Yonsei Institute
for Global Health

1) Please introduce yourself.

My name is HENG Chhayroud, I am 30 years old. I am the youngest child in a family with 4 members. I have one older sister and one older brother.

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

Currently, I work as a general cardiologist at Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.  

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

Well, it's a long story. First, I got to know Severance from a senior of mine who was also a fellow in electrophysiology at severance. Then I got the chance to meet Professor Chun HWANG in Cambodia who introduced me to Professor Hui-Nam PAK, my responsible professor at Severance Hospital. 

I choose Severance Hospital for my fellowship because this hospital is well-known as one of the biggest hospitals in Korea and also in Asia. With the advanced technique here I believe I could become a well-trained doctor to serve back my country when I finish. 

4)  How long is your training period in Korea?

My training period is for 1 year which started from 1st March 2023 until the end of February 2024. 

5)  Which area did you focus on during your fellowship at Severance?

I am currently a fellow in Electrophysiology, a subspecialty of cardiology that enrolls in the treatment of patients with heart rhythm disorders. And my supervising professor is Professor Hui-Nam PAK.

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

Severance Hospital has a long history and is renowned for its high-quality medical services, advanced technologies, and skilled medical professionals. The hospital’s state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technologies create an environment that fosters learning and innovation.

Having an opportunity to train at Severance Hospital is a transformative journey that shapes me into a competent, compassionate, and globally-minded healthcare professional. The combination of outstanding medical resources, expert guidance, diverse patient cases, and exposure to a unique cultural setting creates an unforgettable and enriching experience that will leave a lasting impression on my medical career.

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

The specific contents of my fellowship here is electrophysiology which focus on the both medical treatment and intervention like radiofrequency ablation or cryoablation of arrhythmia those include supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), Atrial fibrillation (AF), ventricular arrhythmia (VA). Furthermore, also I am training in managing the Cardiac Implantable Electronic devices include Pacemaker (PM), intracardiac implant defibrillator (ICD) and Cardiac resynchronize therapy (CRT). At last, of course I also enroll in some of research activities too. 

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

If I have the chance to comeback, ventricular arrhythmia is one of the things I would like to focus on. It’s a life-threatening condition, but yet by understanding the mechanism of the disease we can help to treat those patients that need help. Also, it is also interesting as when we talk about ablation procedure it’s a kind of brainstorming, many things that we need to keep in mind included understanding well about cardiac anatomy, localization of the focus using ECG, imaging, mapping technique and signal interpretation. Additionally, I am interested in Left atrial appendage device occlude and I would like to dig deep into the conduction system pacing as well, as these are the new developing technique in electrophysiology. 

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

First of all, I am extremely grateful to my responsible professor Hui-Nam PAK, he made significant contributions to the field of electrophysiology and has a reputable profile in the medical community. He keeps inspiring me, teaching me and also give me very good advice everyday so I can keep on a good progress in my training. Also, I would like to thank to Professor Chun HWANG, visiting professor of Severance, for his sponsorship toward my training here, without him I might not be possible to train here. He is a pioneer and world known Electrophysiologist. I learned so much things from him especially in complicated ECG analysis and EGM signal interpretation. 

Additionally, I also thank to all the professor at the EP lab including Professor Bo-young JOUNG, Professor Jae-son UHM, Professor Tae-Hoon KIM, Professor Dae-Hoon KIM. They are very professional and kind toward all the fellows. I deeply appreciate their kind assistance. Lastly, many thank for the kindness and generous of all the EP fellows, EP lab team including EP nurses and EP technicians. 

10) What was your first impression of Korea?

Certainly, Rapid technology innovation and advancement is the first thing that impress me but also there are many more things like rich in cultural heritage, traditional villages with a unique architecture. I also like Warm hospitality of the people here and I feel amaze that Korea is a very safe country to live, even in late night I can walk alone without worrying about the robbery or something. There are also many and many more thing to impress including delicious cuisine, Beautiful landscape and also the strong work ethic and commitment of Korean peoples. 

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

There have many best memories here starting from the first month here in Korea, I have the chance to meet friends from the others countries during the Prime course training of the international fellowship and we still hangout sometime. Then I still remember the first time I am successful in positioning the catheter in the coronary sinus and also my first time in successful did the transseptal puncture. I also feel amaze about the view and architecture of the many palaces and museum I have been too. Bukchon Hanok village is also an interest place to visit for me. And I am looking forward to explore more amazing places of this wonderful country.