciplines
History of Science, Technology, and Medicine | Oncology | Oral History
Transcript
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
I am going to turn on the recorder.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
Go ahead.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
So you were telling me that you started as Interim Chair in what year?
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
1999.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
1999. Okay.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
I was Interim from 1999, actually that was the year that I had my cancer surgery --- chemo --- chemotherapy and cancer surgery. So I assumed the Interim after I recovered from surgery, basically. And then I w --- I was at Interim for three years until 2002 when Dr. Hong, you know --- you know, appointed me full time and ma --- make it official. So, I was --- I was official Chair in 2002 until now.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Right. So what are your reasons for wanting to step down as Chair now?
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
Eve --- Even when I took the Chair, I --- I believed that, you know, a, a --- a Chair or a leader should have a finite time. I wa --- I planned on a finite time and I also believe that one should really move on, you know, at the height, when you, you know, build the shop up and then w --- then give it to the next generation to bring it into another level, bringing fresh energy. And, after awhile you get stale. You know, so that’s --- I follow that philosophy I want to, you know have somebody else take over, you know, when I am still in the --- you know, being considered capable of doing something
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Right.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
as opposed to wait until people say it’s over time, better go, and --- .
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Yeah.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
to kicking you out. I think that, you know, that the Chair should not be permanent.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Yeah.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
R --- Renewal, with new energy.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Let me kind of do the business stuff with the --- with the interview putting on the and --- identifier and everything and then I would like to continue the conversation about your Chairmanship.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
Okay.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Okay, let me just do t
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
So --- I will --- Alright. Now we are at the official beginning of the interview.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
The official beginning. Okay.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
: And we we’re at about 1 when we started and now at we’re about 1
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
Alright.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
And today I’m on the 7th Floor of the Faculty Center at M --- the main campus of MD Anderson in the Department of Neuro-Oncology, interviewing Alfred Young, Chair of the Department, as he has just been describing. So thank you for making time.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
You’re welcome.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
We were --- We were talking about how busy you are because you were in the midst of a search for a new chair.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
Well, I have nothing to do with the search.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Yeah.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
I’m --- I’m busy because of the many projects that we’re doing.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Okay. Gotcha.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
And today’s my, you know, day that I meet with my Lab people.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Uh-hmm.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
But then we also, you know, working on a big Moon Shot proposal to try to get brain tumor into the Moon Shot world, you know.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Well, let me ask you what you would like to do now. We could continue talking about your administrative role as Chair, or would you like to talk about your research? We ha --- Because we really haven’t done that in depth so far. Where --- What’s kind of on your mind to explore today?
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
Well, I can d --- I mean I can do anything, you know.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
: Okay.
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, MD:
you --- you want to do whatever you want to follow the --- the trail that we’ve followed before.
Recommended Citation
Yung, Wai-Kwan Alfred MD and Rosolowski, Tacey A. PhD, "Chapter 05: Stepping Down as Chair of Neuro-Oncology" (2014). Interview Chapters. 265.
https://openworks.mdanderson.org/mchv_interviewchapters/265
Conditions Governing Access
Open
