MASTER'S MESSAGE

LIM Shih Hui

Master (2012-2016)
Academy of Medicine, Singapore

27 February 2015

Dear Fellow Academicians

I hope you have had a good break during the long Lunar New Year weekend. I hereby wish everyone a Happier & Jubilant Goat (Good) Year ahead.

The Academy started 2015 on a busy note which I am pleased to report in this edition of message.

1. Inaugural General Meeting of the Chapter of Family Medicine Physicians

The Academy’s Chapter of Family Medicine Physicians was finally inaugurated on 17th January 2015 and I am privileged to have witnessed the historical Inaugural General Meeting.

In my opening address, I related the Academy’s 40-year journey of recognizing Family Medicine as an important medical specialty to running a Marathon. In order to complete the long arduous journey of making changes in the system, culture and mind-set, we have to cultivate perseverance and persistence.

I highlighted the importance of family medicine as an integral part of the whole healthcare system cannot be overstated. We look forward to this newly formed Chapter, working with the other 35 specialty Colleges and Chapters within the Academy, to further improve intermediate and long-term care of patients, especially those with multiple morbidities.

2. The Chapter of Clinician Educators and Professor Brian Hodges

The Academy is privileged to be supported by the Ministry of Health again to host overseas experts under the HMDP Visiting Experts scheme. This year, the Academy invited Professor Brian Hodges to share his knowledge and experience in the area of Medical and Health Professional Education.

The Academy’s Chapter of Clinician Educators (CCE) anchored and planned the visit programme scheduled on 26th January to 2nd February 2015. The comprehensive programme plus its educational activities benefitted not only clinicians and educators from public institutions and medical schools, but also nursing, pharmacists and allied health professionals.

The CCE symposium and workshop on “Exit Assessment of ASTs and Senior Residents”, held on Saturday, 31st January 2015, is the highlight of the visit programme.

Approximately 80 healthcare professionals participated in the programme where Prof Hodges laid the foundation with his thoughts on “Medical services research education – a myth or a reality?” After lunch, participants engaged in breakout sessions where Prof Wong Kok Seng led one group discussion on exit assessment of non-procedurists and Prof Chen Fun Gee led the other comprising mainly surgeons and other procedurists. Very lively discussion and sharing took place on why, how and what to assess after 5 to 8 years of specialists training, which concluded with Prof Hodges giving his candid opinion on assessment.

If you have missed the programme, his presentation materials are available on the Academy’s website, from 3rd March.

3. MOU Signing with Maastricht University, The Netherlands

I am delighted to report that the Academy has formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Maastricht University’s School of Health Professions Education on 5th February 2015. Under the MOU collaboration, the in-campus segment or residential unit of the 2-year Master of Health Professions Education (MHPE) will be delivered in Singapore and taught by the Academy’s teaching faculty.

The MOU signing ceremony was attended by our local and Maastricht’s teaching faculty, Academy Council Members and Fellows, as well as prospective students. Prof Dr A.JJA Scherpbier, Dean of Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, signed the MOU on behalf of Maastricht University.

At the MOU signing, we underscored the importance of enhancing and maintaining educational competencies of all clinician educators. Such competencies can only be achieved through actively taking part in faculty development programme conducted by respective healthcare institutions and medical schools, similar to being pro-active in participation of continuing professional development programme to maintain our clinical competencies.

Enrolment in MHPE-Singapore programme is to undergo formal training in pedagogy and apply these educational methods to improve our education and training of the next generation of healthcare professionals. The course will also enable the participants to understand education research and translate into better evidence-based educational practice.

I would like to thank Dr Dujeepa Samarasekera and Dr Erle Lim Chuen Hian who had embarked on this initiative under the Chapter of Clinician Educators. Without their leadership and labour over the last two years, this collaboration would not have been possible.

The first cohort of MHPE-Singapore students will commence Unit One of Master’s degree programme in July 2015 at the Academy. Application for enrolment will start in March 2015.

4. Train-the-Trainer Programme conducted by Maastricht University

Train-the-Trainers programme for local MHPE-Singapore teaching faculty was held on 9th to 13th February 2015 following the MOU signing. Maastricht teaching staff, Dr Jan van Dalen and Dr Renée Stalmeijer, was at hand to conduct the 5-day workshop.

Fellows who took part in this course and will form the local MHPE-Singapore teaching faculty: Dr Dujeepa, Dr Matthew Gwee, Dr Goh Poh Sun, Dr Nigel Tan Choon Kiat, Dr Clement Tan, Dr Chay Oh Moh, Dr Erle Lim, Dr Vijayan Appasamy, Dr Derek Soon Tuck Loong, Dr Abhilash Balakrishnan, and Dr Thirumoothy.

The dynamic exchange of knowledge and synergy forged at the Train-the-Trainer workshop underline and embody the spirit of education and learning. This is an exciting initiative and I foresee the collaboration with Maastricht University having a significant impact in Health Profession Educations in Singapore in the years to come.

5. Financial Report for Year Ending 31 December 2014

The last update before I close is another heartening report by the Academy’s the Finance Establishment and Review Committee.

After several years of minimizing cost and optimizing our financial resources, the Academy’s finances for 2014 has finally turned around to achieve a healthy bottom-line. A detailed audited financial report will be presented at the Academy’s Annual General Meeting on 6th June 2015.

I strongly believe that with the concerted effort of all our Fellows, the Academy will stay relevant and continue to thrive.

Best Wishes

Dr Lim Shih Hui
Master
Email: master@ams.edu.sg