作者： 蔡昇達 (authored by Sheng-Ta Tsai)
在全美排名第一的梅約醫學中心學習，是相當難得的機會，感謝中醫大給我這個機會出國進修。
(It's a fantastic opportunity to be a research fellow at Mayo Clinic, the top-ranked hospital in the U.S. I am grateful to China Medical University in Taiwan for giving me this chance.)
晨跑時在河邊拍的梅約醫學中心 (Mayo Clinic in the early morning)
既然做了選擇，出來學習，很希望能夠把頂尖的技術帶回台灣。這幾天加緊趕實驗進度，但卻出乎意料的不順利。
(While learning abroad, I aim to learn advanced techniques and bring them back to Taiwan. I've been working extra hours recently, but I haven't obtained the necessary data.)
週四做了整天的實驗，但到晚上十點半，卻沒有看到應該要出現的訊號，充滿沮喪的請教韓國來的同事，同事很仔細的為我分析問題、並數數提醒我「做實驗的目的為何？」很理性、深入的分析，但我聽起來卻覺得嚴厲，因為指出的是我的問題、弱點，踩著我愛執的痛腳。分析完畢後他很鄭重的跟我說：「你未來回到台灣，遇到問題時我不會在旁邊、歐教授、沈教授也不會在你旁邊，你必須要自己解決，所以我跟你講這些，希望你真的能夠學到、把能力帶走。」
(On Thursday, I conducted experiments all day but didn’t get the proper results until 10:30 PM. Feeling frustrated, I consulted with a Korean engineer colleague. He analyzed my situation in detail and gave me strict guidance. He said, "Peter, I really want to help you establish a lab in Taiwan. But I probably won't be there, nor will Dr. Oh or Shin. You need to troubleshoot on your own. For this experiment, what is your goal?") The conversation was difficult because it highlighted my weaknesses, and I realized I didn't fully understand what I was doing.
聽完讓我相當感動，原來嚴厲的背後是真的希望我能夠進步！
(However, I felt deeply moved afterward. I could sense that he was genuinely trying his best to help me.)
深夜指導我如何製作電極的 Youngjong Kwak (My dear Korean colleague, Youngjong Kwak, taught me microelectrode fabrication)
回到實驗室，照著他的提醒一步一步試著找問題，在晚上 11 點時終於發現癥結： 有一個機器我忘了按「開始」，所以才沒有看到任何訊號！
(After the conversation, I went back to the experiment room and followed his instructions step by step. Finally, at 11:00 PM, I realized I had forgotten to press the start button on the syringe pump. That's why my experiment failed.)
沒有按到最右下角的開始，所以沒有訊號 (I didn't press the start button on the right lower corner)
透過這次的實驗失敗，讓我生起病想，知道自己的弱點在哪邊，也對做實驗有更清晰的方向，相當感謝同事 Youngjong Kwak 的指導。
(This failure helped me recognize my weakness, and I put in a lot of effort to clarify the goal of my experiment. I’m grateful to my colleague, Youngjong Kwak.)
晚上十一點半離開醫院，看著寬敞的大廳，雖然相當疲累，但心裡很踏實，這就是我該克服的困難、學習曲線必經的過程，像是幾年前剛讀博士班，拿起 Pipette 一樣。全美第一醫學中心，份外美麗！
(I finally left the hospital at 11:30 PM. The lobby was empty but beautiful. I was physically exhausted, but my heart felt full of faith. It's my responsibility to overcome obstacles, and this is just part of the normal learning curve. I remembered my early days in the Ph.D. program at China Medical University. It was challenging to sit down, hold a pipette, and perform biochemistry experiments. Tonight, the top-ranked medical center in the U.S. was extraordinarily beautiful.)
門診大樓大廳的鋼琴，白天時這裡的人很多 (the lobby of the Gonda building at Mayo Clinic)
Thanks to Youngjong's inspiration on the night of August 15, I was able to understand my shortcomings. You helped me clarify my goal for the individual experiment, which really helped me break through the obstacles."
註： 我們常覺得歐美人工作時間很短，但其實在梅約醫學中心，做實驗到零晨兩三點並不少見，神經外科住院醫師每天睡眠平均也僅五小時，我晚上下班時也會碰到來接班的大夜護理人員
