In a time when the medical profession remains tightly bound by formal discipline and professional labels, the white coat has come to symbolise more than a vocation — it has become the focal point of a deeper discourse on identity and vision. On 22 June 2025, over a hundred physicians from various specialties, generations, and roles gathered not for a conventional academic seminar or case conference, but to explore one compelling question: Can a doctor’s influence transcend the clinic, cross the boundaries of language, and resonate throughout society?
The “DR.HAO Academy 2025 Annual Summit” deliberately diverged from the traditional routes of medical conferences. It resembled a curated convergence of ideas, bringing together brand builders, digital content creators, visual storytellers, and industry practitioners — all of whom demonstrated, through lived experience, that when physicians learn to articulate their own stories, it is not only a turning point in their careers but a catalyst for reshaping the culture of the healthcare sector.
Dr Roger Chang, founder of DR.HAO Academy, put it succinctly: “A doctor can also be a curator of a lifestyle.”
That phrase became more than a visionary statement — it was embodied in practice on this very day. Some attendees have used short-form videos to dismantle the linguistic barriers in medicine; others have transformed their clinics into branded content platforms. One medical student has become a professional photographer, while others have reimagined clinical practice through the lens of entrepreneurship and risk management. The medical career path is no longer a single vertical ascent, but a multidirectional structure with multiple gateways.
This year’s summit brought together significant voices from the medical world, the content sphere, and the emerging generation of healthcare professionals. Among them were Dr Yi-chen Chang, Executive Director of CMU Hsinchu Hospital; medical image storyteller Karren Kao; Dr Chien-yu Lin, founder of Taiwan Dental Marketing Academy; Dr Michael Tsao, Director of YUE TING Dental Clinic; Dr Yu-yen Huang, Director of A Good Day Clinic; Dr Chun-lin Chen, founder of Yue Clinic; Dr Ming-yang Shih, a physician-turned-creator; 77 Boss, a renowned TCM YouTuber; and Harry Hsu, CEO of《The Icons》.
Some spoke on stage, others joined in dialogue, and many simply came to observe and exchange insights. In an exclusive interview with the British global leadership platform《The Icons》, Dr Roger Chang explained:
“This isn’t merely a gathering — it’s a collective awakening of the white coat consciousness. When doctors realise they can speak for themselves and design their own lives, the very language and hierarchy of medicine begins to shift. The white coat isn’t an identity — it’s a starting point. We are not here to be defined. We are here to open up new possibilities.”
Roger Chang: A De-Medicalised White Coat Experience — A Full-Sensory Awakening
As the founder of DR.HAO Academy, Dr. Roger Chang has long been a leading voice in what he calls the “elevation of the physician’s role”—not simply by promoting side hustles or parallel careers, but by building a second narrative space for medical professionals. A space where doctors can claim their voice and stage beyond the clinic.
“We deliberately de-medicalised the summit,” says Dr. Chang. “It wasn’t just about PowerPoint slides and case studies. It was designed to be a shared, warm, and dynamic space for energy exchange.”
To him, a medical career is a form of curatable life design. From functional medicine to short-form video, personal IP development to content branding and narrative storytelling, the annual summit broke free from the conventions of traditional medical congresses. It became a deep, cross-disciplinary stream of ideas, networking, and entrepreneurship. In Dr. Chang’s eyes, it was a training ground—one that reconnects physicians to society and the world at large.
“The white coat should not be merely a job title. It can be a medium, a style, even a language.”
Speakers at the summit embodied this new narrative. Some built brands through digital content; others embedded cross-sector storytelling into medical practice; still others entered the market as entrepreneurial disruptors. This new generation of physicians is no longer defined solely by technical expertise—they are content creators, knowledge translators, and the nucleus of community magnetism.
But Dr. Chang’s vision extends far beyond the event itself. What he is building through White Coat Life is an emerging ecosystem: one that spans Chinese medicine, Western medicine, and dentistry, and includes physician KOLs from all generations. He is not just offering tools and knowledge—but constructing a continuously evolving and amplifying platform for reimagining medical value.
“We are not just creating an academy. We are shaping a holistic system for diverse physician growth. Our core values: multiplicity, multidimensionality, and meaningful life design. Our mission: to inherit and innovate, to integrate and share, to curate and educate.”
This blueprint is already taking shape—through closed-door workshops, real-world immersion programs, and physician-only KOL strategy labs. Each initiative is designed to help doctors reclaim their narrative, understand the industry, and restore the power of personal choice.
This is not just a summit. It is the beginning of a co-learning revolution. And the white coat? It’s no longer just a uniform. It’s a map of a life one chooses to author.
