Dr. Diana Cua: A woman’s bosom buddy

A surgeon is a medical doctor who treats diseases and injuries mainly by manual operation using instruments. Most surgeons are men. Very few women succeed in being accepted as surgeons. Diana Cua is a breast surgeon.

After studying medicine at the University of the East and receiving her residency in general surgery at Makati Medical Hospital, our bachelor went on to Stanford for her fellowship in breast surgery. In 1998, she returned to the Philippines to fulfill her dreams of being one of the best doctors in her field.

Many of her patients have breast cancer. To enable them to cope with their illness, Dr. Cua helped form Bosom Buddies where survivors dedicated to assist each other meet every other week in her office. Working to overcome this disease has taught Diana that life is about experiencing all sorts of emotions: misery, grief as well as happiness and joy. The gravity of the situation depends on how one deals with it.

What is your passion?

Current events affect me. Doctors becoming nurses just so they can leave the country; domestic helpers being the norm of Filipinos abroad. If we were a stable country, politics would be quiet. Why is politics so noisy here?

What is your most fervent wish?

More dignity and respect for Filipinos. I hope there will be more Filipinos committed to excel in different fields so that collectively we can have a great reputation.

What words or phrase do you use often?

You are not dying in three months or in six months.

How do you resolve your conflicts?

There are things I won’t compromise on. I give my opinion and respect the patient’s right to accept it or not. I embrace the challenge of accepting that we are different from each other.

What sports do you like most?

Golf and Jigong. They are meditative sports that help me to be at peace. Very ethereal unlike my work which is focused on looking for a disease.

What book influenced your life?

I read a passage when I was in grade school that I keep in mind even today. It said "Chase after what you really want and go for it."

What is your motto?

Do what you want if you think you are right. Pursue it.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Ensuring that the interiors of my office and my home are to my liking. That was my labor of love, influenced by the philosophy of Taoism which states that one’s workplace and home are critical to one’s well-being.

Name a moment that brings back happy memories.

My childhood memories of running in the rain with my sister: pure joy. Recognition for an achievement.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Not yet the greatest but right now, being a doctor, helping patients with early breast cancer surgery. Getting the awareness program of breast cancer more active in this country.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Working well with yourself and others. Pursuing what you want in life, living towards that direction. Being a positive influence on the people around you.

Which famous quotation would you have wanted to be the author of?

Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud...

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Hatred. Envy.

Which talent would you most like to have?

The ability to convey things clearly whether through verbal or body language.

What are the qualities you most like in a man?

Integrity, honor, decency, sincerity, fidelity. I don’t expect all of these of him all of the time but that would be his overall essence.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

It is very important for women to be as good as men. I like women who chase after excellence.

What is your greatest regret?

Nothing that I would cry over right now. There is one situation but I haven’t given up yet and am still hopeful that I can resolve it.

What do you most do with your hands?

Write e-mails, reports, memos...

Who greets you when you get home?

Television.

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