She is a guardian under the surgical lamp,

measuring the breadth of life with millimeter-level precision,

pursuing perfection in the tiniest space.

With professionalism and warmth, she lights up the eyes that yearn for brightness.

Steadfast from start to finish,

she writes her youth with passion and exploration.

ZUO Hangjia, the CQMU Outstanding Student of the Year 2025,

is not only an excellent doctor but also a poet of life,

defining growth through diversity and inclusiveness.

“Harder work brings more luck” is the perfect description of her.

Let’s step into her journey of pursuing dreams in medicine together.

Personal Profile of ZUO Hangjia

Achievements and Honors

Bachelor of Clinical Medicine (5+3 Integration Program:5-year undergraduate education + 3-year integrated postgraduate education and residency training), Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Medicine

Master of Clinical Medicine (Ophthalmology), Chongqing Medical University(CQMU)

Published 5 SCI papers as first author or co-first author; 2 ESCI papers (case reports in the American Journal of Ophthalmology); 1 paper in the Chinese core journal; co-authored 14 SCI papers in total

Served as an English simultaneous interpreter for renowned international ophthalmologists

2025 CQMU Outstanding Student of the Year

2025 “Merit Student” and Outstanding Graduate of Chongqing Medical University (University-Level)

Silver Award in the Chongqing Region of the 2025 National College Students’ Career Planning Competition (Graduate Employment)

Gold Award in the 2023 “Internet Plus” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (Chongqing Region, as Principal Investigator of the project)；Silver Award in the 2025 Career Planning Championship (Sichuan-Chongqing Regional Finals)

Outstanding Student Leader and First-Class Scholarship Recipient, Chongqing Medical University (2018)

Second Prize in the “Star of Outlook” English Talent Competition(2018 Hubei Provincial)

Second Prize in the 2018 “FLTRP·ETIC Cup” Speech Contest (University Level) at Chongqing Medical University

Fifth Place in Women's Team Table Tennis at Chongqing Collegiate Games(2018）

Honors & Awards

Ophthalmology: Passion as the Sail, Excellence as the Oar

Riding the Waves in the Vast Ocean of Medicine

ZUO Hangjia's decision to study ophthalmology was simple and pure. She found the eye a fascinating organ, and the hands-on nature of this occupation suited her personality well. Ophthalmology is a specialty that bridges internal medicine and surgery—requiring both pharmacological therapies and surgical intervention for most ocular conditions. At the same time, it is relatively self-contained, being less dependent on systemic factors. Delving into this "small yet exquisitely complex" organ posed an intellectually stimulating challenge, which deeply captivated her.

The eyes serve as a diagnostic window to systemic health, with many diseases detectable through ocular fundus examination. For instance, the staging of a diabetic patient’s condition can be directly observed through ocular changes.

Her team’s first research on the lens involved selecting the most commonly used lenses from hundreds to observe their post-operative effects in different patients. The second research focuses on basic research on lens pathogenesis, specifically fibrosis (EMT pathological changes). EMT pathological changes refer to the process where the originally water-clear lens gradually becomes clouded like mist. Fibrosis leads to lens opacification, at which stage patients typically experience vision loss. ZUO Hangjia’s research explores genes related to this pathogenesis, by knocking down suspected genes or injecting drugs to observe whether the pathological progression of the lens slows down after intervention. The third involves retinal research, where she practices fundus mounting techniques through observation.

Bringing light to patients with a scalpel. From a resident physician to the lead surgeon in complex ocular trauma surgeries, ZUO Hangjia takes every on-call shift as a valuable opportunity for growth, and even takes the initiative to volunteer for emergency cases. Through constant engagement with clinical cases, she has accumulated rich experience.

During the Spring Festival, ZUO Hangjia’s team admitted a patient with severe eye injuries caused by a firecracker accident. The case required a long surgical cycle due to its complexity. In the first surgery, the team performed initial suturing of the eye laceration and debridement for observation. Given the severe damage, the patient subsequently underwent lens extraction. During the second hospitalization, the team performed a complex Scleral Fixation of Intraocular Lens surgery, securing the artificial lens with four sutures—one of the final solutions for aphakia (usually caused by cataracts or trauma). However, after the scleral fixation surgery, vitreous prolapse was detected in the patient. As a result, the team conducted a third surgery: vitrectomy. Nearly five months have passed since the patient was admitted after the injury. Ultimately, the patient’s vision has recovered well, achieving a satisfactory treatment outcome.