Yi-chen Chang: The Next Frontier of Medical Practice Lies in Narrative Sovereignty
As the Executive Director of the Hsinchu Branch of China Medical University Hospital and a professional with a strong background in journalism and communication, Yi-chen Chang offered a pointed observation during the summit: in an era where healthcare is increasingly mediated by the press and digital platforms, medical professionalism is no longer defined solely by technique or data—it must be translated into a public language that is understandable, transmittable, and impactful.
“Professionalism is not diluted by exposure. What gets diluted is the expertise that fails to be properly articulated.”
She highlighted a common dilemma facing many physicians in the age of social and mainstream media: even with exceptional clinical skills and strong reputations, those unable to navigate the rhythm of public discourse, incorporate news elements, or construct compelling patient-centred narratives are left to be defined—and potentially misunderstood—by others.
From her experience, three core elements form the foundation of effective medical storytelling: newsworthiness, patient-centred storytelling, and visual persuasiveness. She stressed that physicians must take the initiative to create narratives with public value, delivered in ways that are situational, relatable, and emotionally resonant—not limited to charts or technical jargon.
“If you don’t own the narrative, you must bear the consequences of someone else’s version of it.”
For Chang, short videos and social media are not mere marketing tools, but strategic instruments of contemporary healthcare communication—vital syntaxes for trust-building and professional influence. Trust today, she explained, comes not just from medical skill, but from the ways in which care is communicated, visualised, and made accessible to the wider public.
In her view, the next challenge physicians face is not merely clinical complexity, but the societal perception of their role. Narrative sovereignty—owning and articulating one’s story—will determine how medical professionals are positioned and valued in the public domain.
Karren Kao: From Medical Student to Visual Storyteller — Choosing a Different Way to Embrace Vulnerability
Not every medical student is destined for a clinical path. For Karren Kao, the medical field was never solely about technical output—it was, more profoundly, about holding space for human vulnerability, pain, and uncertainty. She chose to stay, just in a different way: through the lens of a camera.
“That was the moment I realized I wasn’t leaving medicine—I was walking toward another form of healing.” During her final year of medical school, a candid photo of her taken during an internship revealed a version of herself she hadn’t seen before—one that contrasted starkly with the anxious, self-doubting student she used to be. It became a turning point in her life, showing her that medicine isn’t only about treatment, but also about empathy and presence.
Karren shared a powerful memory from her clinical training: a pregnant woman, preparing for childbirth, asked her to stay—not for her medical expertise, but simply because she had held the woman’s trembling hand. It was a moment of silent trust, a wordless bond of comfort.
“I thought that experience would solidify my desire to become a doctor. Instead, I discovered I longed more for connection, for presence, for the warmth we can offer one another.” Photography, for her, wasn’t a way to escape the clinic, but a continuation of it—capturing what the charts couldn’t: the quiet glimmers of humanity in the medical experience.
At the DR.HAO Academy Summit, her story wasn’t just an inspiring anecdote—it was an opening. It invited students and young doctors who felt misplaced in the mainstream path to consider another possibility: you can step outside the expected narrative and still remain true to the heart of medicine.
Karren never left medicine. She simply found another way to hold people.
Chien-yu Lin: Marketing Isn’t a Firework—It’s a Long-Term Architecture of Trust
As the medical field steps into an era of high media visibility, Dr. Chien-yu Lin, founder of the Taiwan Dental Marketing Academy (TDMA), offers guidance that is less about tactics and more about a reaffirmation of professional ethics.
“Short videos aren’t about making you famous—they’re about starting a conversation,” he states. In an age where trust is fragmented, Lin argues that a physician’s expertise shouldn’t hinge on a fleeting moment in the spotlight, but rather be built through carefully crafted, sustained storytelling:
“A doctor isn’t trusted after a single statement. Trust is designed—it doesn’t just happen.”
Lin likens this design to a “funnel of trust,” but he avoids formulaic talk—instead, he speaks of rhythm and logic. He understands that visibility might attract attention, but what makes a physician remembered and respected amid the noise is the consistent, thoughtful delivery of content—not one-hit topics, but the gradual accumulation and translation of meaningful viewpoints.
This kind of content creation isn’t about loud persuasion—it’s about quiet refinement. “If you can’t explain your expertise in a way people want to listen to, then no matter how good your skills are, they’ll stay locked behind a wall of misunderstanding,” he cautions. For him, “translation” is the true language of a doctor—not just of words, but of trust.
“Marketing isn’t a firework—it’s a rhythm. It’s about letting your expertise become memory, and then a choice,” Lin explains. In his framework, a physician should be a deliberate, value-driven communicator, not just another player on a platform. Because professionalism isn’t about speaking louder—it’s about giving people a reason to stay and listen.
Michael Tsao: Risk Isn’t a Warning—It’s the Starting Point of Strategy
While most doctors still see clinic management as an extension of their profession or a personal dream, Michael Tsao, Director of YUE TING Dental Clinic, draws a much sharper and more strategic line—one rooted not in ideals, but in survival.
