As a child with dyslexia, Dr. Ting tried to learn Chinese by memorizing ancient Chinese poems and by taking part in recitation competitions where he nurtured confidence. Dr. Ting said students with dyslexia can start with short passages, such as “Aesop’s Fables”, which tell meaningful stories with simple English.

Dr. Ting recalled that when he had dictations in primary school, five marks would be deducted for each mistake. More than 10 mistakes would make him fail in dictation, which was depressing. However, the excellent results he got in science and continuous efforts in improving Chinese and English in secondary school helped him in enrolling at the School of Medicine. He admitted that he had often misspelled some long and difficult medical terms, but fortunately his university professors allowed him to take oral examinations. He believes that schools should provide reasonable accommodation for students with special needs, so as to enable them to enjoy equal opportunities in learning.

According to Dr. Ting, apart from professional skills and knowledge, a psychiatrist should also possess a positive and optimistic character, and a broad vision. In order to cure the patients, psychiatrists would have to gain their trust first. That means a psychiatrist has to respect patients, listen to their feelings, and keep secrets. These are also the criteria of being a good friend.

Dr. Ting said people selectively remember unhappy experiences. For example, when a good friend occasionally speaks against them, they may even let negative feelings develop and forget about the nice side of their friend. Dr. Ting encouraged the students to listen more to others, tolerate more, criticize less, and not to haggle for every ounce. Eventually, he said, this will lead to good interpersonal relationships.