“In the field of ophthalmology, complex surgeries cannot be handled strictly according to textbooks. We need to develop personalized treatment plans for each patient. As ophthalmologists, we always strive to preserve an extra bit of light for our patients,” she says.

Research Journey

From Literature Reviews to Innovation: Making Research “Interesting”

ZUO Hangjia has achieved fruitful research results from undergraduate to postgraduate studies: A literature review built on 50 papers; a rare case leading to a high-quality paper; late nights in the lab to unravel the mysteries of lens fibrosis. Research is not out of reach—it stems from every “why” in clinical practice.

Take her team’s research on cataract intraocular lenses as an example: A child who underwent artificial lens implantation requires a second surgery to replace the lens as their eyes develop with age, and the power of the implanted lens gradually fails to match the changed refractive status. To address this clinical problem, the team has launched an innovative exploration—can a lens be designed to allow secondary implantation when the patient reaches adulthood, effectively compensating for the refractive changes caused by eyeball development during adolescence? This is a typical case where in-depth research is driven by real-world clinical needs.

The research involves optics, pharmacy, and ophthalmology, requiring close collaboration with experts from different fields. The first step is full communication with ophthalmologists to accurately identify core issues, followed by developing a systematic research plan. For example, in a key experiment on determining the optical properties and geometry of artificial lenses, the team iteratively optimized through repeated experiments and data analysis. When initial lens positioning fell short of expectations, the team adjusted the design based on experimental feedback.

Key research breakthroughs often stem from long-standing clinical challenges. ZUO Hangjia’s team follows this path, starting from practical clinical problems to gradually explore and refine solutions.

When sharing advice on research, ZUO Hangjia says: “Clinical doctors have valuable first-hand clinical data, so they should pay more attention to collecting rare cases. Additionally, they should actively use spare time to observe and learn in the laboratories. Laboratory work isn’t about immediate results; the key is mastering basic skills. For example, proficiency in Western Blot and immunofluorescence—two core techniques—lays a solid foundation for understanding broader experimental methods, enabling cross-application. Start with mastering basic skills and accumulate knowledge gradually.”

Diversified Endeavors:

Dare to Try, to “Break out of the cocoon and transform into a butterfly”

Life is like a multi-faceted diamond—each side can shine uniquely. Beyond academic achievements, ZUO Hangjia excels in cultural and sports activities. In the“Internet Plus” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, she led her team from the bottom of the university-level competition to win the municipal championship, constantly pushing boundaries and refining their roadshow. For hobbies, she relieves stress through piano and won table tennis competitions. She believes: “Diverse hobbies are not only effective stress relievers but also important ways to broaden horizons.”

he emphasizes developing public speaking skills: “If you want to be outstanding, first you have to stand out. Keep standing out, then you can be outstanding.”

“First, push yourself to take the first step and dare to try.” Before going to  university, ZUO Hangjia had no public speaking experience. A pivotal turning point in her life was her first speech competition. Recalling the experience, she says, “If you’re hesitant about taking the stage or signing up for an event, just push yourself to take that first step.” Her journey began with an English talent competition. Despite limited English proficiency at the time, she mustered the courage to participate. In the impromptu speech round of the second match, she stumbled through the topic and nearly gave up, but fortunately advanced to the next stage. With continuous effort, she eventually won the second prize.

This experience taught her: Many things are not as difficult as they seem. Daring to try and break through one’s own limits often brings unexpected rewards.

Looking back on her comeback in the “Internet Plus” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, ZUO Hangjia admits she was not favored initially, as her prior experience focused on English speaking contests. However, she practiced day and night before the competition, refining every tone of her speech. Ultimately, having lived up to her own efforts, she won the gold award as the core leader of the project.

In her view, as long as you find the courage to stand up and believe in yourself, you’ve already succeeded in more than half the battle. You can consult people with public speaking experience, ask them to listen to your speech on-site and offer suggestions, such as posture, changes in intonation, and more. With guidance from professionals, your public speaking skills will improve more quickly.

Besides English speaking awards, ZUO Hangjia has won awards in table tennis competitions. During the most stressful moments, she turns to her hobbies to relieve pressure, which helps her get through those busy and rushing days. She loves musical instruments, music, and sports—all of which are great ways to relieve stress. When she is stuck in a non-stop routine for a long time and finds it hard to relax, she plays the piano, often sitting there for two to three hours at a stretch. “In this process, I feel very relaxed and calm, and my mood improves a lot,” she says. Sometimes, she also tries to collaborate on music works with her peers, which brings her a great sense of accomplishment.