“You either go big, or stay small. The most dangerous position is in the middle.”
This isn’t a catchy slogan—it’s structural diagnosis.
Tsao categorizes clinics into three distinct operational models: Large-scale clinics wield capital and R&D capabilities, using technological advantages to build barriers of scale.
Small-scale clinics survive by cultivating trust and embedding deeply within their communities, allowing for high flexibility and tight cost control.
But mid-sized clinics? They sit uncomfortably between the two extremes—lacking both innovation investment and relational depth—making them the most vulnerable in market competition.
“Strategy means daring to invest in R&D while having the discipline to control costs. That’s not sentimentality. That’s survival.”
Tsao points out that many doctors are full of ambition when it comes to starting their own clinic—but few are truly prepared to bear the risks that come with it. This gap between aggressive intent and risk consciousness represents a systemic blind spot in today’s healthcare entrepreneurship landscape.
He also referenced a key observation from the summit: Almost every question from the audience was some version of “What if this goes wrong?”
This defensive mindset, he notes, reflects the broader culture of risk-aversion among medical professionals.
“Risk isn’t something you avoid. It’s something you design around.
How you define, deconstruct, and distribute risk determines whether you even have the right to talk about growth.”
To Tsao, a clinic is not a dream incubator—it’s a functioning business machine. Without strategic vision and operational clarity, even the most skilled doctors may be crushed by flawed cost structures and delayed decision-making.
While others at the summit spoke of storytelling, branding, and emotional resonance, Tsao chose to speak the language of risk and structure.
His voice wasn’t the most passionate—but it was the most grounded. In a room full of visionaries, he was the cash flow statement everyone needed to hear.
Yu-yen Huang: A Doctor’s Path Need Not Be Purposeful—It Can Be Exploratory
Yu-yen Huang’s career path—from medical diplomat in Africa to founder of a health-focused weight management clinic—may seem unconventional, but it follows a consistent inner logic. He doesn’t chase titles or seek validation through social expectations. At the DR.HAO Academy Summit, he stated plainly:
“The core of my life is to have fun. If there’s something unknown and worth exploring, I’ll go for it.”
This isn’t about recklessness. Behind his choices lies a clear, flexible philosophy of action—one that avoids rigid goals or single-track ambitions, and instead leaves room for curiosity and detours. He calls this approach “small-step probing”—not diving headfirst into new territory, but edging closer to possibilities before deciding whether to commit.
“You don’t need to have all the answers from the start,” he said. “It’s enough to know whether you’re willing to take the next step.”
His sense of pacing contrasts sharply with the medical education system’s emphasis on precision and certainty. He admitted that the biggest resistance doctors face in transitioning often doesn’t come from external reality, but from internal fear of uncertainty—especially the self-doubt of “Am I good enough?” or “Am I betraying my profession?”
He had once felt the same—until one day he realized: “When you think something is too basic to be worth sharing, it’s usually not because it lacks value—it’s because you’ve stayed in the field too long to see it clearly.”
“We often underestimate how valuable foundational knowledge can be—just because it’s familiar to us doesn’t mean it’s not fresh to others.”
At the summit, Huang didn’t talk about lofty visions or big-picture plans. He spoke about preserving flexibility in choices and keeping playfulness alive in exploration. He discussed magic, the psychology behind doctor–patient interaction, and how to make something both professional and enjoyable. His words weren’t prescriptive, but they carried a strong sense of personal agency.
And that tone—casual yet resolute—offered a rare kind of permission for those physicians just beginning to question their traditional career paths: the permission to move forward even without complete certainty.
When Being a Doctor Is No Longer the Only Answer: Storytelling and New Media as the Next Path
Charlene Chen, founder of L’EXCELLENCE Clinic, bridges the worlds of clinical practice, branding, and digital content. As a self-media creator with nearly 90,000 YouTube subscribers, she has also appeared on mainstream media and talk shows. In her view, being a doctor is not just a professional role—it’s a public figure that deserves to be understood and amplified:
“Many believe doctors should stay focused on clinical work and avoid media exposure. But in an age of fragmented information, if professionals don’t proactively speak up, they risk being misunderstood—or replaced.”
Charlene doesn’t shy away from online scrutiny. She acknowledges that stepping into the public eye as a physician inevitably invites criticism, but rather than absorbing it passively, she chooses to analyse the root causes:
“Most of the attacks aren’t personal—they’re projections of broader societal insecurity. The more you understand that, the more grounded you become.”
For Charlene, storytelling and content creation are not distractions from medicine—they are part of its future.
