Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Peter C. Kwong.
Dr. Kwong, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My family and I emigrated from Hong Kong when I was 8 years old. Not understanding the culture nor speaking English, it was difficult for us to adjust to life in San Francisco. Having to start working at 12 years old selling soft drinks at the ball park, I learned the value of strong work ethics and perseverance. I also learned to accept things I cannot change and make positive changes where possible, and always see a little humor in every situation. I was fortunate to be accepted into an accelerated program and began conducting medical research at the University of California, San Francisco Medical School at the age of 14 to assist in investigating how aging affected the cells of the liver.
Unfortunately, my mother suffered a stroke when I was fifteen and was partially paralyzed. Although this was very negative time period in my life, it had positive effect of increasing my desire to help others in the medical field. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in biochemistry and genetics, I spent a year performing genetic cloning research at the University of California, San Francisco Medical School. Realizing my desire to work with people directly, I attended Medical School in New York. My passion for athletics including running two Boston Marathons, being a tennis instructor, being a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, bicycling and swimming led me to complete a residency in Orthopedic Surgery along with a fellowship in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic surgery. For the past twenty two years, I have been practicing orthopedic surgery and sports medicine and my practice is currently in Southlake Texas. I still enjoy sports and participate in local triathlons and enjoy taking care of sports related injuries and general orthopedics.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My father taught me many years ago that life is undulated with highs and low. Certainly, my life has had its moments. Growing up in an unfamiliar country and not speaking English was quite difficult at first. However with a strong family upbringing and wonderful friendships, we made lemonade out of lemons. For many years, the five of us lived in a one bedroom apartment above a pizza parlor in San Francisco that was owned by a slum lord and was infested with rats. But through hard work and perseverance, my siblings and I have each achieved our own personal goals. The toughest and most career altering period in my life was seeing my mother ill at the fringe of death and then being amazed at how modern science was able to save her life.
Kwong Orthopedics & Sports Medicine – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am the founder and president of Kwong Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Southlake, Texas and I have been practicing Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine for the past twenty-two years in Texas. My primary practice interest lies in disorders of the knees and shoulders. Having competed in multiple sports, I understand the stages of sports related injuries and the difficulty of recovery in order to return to a competitive level.
Unlike many other physicians, I strongly believe in having a small town style doctor/patient relationship with my patients to provide one on one personal care. I am proud that I try to get to know all of my patients as individuals. I do not use a paging service and every one of my patients has my cell phone number so each patient may reach me directly. Being a solo practitioner and owning my own medical practice, I have the ability to spend as much time as needed with each of my patients. Through my own personal sports related injuries, I am able to empathize with my patients and understand their frustrations at the duration of recovery pain of healing and rehabilitation and aggravation of being unable to participate in their chosen activities during recovery.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as achieving personal happiness. Not in the materialistic way but more spiritually.
Contact Info:
- Address: Kwong Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
1545 East Southlake Blvd., Suite 270, Southlake Texas, 76092 - Website: kwongorthopedics.com
- Phone: (817) 416-2380
- Email: pkwong.md@sbcglobal.net
- Facebook: Dr. Peter Kwong
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