Yonsei Institute
for Global Health

1) Please introduce yourself.

My name is Luqman Osman and I am 52 years old. I am married and I have four children : three sons and one daughter . My wife is a gynaecologist and my eldest son is studying in Medical School , the middle son is in High School and then we have twins , a boy and girl. The twins will be three years old in this September. 

2) Where is your working place back in your country and what is your specialty?    

I have worked as Consultant at King Saud Medical City, Riyadh , Saudi Arabia for   ten years in the Department Of General Surgery. I have worked in the Division Of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery for the last two years. My interest is Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery , Minimally Invasive Surgery and Surgical Oncology.

3) How did you get to know Severance? Why did you choose Severance as your training hospital?    

I have known about Severance Hospital since 2017 when the doctors from King Saud Medical City came to this great institution for the first time for speciality training. Severance Hospital is a recognized  world leader in Speciality training in the field of Medicine and Surgery . Prof. Woo Jin Hyung  of Severance Hospital , my trainer and mentor, is a world authority in the field of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery. Prof. Woo Jin Hyung is a pioneer robotic upper gastrointestinal surgeon. So it is not difficult to see the reason for choosing this great institution . Infact, I am most humbled and grateful to Severance Hospital for giving me this opportunity to be trained in great institution in the field of upper gastrointestinal surgery.

4) How long is your training period in Korea?  Which area did you focus on during your fellowship at Severance?  

I am enrolled in the Fellowship Of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery for a period of one year ,starting from 28thFeburary 2022.  As Severance Hospital is a world leader in Robotic Surgery. It is my aim to learn the art and craft of robotic surgery in  Gastrointestinal Surgery.

5) What is the most impressive feature of Severance Hospital?  

I tell all my friends and family members that the Severance Hospital lives upto its motto and slogan : the first and the best. Infact when you are approaching the Severance Hospital for the first time , its twin towers of Central Hospital and the Cancer Hospital impress immediately for their architectural design and layout . And as one enters the entrance to the Severance Hospital on the First Floor, one immediately notices the stream of patients going up on the escalators and when you are coming down from the third floor , one admires the imposing yet gentle  façade of the Noah’s Ark. 

Then, when one enters the Operating Rooms , be they in the Main Operating Rooms complex or the Cancer Hospital Complex, the design and layout of the rooms and world class operating equipment , minimally invasive and robotic, impresses very much.

6) What are the specific contents of your fellowship program at Severance?  

My Fellowship in Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery is about the management of disorders of Gastrointestinal System and the focus is on the laparoscopic and robotic Upper Gastrointestinal operative procedures.

7) If you were to get the chance to come back, which field of clinical study would you like to focus on?

If I were to get a chance to come back, I will like to join the Thoracic Surgical department and acquire the latest skills in the field of robotic esophageal surgery .

8) Who are you most thankful for at Severance(who helped you the most) & why?

I am thankful to the consultants and fellows of  department of upper gastrointestinal surgery for their welcoming and cooperative manner . I am most  thankful to Prof. Woo Jin Hyung for giving me this opportunity to work in his Department . Indeed, it is a highest honour to be trained by Prof. Woo Jin Hyung , for which I will remain eternally grateful to him. I am thankful to Dr. Sung Hyun Park ,  senior Fellow , Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery for being the best guide during this period of training at Severance Hospital.  As I had no familiarity with the hospital system, his continuous support and direction has been most valuable to benefit from this training at Severance Hospital.

9) What was your first impression of Korea?

I have known about Korea since my childhood days and right from the time of landing  at Incheon International Airport till this time , every day has been a learning of how great nations develop their systems and manage cities with the provision of world class transportation system, spotless cleanliness of the cities and friendly cosmopolitan atmosphere.

10) What is the best memory so far during your stay here?

My best memories to this time are my travels to the cities of Daegu, Yeosu and Suwon for participating in my speciality’s conferences.  The high speed train travel , the even pace of development that can be felt and seen in these cities besides Seoul tells a lot about the strong hardworking and innovative national character of the people of Korea. 

11) Please describe a special/troublesome experience you went through because of COVID19 during your fellowship.

During the time of Covid Pandemic, I was in King Saud Medical City and I had to witness many trouble some experiences , with surgical patients having Covid infection becoming very sick due to the infection and loss of colleagues who passed away during the Pandemic from the Covid infection acquired while treating patients.