Intersecting with her was a radically different path in medicine. Dr. Ming-Yang Shih, once a government-sponsored medical student within a traditional medical center, chose to depart from the conventional route after fulfilling his obligations to the system. Instead of following the expected ladder of promotion, he began to redesign his role as a physician. He reflects:
“I had spent years answering to the system. At some point, I wanted my career to be a journey that truly serves myself.”
Dr. Shih didn’t leap out all at once. He admits the early stages of his transition were filled with uncertainty—mainly because the goals were no longer set by others, but required him to ask inwardly:
“What kind of pace do you want? What kind of role do you envision?”
What the DR.HAO Academy summit offered him wasn’t a clear direction, but a mirror. Surrounded by speakers and peers who had already carved alternative paths, he came to realize that choosing itself is a form of professional literacy.
For both Charlene Chen and Ming-Yang Shih, stepping into the public, or pivoting toward the personal, was not a rejection of medicine—it was an extension of it. Their expertise didn’t disappear; it simply found a new way to be seen, understood, and trusted.
This is the starting point of the physician multiverse—where clinical practice is no longer the only stage, and influence flows beyond the consultation room and into society.
Harry Hsu: The Next Battlefield for Physicians Is the Global Trust Coordinate
In a world where global order is in flux and trust structures are being radically reshaped, the medical field is undergoing a profound transformation—one that goes far beyond clinical skill. At its core lies a pivotal question: how can physicians redefine their position and influence in society on a global scale?
Harry Hsu, CEO of《The Icons》—a British global leadership media platform—has spent years helping leaders across medicine, technology, finance, and policy articulate their international impact and cultivate trust capital. He is clear-eyed in his assessment:
“The true power of medicine lies not only in the consultation room, but in the trust built between physicians and society. Trust isn’t a static asset—it must be continuously reconstructed, intentionally designed, and integrated into a physician’s influence.”
Hsu believes the challenges facing medical professionals today extend well beyond the boundaries of their technical expertise. In an era of global value clashes and widespread societal anxiety, physicians who confine themselves to traditional roles risk becoming irrelevant in shaping the future:
“From a brand leadership perspective, modern medical professionalism is no longer just a contest of competence—it’s a competition of values and trust. Physicians must ensure their expertise is not only credible, but also comprehensible and visible. Without that, even the highest calibre of knowledge will fail to create impact.”
What physicians truly need, Hsu argues, is not fleeting popularity or viral content, but a strategic narrative framework—one that resonates across borders and speaks to universal human concerns:
“The story you choose to tell defines how the world perceives your role. Trust doesn’t happen by accident; it must be designed, cultivated, and sustained through systems of communication.”
This shift isn’t just a personal evolution—it’s a strategic imperative for the entire medical profession. As Hsu emphasizes, every doctor already knows that beyond the science of medicine lies a broader story—one of leadership, relevance, and global purpose.
“In an era dominated by noise and superficial branding, many chase the illusion of a ‘personal brand.’ But physicians are called to a higher form of influence—a leadership brand that transcends industry, carries shared values, and shapes public dialogue. What endures is not clicks or trends, but trust—and the ability to offer direction and meaning in uncertain times.”
White Coats Are More Than a Title—They Are a Life Design Blueprint for Every Physician
If this summit served as a gateway for physicians to rediscover their identities, then Dr. Roger Chang is the one who opened that door.
The founding purpose of DR.HAO Academy was never to train doctors into entrepreneurs or content creators, but to help them realise this truth: a physician’s identity does not have to be confined to the clinic—it can be reinterpreted as a personal narrative, shaped by one’s own values and aspirations.
“What we’re doing is helping each physician realise they have the power to design their own life.”
For Dr. Chang, the “white coat” should never be just a uniform—or a societal label of professional status. It is a language of identity, a lens through which one can reframe possibility. Whether choosing to stay deeply rooted in the hospital system, build a personal brand, become a creator, or participate in public discourse—these paths should stem from a conscious recognition of self-worth, not from the traditional ladder of institutional advancement.
“There is no single path anymore. A physician’s career should never look just one way. Beneath each white coat is a unique blueprint and personal story.”
Through DR.HAO Academy, he hopes to connect physicians from all backgrounds—traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine, and dentistry—to build a cross-generational, interdisciplinary space for learning and growth. This isn’t just about branding or entrepreneurship. It’s about awakening a collective awareness: that physicians, too, can become storytellers, curators, and active participants in shaping the future of healthcare.
This summit, then, was not merely about expanding individual career choices—it was a turning point in how healthcare narratives are constructed. When physicians begin to tell their own stories, and when the white coat gains new layers of meaning, the profession as a whole stands a better chance of being understood and trusted by society.
“When doctors learn to choose, medicine becomes freer. And when the white coat is no longer just a title, but a tool for life design—that’s when true professionalism for this era begins.”
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