Dr. Li-Duen Clark, MD, has been delivering TVA babies for over seven years and said she loves working with BYU-Hawaii students
Dr. Li-Duen Clark has been working at the BYU–Hawaii Health Center as an obstetrician-gynecologist (ob-gyn) for seven years and delivers one to four babies a week, she shared.
Clark explained she has her own clinic, the Windward Obstetrics, and Gynecology, in Kaneohe, but she comes to the BYUH Health Center every Wednesday to provide prenatal care for student mothers.
Clark said seven years ago the BYUH Health Center asked her to work with them and come to the BYUH campus to help students. “Most students do not have cars, and catching a bus during pregnancy is hard, so I accepted the request to make students’ prenatal care more convenient.”
Noelle Pohina, Dr. Clark’s medical assistant and office manager, said, “Every Wednesday she checks 9-10 BYUH student mothers, and we hope we can come more often because her Wednesdays are so busy and her schedule is always packed.”
Love and service for BYUH students
Even though she has to drive a long distance to come to campus, she said Wednesdays are her favorite day of her weeks. “I am always impressed by BYUH students. They study and work while building their young families.”
Clark shared the majority of the BYUH students she works with are usually expecting their first child. She believes their future pregnancies won’t be too scary if their first pregnancy experience was good. “I spend a lot of time helping them learn about pregnancy from the beginning to the end. I believe it is an important foundation for their parenthood.”
Janlavtsogzol Battulga, a senior from Mongolia majoring in accounting, said when she came to BYUH, she got pregnant right away with her first son and met with Clark. “I thought she would be an old white woman, but I was shocked that she is a young and beautiful Asian doctor. She is very experienced and gentle. She is knowledgeable and knows what she is doing.”
“She delivered my first son and did my prenatal care for my second pregnancy with twins. I had such bad morning sickness and felt very discouraged about all my pregnancies,” Battulga said.
“Almost every prenatal visit, I cry and tell her my concerns. She never ignores my concerns and always understands me and advises the best solutions. She is always very calm and comforts me. Her encouragement really helped me.”
Photo by Jeffery Dang
Clark commented pregnancy and parenthood are a big change in life and most of her patients do not have their parents or family members nearby, making it even harder. “I try my best to make their pregnancy and prenatal care experience as enjoyable as possible.”
Clark shared before she came to Hawaii, she wanted to teach at a university. However, there is only one medical school in Hawaii, so she decided to do private practice. “I am glad I still have a chance to serve students. I love BYUH students and really enjoy working with them.”
She said she could not remember how many TVA babies she delivered since she started working with BYUH. Some months, she delivers babies once a week and some months, 3-4 times a week, she shared.
COVID-19 effects
Clark said the COVID-19 pandemic cut off the best part of her job, which is having her patients’ family members at prenatal visits. “There are very few types of visits to hospitals that are exciting. One of them is prenatal visits.”
Especially for first-time parents, like most BYUH students, it is a happy moment to see their unborn baby on the ultrasound, she said. “However, because of social distancing, [they are] not allowed to have any visitors at the prenatal visits for now.”
Clark said she chose to be an OB-GYN because most parts of her job are happy and exciting. She shared, “My mother’s side has many eye doctors, and they wanted me to be like them. Sometimes when I complain about having to deliver someone at 2 AM, they tell me how hard they tried to persuade me to be an eye doctor and tease me. However, I am happy with what I am doing now.”
More about Clark
Clark was born and raised in Taiwan and moved to the United States when she was 12. She grew up and finished all of her studies in Boston. She has received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Boston University and has been working as an OB-GYN for over 13 years.
She met her husband, Dr. Jean-Paul Clark, MD, at medical school who is also an experienced OB-GYN. Battulga shared when she went to their clinic in Kaneohe, she saw Clarks’ medical diplomas and awards they had received over the years and was very proud of them.
Pohina said she has been working with Clarks for over three years. “[The] Clarks have a smaller clinic compared to other doctors, so it gives them time to build relationships with their patients and treat them well. They love what they do. They are very knowledgeable and caring for their patients.”
Photo provided by Li-Duen Clark
Clark said she and her husband were so tired of cold weather, so they decided to move to Hawaii and started their own clinic. She said there were many memorable and precious moments during her career, but what she remembers most are the sad ones like mothers close to death or babies passing away.
“If it is a normal and easy delivery, mothers do not need me that much. However, those complicated deliveries are the ones that I have to be there and make quick decisions and help them.” Li-Duen Clark shared, “Fortunately, those complicated ones are rare, but they really stick in my memories.”