The Sound of Medicine: Zi-Yang Liew

At the intersection of music and medicine, you’ll find Zi-Yang Liew, a first-year Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Medicine student.

Spanning all the way back to third grade, Liew’s foundation is built on music. He began playing piano in elementary school, following it with choir and violin. By the time high school rolled around, Liew had formed his own barbershop quartet and was a part of his school’s Choralier’s Advanced Choir group.

Somewhere along the way, an interest in science crept up on Liew, too. So, instead of pursuing a career in music — what most people anticipated — he plunged into the world of science.

“I have a curiosity for science and really enjoy helping people, so I decided medicine would be the career path for me,” explains Liew.

Mixing music and medicine

Don’t worry, Liew didn’t lose sight of his passion for music. During his first year at NEOMED, he joined NEOMED’s Musicians in Medicine student organization and became the group’s M1 representative.

“It’s a nice release from all the studying we do. I think it’s important to have music in our lives. Musicians in Medicine is a great way to meet other students who love music,” shares Liew.

As a member of NEOMED’s Radiology Interest Group, Liew is gaining more exposure (pun intended) to what might become a specialty later.

Luckily, Liew still has three years ahead of him before he will make a decision regarding a specialty.

With that in mind, he shares his excitement for the coming years.

“I think it will be cool to be in rotations and figure out what works best for me – what kind of patients I’d like to serve and what age group they’ll be in. I look forward to that.”