Chinese doctor with PhD leaves medical career to deliver food, pursue music part-time
A Chinese doctoral graduate in medicine left her promising hospital job to embrace a “less meritocratic” lifestyle as a part-time freelancer. Liu Zihan, 31, delivers food, performs at a pub, sells breakfast, and explores a variety of part-time jobs that captivate her interests while providing for her living expenses. Before leaving her full-time employment in February, Liu served as a…
Dr. Liu Zihan, a Chinese psychiatrist and PhD graduate, has abandoned her medical career to pursue a more casual lifestyle as a part-time freelancer. In her 31st year, the Zhuhai resident now earns a living through tasks such as delivering food, performing at a local pub, and selling breakfast. She previously worked at a top-tier, Grade 3A hospital in southern China, where she held roles as a psychiatrist and postdoctoral researcher.
Liu's early life was marked by intense competition, having grown up in Hebei province and attended a high school known for its rigorous discipline before attending Sichuan University and the University of Macau for her doctoral studies. By 2022, at 27, she had already earned her doctoral degree and taken up a prestigious position in Zhuhai.
The rigid daily routine and conventional work environment proved increasingly difficult for Liu, leading her to resign after a two-year stint. Initially, she embarked on a travel journey and later began selling breakfast and singing at the pub. Through these part-time endeavors, she encountered a group of friends working in the food and hospitality industries, who embodied an optimism and resilience she found lacking in her previous life.
She adopted their laid-back approach to life, forgoing daily plans and financial projections. Liu continues to practice therapy part-time and admires the camaraderie among gig workers, who extend support and kindness to one another. Her parents, while proud of her academic achievements, are struggling to understand her decision to pursue a more unconventional path.
Liu, however, remains hopeful, envisioning a future filled with concerts, a film about her journey, and a small yard for her cat to roam freely.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
