After Ding-cheng Chan takes off his white coat, he looks much younger than his actual age of forty. Chan, wearing glasses with a thin black frame, speaks quickly, but always sports a smile. Although the physician is driven by his mission, he also presents an amiable side.

Chan is the youngest department head at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH). The time-honored hospital is known to attach importance to tradition and seniority. Yet last August hospital superintendent Ming-fong Chen boldly appointed Chan head of the Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology.  Though it is located on the second floor of the old hospital building, which was built in the Japanese colonial era, the department was founded not even five years ago.

Since Taiwanese society is aging rapidly, the medical system is scrambling to care for a soaring number of silver-haired patients. NTUH is Taiwan's foremost medical institution. Consequently, the public places high hopes on the hospital's geriatrics department.

It is unusual for an assistant professor to head a hospital department. Such positions are usually reserved for full professors. But as Chen argues, Chan "has the commitment and expertise" that it takes to do the job.

Professional expertise is one consideration. Chan stands out among his Taiwanese peers as having completed a full formal training program in geriatric medicine overseas. Most geriatricians in Taiwan come from other medical disciplines such as internal medicine or family medicine and have gained their geriatric expertise through additional training abroad. By contrast, after graduating from NTU's Medical School, Chan went to the United States with government support to pursue a full program in geriatric medicine, and then stayed on to undertake clinical training, which he paid for himself, before returning to Taiwan.

Chan's good communication skills and high EQ are essential for diagnosing elderly patients, and he also excels at coordinating joint efforts among different departments and other administrative tasks.

"He will have to play a major role in integrating the university's geriatric medicine," explains Yang Pei-ming, a professor at the Department of Internal Medicine.

Chan is the "know it and do it" type, who acts without hesitation as soon as he knows what needs to be done. As Yang observes, Chan is proactive and efficient in dealing with problems. He will first find a preliminary solution within the deadline, before taking further steps or making adjustments.

Last year NTUH applied for accreditation by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which necessitated changing many standard operating procedures and communicating on many fronts. According to Ming-fong Chen, Chan "kept an eye on everything, beginning to end," enthusiastically mediating among the various parties.

Chan comes across as highly intelligent, but he chalks up his achievements to hard work.

"Diligence is the basic condition," notes Chan, adding that he has always strived hard to do his best. From his first year in senior high school, Chan made it a habit to study in the library after school, taking only a short break. By 4:30 p.m. his head would be buried in books and he would not stop until 9 p.m. Chan has few regrets or complaints. He bravely shoulders new tasks, spares no effort and happily meets new challenges, whether they are chosen by himself or assigned by others.

The same goes for Chan's stance toward Taiwan's fledgling geriatric medicine program. The hospital does not have the same ample fiscal resources as the island's Veterans Hospitals, which are supported by the government's Veterans Affairs Commission. How to make the geriatrics department profitable, how to integrate the university's geriatric medicine system, and how to juggle teaching, research and service duties alongside heavy administrative tasks – these are among the challenges this young leader must tackle.

Translated from the Chinese by Susanne Ganz