When Qing Dong, MD, a Hill Physicians pediatrician and endocrinologist in Daly City, opened Sound Pediatrics in 2010, she decided against a waiting room television. Instead, she brought in a baby grand piano. Dr. Dong encourages patients to play, and her clinic hosts popular music appreciation nights where young instrumentalists practice together.
“Many people have iPhones, iPads and digital things,” says Dr. Dong. “I think every child should be exposed to music.”
While she jokingly calls herself “musically illiterate,” Dr. Dong excels at her profession. She was accepted into medical school in her native China at just 15 years old.
“My parents felt we needed a physician in the family,” she explains. “I was the oldest of five kids, and they said, ‘You’re the one.’”
She trained in China, Chicago and Indianapolis before accepting a fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. Today, she appreciates the autonomy of her own practice along with the support of Hill Physicians; she regularly refers patients to our medical group’s online health resources and RelayHealth service.
Outside the office, Dr. Dong is a California Academy of Sciences docent and enjoys exploring local parks and watching her own children’s musical performances. Being a parent of three makes her a more empathetic and responsive physician, she believes.
“I have a tendency to consider what parents would think and feel,” says Dr. Dong. “The bottom line is that you want your kids to be well.”