MASTER'S MESSAGE (NOV-DEC 2012)

16 December 2012

Dear Fellow Academicians

As we approach the close of a busy and demanding year, I would like to wish you all an enjoyable holiday season and a splendid New Year.

Even in the closing months of the year, the Academy and its Colleges were kept abuzz with activities for which I am pleased to bring you the updates.

The Academy Council had the pleasure of  hosting  a  dinner  in  honour  of Mrs Tan Ching Yee, Permanent Secretary for Health at the Academy of Medicine, Singapore on 19 November 2012.

Held in the relaxed setting of the Academy’s Boardroom, we engaged Mrs Tan on the overview and history of the Academy as well as highlights of the Council’s Strategic Plan 2012-2014. A lively and candid discussion invariably followed and much of it pivoted around the role and relevance of the Academy and its many challenges. We elaborated on the Council’s plans to place more focus and resources on its Fellows and to stay relevant to them. A key initiative is to develop a robust continuing professional development (CPD) model and infrastructure to support Fellows’ life‐long learning and help them maintain their professional and specialists competencies throughout their 30‐year career as specialists. We also highlighted that a well- developed and effective CPD model and programmes would require considerable resources and suitable training facility.

Our discussion also touched on concerns relating to specialists training vis-à-vis Residency programmes, exit examinations, partnership with professional bodies, Private Education Act, permanent home for the Academy and statutory board as alternative.

On all counts, the meeting was positive and constructive. Mrs Tan expressed her appreciation of the Academy’s direction and the Council’s concern on the relevance and sustainability of the Academy. She would bring these issues back to MOH to discuss with her colleagues and review a roadmap for long-term partnership between the Academy and MOH.

On behalf of the Council, I  am  grateful  to  Mrs  Tan  for  taking  time  to  dine  with  us. The Academy’s goal remains in upholding the professionalism and clinical competencies of doctors in Singapore. The Council will continue to engage MOH and look forward to many good years of MOH’s support in maintaining the standards of the specialists.

I thought it is noteworthy to mention the forward-looking initiative spearheaded by  the College of Dental Surgeons, Singapore (CDSS). College President, Dr Chan Siew Luen, and his Council held a Networking cum Dinner Session on CPD-MOC for Dental Specialists at the Academy on 1 November 2012. Invitations were extended to all dental specialists in Singapore, i.e. Fellows and non-Fellows, and I was given the privilege to address the session.

Dr SL Chan presented an overview and state of the different CPD-MOC models and also illustrated several frameworks on competency, assessment and revalidation. He underscored that unlike the medical specialists, the validity of the dental specialists’ practising certificate is ten years. As such, MOC is imminent and the leadership of CDSS is duty bound to advocate for the College to develop a robust but practical CPD-MOC framework to help its Fellows maintain competency and standards. Addressing the non-Fellows, Dr SL Chan urged them to join as Fellows to give the College the numbers and legitimacy to influence and deliver the dental specialists’ CPD-MOC agenda. In his closing on CPD-MOC, the CDSS President pointedly concluded, “If we don’t do it, somebody else will.”

On 23 November 2012, the Academy submitted to the Specialists Accreditation Board the paper on Dual Accreditation of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Specialties in Singapore by the College of Radiologists, Singapore (CRS). The paper was prepared by a joint committee from the Chapters of Nuclear Medicine Physicians and Diagnostic Radiologists. The joint committee met over two years to draft, review and revise the paper. It was eventually circulated to all Fellows of CRS before a finalised version was ratified by the CRS Council. The paper also received endorsement from the Council of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore. 

The College of Surgeons, Singapore (CSS) unveiled its Distinguished Surgeon Award recently. The award is to recognise individuals, who are recommended by its Chapters, to have contributed to the development of surgery in Singapore for the past three years with good character and academic records.

On the recommendation of the Chapter of Cardiothoracic Surgeons, the CSS Council awarded the honour to five individuals, who received the decoration from Dr Sayampanathan, CSS President, at the College’s & Chapter’s Conferment Ceremony held at the Conrad Centennial Singapore on 24 November 2012.

In his citation, Dr Lim Chong Hee, Chairman of the Chapter of Cardiothoracic Surgeons highlighted that the recipients were recognised for their significant contributions as examiners for cardiothoracic surgery since 2002. They played an instrumental role in ensuring an impartial and high standard of examination and in the training of local examiners,  which brought international recognition to our exit examinations. They have also helped our cardiothoracic team conduct review course on cardiac and thoracic surgery since 2006.

I  was  invited  as  Guest  of  Honour  in  this  special  event. In my address, I  commended Dr Sayampanathan and Dr Lim Chong Hee for their leadership in bringing our surgical specialists to reach this great milestone in Singapore. I urged more Fellows to come forward to serve the Chapter, the College and the Academy as part of their duties and commitment to serve our medical profession.

The  Academy  together with  its  Colleges  and  Chapters  has  made  commendable  strides  to strengthen our Fellowship.

As we bid the year to a close, I am delighted to report 125 new Fellows joined the Academy in 2012! This enrolment number is the highest after 2005.

This year, the Academy proudly commemorated its 55th year by launching a new membership enrolment scheme on 1 June 2012.  The concerted effort in recruitment drives and initiatives to introduce the new membership scheme and the Academy’s Strategic Plan 2012-2014 brought to bear stronger interest in the Academy and the good enrolment numbers. The upcoming year of 2013 shows encouraging promise for the Academy, especially with the induction of new Fellows to augment our present.

The time has come to pause and reflect upon the achievements of the past year. I look forward to present a year in review in the upcoming Annual Report along with the Financial Statement for 2012.

For now, Merry Christmas and wishing you a happy and festive season, and a good year ahead!

Best Wishes

Dr LIM Shih Hui

Master

Academy of Medicine, Singapore

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