PhD Student/Singer Gene Gao
Gene Gao is a PhD student of medicine at Hong Kong University whose major research area is congenital heart disease. But unlike other students, he’s also a pop singer. He talks to June Ng to see if there are any similarities between his two professions.
HK Magazine: You’ve completed a degree in clinical medicine, you’re going into the research field, and you’re supposed to become a professor. What’s this singing thing about?
Gene Gao: I’m really into singing. And in my first year in Hong Kong, studying for my PhD, I saw this advertisement for a singing competition. I wanted to try it because in Shanghai, this kind of competition could take months, just like American Idol, and I have no time for that in my schedule. But the competition in Hong Kong is different, just a one-off thing. So I went for it and won myself a contract!
HK: So you’re working as a full-time singer now?
GG: No, I’m not. I can’t do it and I don’t want to. I’m still using a student visa so I can’t really have a “job.” And I enjoy having both options so I still have time to choose which one to pursue.
HK: What do your parents think? I understand they are intellectuals who suffered during the Cultural Revolution, and they’ve put a lot of hopes on you. Presumably they’d want their only child to become an academic or something.
GG: It’s true. My mom was majoring in finance and my dad was an artist. But they both missed the chance to develop their career further. They care a lot about my education. I remember I was like a pioneer to them, learning English before any other kids did. It might upset them a little if I become a singer, but again, I’m not totally giving up my studies. As long as they know what I’m doing, it’d be fine.
HK: Which is more difficult, being a singer or researching?
GG: I think being a singer is more difficult. In research you only have to do well in your part and your findings will speak for you. But pursuing a career in singing, it vastly depends on the love you get from the public. People could just dislike you for any reason, even if you can sing very well.
HK: Are there any similarities?
GG: They both take a lot of time and energy, and possibly even decades of work. And even then, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the results you want.
HK: Would you ever become a singer and give up all your research?
GG: I really don’t know. I still have two years to think about that before I finish my PhD. I’d totally give it a shot if I could end up a big star. But what if I could only become a mediocre singer? At the same time, it’s also very, very difficult to become a professor, and it’s also not very pleasant becoming a mediocre doctor.