Dr. Shiko Tsai (蔡希科)

After graduating from Hsinchu Senior High School as a top student, Dr. Tsai easily passed the competitive entrance exam and was admitted to the prestigious Kaohsiung Medical University. He spent 7 years studying medicine in this beautiful southern port city of Taiwan. Shiko was recruited by Taiwan Rehab Hospital in Taipei after fulfilling Taiwan’s mandatory military service. Upon completion of residency training in Taipei, Dr. Tsai passed the ECFMG test, giving him the opportunity to apply for residency training in the United States. He was accepted, and set out for America in the summer of 1968. Because part of his medical training in Taiwan was not recognized in America, Dr. Tsai did a rotating internship from 1968 to 1969 at Freedmens Hospital. From 1969 to 1972, Shiko was a Neurology Resident at Veterans Administration Hospital. He completed training in Electroencephalography by June 1973, also at Veterans Administration Hospital. In February 1974, Dr. Tsai finished his Neurology Fellowship at DC General Hospital. Medical credentials in hand, Dr. Shiko Tsai started a life long, successful career at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Washington, DC. He retired at the end of 1999.

During his golden years of retirement, Shiko thoroughly enjoyed pursuing his many interests: world travel, photography and music, to name a few. He and his wife Meiyin visited many destinations on almost all the continents on Earth, and shared the wonderful pictures and video they took on their various adventures. As a life long, enthusiastic member and one time President of the DC Hakka Association (a Taiwanese cultural ethnic group), Dr. Tsai devoted his time and efforts all these years. He was greatly appreciated by his fellow Hakkanian people in the Washington metropolitan area. As a founding member of the DC Hakka TungFa chorus, a renowned local folk song singing group and an active member of the Tung-Hsin Chorus, Dr. Tsai was a well-respected, admired and sought after bass singer in the Taiwanese DC chorus world.

As a loving, devoted husband, father and grandpa, Dr. Shiko Tsai is survived by his wonderful, dedicated life partner and wife Meiyin, daughter Diana, son Roger, granddaughter May, and grandsons: Ryan, Raymond and Justin.

【蔡希科醫師生平事略】

蔡希科醫師在 一九三九年十一月六日出生於臺灣新竹縣, 在蔡添錦先生、彭雪穗女士所育之八名子女中 排行第二，也是新竹竹東蔡家三房之長子。名「希科」係台灣日據時期日文名字之中文音譯。亦是希得名科之義。

自幼聰明頴慧、學業成績永遠名列前茅、且個性和善、很有人緣。自小喜愛音樂的他，中學六年都參加新竹中學交響管樂隊，是伸縮啦叭手。大學聯考考入高雄醫學院。畢業後 希科在臺北台灣療養院工作期間考取美國實習醫師資格, 一九六八年夏赴美受訓實習。定居於華府郊區古鎭 亞力山卓(Alexandria)至今。和樂建家，先後育有一兒一女 : 文宛(Diana) 思聰(Roger)。

對於通過ECFMG考試前來美國的醫生，美國醫療系統雖然承認外國醫學院畢業生資格, 但並不認可在美國境外所曾接受的醫療訓練。因此 希科需先接受一年之實習醫訓練, 才可以開始他為期三年之神經內科住院醫師的生涯。希科在華府退伍軍人醫院先後完成了神經內科以及ㄧ年腦電波圖(Electroencephalography) 之專科訓練，接著 也曾在華府DC General Hospital作為期八個月之神經內科專科研究員。

完成這些應有的醫療養成訓練 並考取醫師証照之後，希科開始了他在華府著名的聖伊利沙白醫院的醫師生涯，懸壺濟世、ㄧ直工作到一九九九年底退休為止。

褪下白袍、退休之後的蔡醫師 終於有機會追求且享受他廣泛的興趣，如音樂、世界旅遊及攝影等。他是「大華府客家桐花合唱團」的創始人之一, 童心合唱團的資深團員, 也長年參加在華府地區其他合唱團 如立人、雅音合唱團之音樂會演出。他準確、渾厚、而優美的低音演唱, 深受團友們之愛重, 可說是各個合唱團不可或缺的台柱團員。

蔡醫師一向熱心客家事務，乃是早期大華府客家同鄉會創會期間之得力會員。亦曾於一九八九年當選客家會會長ㄧ職，戮力於服務華府客家鄉親、推展客家語言、文化傳承等相關工作, 可說不遺餘力。因此 深受大華府客家鄉親之敬重、感佩。

蔡醫師亦是淳厚、念舊之人，對於海內外新竹中學校友會、高醫校友會所舉辦的種種活動 總是欣然與會、熱誠投入。

蔡醫師天生秉性忠厚、為人謙和樂群, 同儕或鄉親多樂與之言交，人緣甚為殊勝。可惜 天命難違，如此熱愛生命、生活 且備受愛載的蔡醫師 卻驟然離世、匆匆走完未竟之旅程，徒然留下傷痛無比的親人、及唏噓、難捨的衆多同儕、鄉親、好友！

蔡醫師身後 遺下結褵逾四十六載的愛妻美英，女兒文宛，兒子思聰，外孫女羅紗(May), 及三名愛孫：維方(Ryan) , 維航(Raymond) and 維光(Justin)。