K.J. Lee is a world-renowned otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon. Born in Malaya in 1940 during World War II, through his indefatigable spirit, talent and hard work he was able to change his life. Traveling to America in 1958 to study at Harvard on a full-tuition scholarship, he went on to make an indelible contribution to his chosen medical specialty. Among his many achievements, his drive and determination to support the next generation of ENT surgeons and to improve the healthcare experience for patients stand out. These vocations led to his publications of over 30 books and the seminal textbook, K.J. Lee’s Essential Otolaryngology. It is considered the most widely read text in the field in the world, translated into several languages. This memoir covers his work as a government adviser for healthcare reform, and his founding the nonprofit foundation to encourage caregivers to treat patients as if caregivers are the patients, ‘TPIU’ (The Patient Is U). In this memoir, he shares his inspiring tale. In his usual spirit of encouraging and supporting the development of junior colleagues, Dr. Lee has chosen to tell his story through three Columbia University writers – Sally Jee, Clementine Li, and Coco Ruan. Their own education and background have enabled them to fully understand and appreciate his story and communicate it in the words and style of K.J. himself, capturing his very essence and his unmistakable voice. Leeway is a tale of hard work and perseverance, reaching beyond expectations, positivity and forward-thinking, love and family, and above all, success against the odds. (A memoir of surgeon K. J. Lee. Reaching Beyond Expectations, from the hideouts of Penang to Harvard and beyond; determination, hard work, ingenuity, emphasizing check lists that you look at frequently, anticipating problems and avoiding them, making lemonade out of lemons, being empathetic, learning from adversities and mistakes and trusting God''s guidance. God helps those who help themselves. With God, all things are possible.)
