Dr. Winston and Dr. Walter Sy: The sons also rise

Last week, we discussed the story of a remarkable dentist, Dr. William Sy Ting Pang, 80, whose two sons and their spouses have already joined him and his wife Dr. Eugenia in the family practice.

For the last two decades, Dr. Eugenia has taken on an administrative role. But Dr. William, with his passion for creating models and working with his hands, is still taking on patients to this day.  Patients are so loyal that one of his earliest (and oldest) clients still sees him, half a century after the family opened its first clinic in Binondo.

Were the couple’s two sons, Dr. Winston Uy Sy, 51, and Dr. Walter “Wally” Uy Sy, a year younger, pressured to enter the family business?

“Definitely not,” says Dr. Winston.  “Wally and I grew up seeing our father enjoying what he was doing.  He made restoration work look like play.”

Dr. Winston decided to further specialize in dental implants, aside from the usual crowns and bridges.  He took further studies in the United States and often attends international conferences on cutting-edge technologies, such as 3-D printing, which might be the next big thing on the dental horizon.

“When we were growing up, our father never complained about his work,” says Dr. Wally.  “He made his job seem like so much fun.”

“In the olden days, only my wife knew how tired I was,” Dr. William laughs.  “I would slump in the chair and try to relax. But to our children, I never complained at all.”

“Even after seeing patients the whole day, our father worked in the lab building molds from scratch,” says Dr. Wally.  “It was fascinating.   Of course, we wanted to be like him!  As early as grade school, we already knew we would become dentists.  There was no other profession for us, and the University of the East, his alma mater, was our only option.”

Dr. Eugenia says that she had tried to steer Dr. Wally towards architecture, because the latter has a talent for art.  But her son had made up his mind long ago.

No conflict

The parents, the sons, the in-laws see each other practically every day, except Wednesday, in their family practice clinic in Pasig.  Dr. William recognizes the value of physical and mental rest, so he mandated an off-day mid-week.

“We want quality for every client, and we cannot do that if we are tired,” says Dr. William.  Sunday is family day, and the clinic is open on Saturday mornings.

Don’t the family get tired of seeing each other all the time?

“No, we even have lunch together,” says Dr. Wally,  “We discuss cases during lunch, especially the difficult ones.  It is great for clients, because we get many perspectives since we are all dentists.  We learn a lot from each other.”

Any sibling rivalry?  “None,” says Dr. Winston.  Dr. William agrees, “Somehow my sons do not quarrel, not much.”

“Think of it like marriage,” says Dr. Wally.  “If you choose the right person and you start off correctly with the basics, then your marriage will be smoother and it will last.  It’s the same thing with the job.  If you choose the right profession and you find meaning in what you do, then there won’t be much conflict.”

“All of us do the usual dental work, but it also helps that we have our specialties,” Dr. Wally continues.  “Me in surgery, Winston in dental implants, his wife Dianne in tooth fillings, my wife Helen in root canals.”

Because dentistry is Dr. Wally’s passion, before entering dental school, he was already psyched to finish.  Again he compares it to marriage.  “For me, dentistry was the best fit, so I was ready to do whatever it takes to be a good dentist.  Some classmates dropped out in the middle of the course, others griped about how hard the subjects were.  They did not really love dentistry, which for them was just another job.”

Patients first

The Sy family members pride themselves on quality.  Their dental assistants are treated like family, but they have to deliver.  When employees have been given more than one chance and still cannot meet expectations, then they are let go, gently but firmly.

“If for example, they do not know how to take dental x-rays properly, then the patient suffers,” says Dr. William.  “We talk to employees and say, do you think this is the best way to treat clients?  Our people know we mean business.”

“It is also our reputation on the line,” says Dr. Wally.  “Our patients come first.”

Next week, we conclude the saga of this family by looking at what ultimately motivates them.

Queena N. Lee-Chua is on the Board of Ateneo de Manila University’s Family Business Development Center.  Get her book “Successful Family Businesses” at the University Press (email [email protected].)  Email the author at [email protected].