Alumni Linkage — OU People

'I'm really a fun-loving person!' Dr Mimi Tiu Mei-ha said heartily. To her, 'having fun' is actually embracing life with passion and filling it all up with positive energy. 'Nursing and healthcare workers are often faced with senescence, illnesses and death. It is very important to remain upbeat and stay optimistic.'

Nice teacher sets strict demands on students

Joining the University in 2004 as a part-time tutor, Dr Tiu later became a full-time Lecturer in 2006. She loves to mingle with students all the time. 'I take my students to jog in order to invigorate them and arouse their interest in study.' But she is also very demanding on her students. From a neat and tidy appearance to the ways the nursing duties are performed, such as the distribution of medicines and the cleaning of wounds, everything needs to be accurately and meticulously done. 'Nursing is a career concerns life and death,' she emphasized. There is zero tolerance for mistakes and every detail has to be done right. 'When students really made a mistake, I would first understand the difficulties they encountered. Scolding alone does not help.'

Dr Tiu is most gratified to see the graduates excel as frontline nursing professionals. Some of them are even serving as clinical mentors and visit the alma mater from time to time sharing experiences with their fellow schoolmates. A kind, gentle but tough teacher, Dr Tiu has developed deep friendships with her students over the years. She was well respected and adored by them and has been invited to attend their wedding banquets for many times. 'I was once arranged to sit at the head table. The graduate treated me like family and I was so touched,' she recalled.

Do what you love, love what you do

An active lifestyle suits Dr Tiu as much as a sedentary one. She has a wide range of interests: harp, French, running and swimming. She started out jogging at the park and in recent years, she has joined marathon races in Hong Kong and Japan. She has even taken up the triathlon challenge. Her view on physical exercise is simple: 'It is for my health. I play sports because I want to improve my physique. Through taking part in races, I can better understand my abilities. Though I'm not outstanding in sports, I really love the fun.'

She has also been to some backward areas to work as medical volunteers. Since 2010, she has joined medical volunteer groups to Southeast Asia providing voluntary nursing services and training to local medical staff. She has reflected on her life from time to time during the interactions with the local people. After returning, she shared her experiences with her students and some of them even followed her footsteps to help the disadvantaged in overseas communities.

The gentle and active teacher always adheres to her life motto ─ do what you love and love what you do ─ and brings positive energy to all around her.