Even if you feel too busy during your postgraduate studies—for example, when overwhelmed by long-term experimental stress—you can sign up for a yoga class, a Pilates class, or connect with a community that allows you to relax temporarily. These are all excellent choices.

English: A Key to Unlock the World

ZUO Hangjia had served as a simultaneous interpreter for Aier Eye Hospital Group, translating for renowned ophthalmologists from Canada and the UK (ranked among the top 100 in ophthalmology). She also interpreted at the conference for the first product introduction of Zeiss SMILE Pro femtosecond laser equipment to mainland China.

Recalling her early days of learning English, it was her love for the language that opened a new world for her. From being unable to speak English at all as a freshman to gradually speaking fluently, she spent nearly four years practicing and accumulating experience. In her first year of college, she joined the school’s English corner, practicing whenever she had time and seizing every opportunity to improve. Later, she became obsessed with American TV shows, where the lines are authentic, formal, and elegant. Sometimes, drawn in by the plot, she would watch for five consecutive hours a day. As time added up, she found herself able to watch without English subtitles because she could understand most of the content. So she turned off the subtitles and rarely used them afterward, only looking up words or phrases when encountering particularly difficult parts.

When she first started watching American TV shows, she would rewatch the first episode dozens of times and even tried to memorize it. The characters’ spoken English was very standard: she first attempted to memorize the entire first episode, and later gradually tried to memorize the whole first season. This process took a long time due to the large number of episodes and rich dialogues. It was through a turning point that she achieved the first qualitative leap in her listening and speaking skills.

Quantitative change leads to qualitative change. When accumulation reaches a certain level, one will develop a strong sense of the intonation and wording of the language.

Later, she adjusted the playback speed to 1.25x, even 1.5x. After getting used to the faster speaking speed, when she switched back to the normal speed, she found the speech much slower. She mentioned that for the listening in IELTS, one can practice through some targeted training websites.

Zuo Hangjia offered specific and effective advice on English learning. “To sum up, listening requires creating a good language environment; speaking demands accumulation and confidence; reading needs extensive practice to understand language habits; and writing, academic writing in particular, calls for memorizing high-quality expressions and reading more papers to master a concise and precise language style.”

Message to Juniors: On the Path of Medicine, Only Passion and Persistence Are Invaluable

While ophthalmic surgeries are not long in duration, professional growth in this field is slow; while competition in the industry is fierce, holding fast to one’s original aspiration is far more valuable. If you choose this path, first ask yourself: Can you stand by the operating table until dusk, yet still cheer for a tiny glimmer of progress?

01 Clarify Your True Aspiration

She shared that when choosing medicine as a career, you must first clarify whether you truly love the discipline. Ophthalmology may seem relatively easy, but this is only a superficial impression. In reality, the workload is heavy, and it demands high physical stamina and stress resilience from doctors.

02 Define Your Goals and Learn to Prioritize

In the medical field, do you tend to prioritize clinical practice with research as a supplement, or do you want to focus solely on research and give up clinical work? Think deeply and follow your inner answer.

03 Focus on Improving Practical Skills and Stay Grounded

“No one can gain wealth beyond their cognition, nor can they handle fame beyond their abilities.” One’s future is determined by their capabilities—luck and strength complement each other. “Throughout my postgraduate studies, my core focus was on mastering skills,” she said. This applies to any field: lay a solid foundation, hone your skills, stay grounded, and then you can move forward and expand your horizons.

04 Be Humble, Eager to Learn, and Strive for Excellence

On the path of medical training, proactively seize every opportunity to engage with multidisciplinary scholars. Diligently observe diverse surgical procedures and clinical rotations under various mentors, thereby cultivating a comprehensive and profound understanding of your specialty's full continuum–from initial diagnosis to definitive management."

Ophthalmologists need not only exquisite skills but also the ability to communicate with patients. “Dizziness may occur after high-end lens implantation, informing patients in advance helps dispel doubts.” She also emphasized the importance of aligning with international standards: “Any leading country or company is a role model we should learn from.”

At the end of the interview, she smiled and shared her recent plans: to apply for further studies, gain an understanding of the world’s advanced ophthalmic standards, and acquire more cutting-edge techniques that benefit patients.