MASTER'S MESSAGE

LIM Shih Hui

Master (2012-2016)
Academy of Medicine, Singapore

31 October 2014

Dear Fellow Academicians

1. Feedback on Residency Training

In July-August 2014, I requested Fellows to provide feedback on Residency Training in Singapore as the Academy endeavours to be proactive in specialists training and assessment. We received many valuable and candid assessments of our training system, from individual Fellows as well as specialty Colleges and Chapters. The Academy has since submitted the feedback to the Ministry of Health, Singapore (MOH) for review and deliberation by its Residency Review Committee. The Academy looks forward to strengthen our collaboration with MOH and other key stakeholders to achieve the common goal of training better specialists for tomorrow.

I am pleased to update that the Academy’s submission to MOH on “Feedback on Specialist Training in Singapore” is accessible to Fellows on the Academy’s intranet (Member Login required). If you are interested to read our Fellows’ views and opinions, please access through this link.

2. Beginning of a New Chapter

History is made on 25 October 2014. Family Medicine (FM) Physicians, who joined the Academy in September 2014, were inducted at the Academy’s second Induction Comitia 2014 held at the Health Promotion Board. Our Guest of Honour of this milestone event was Mrs Tan Ching Yee, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Singapore. Of the 81 Fellows inducted, 24 are FM Physicians.

At the Induction, I highlighted the importance of FM in our healthcare system in my opening speech. In order for specialists to optimize our finite resources to provide better downstream intervention at acute care hospitals or tertiary outpatient clinics, we have to work very closely with our FM colleagues to enhance upstream prevention of complications in patients with chronic diseases and multi-morbidities.

In her address, Mrs Tan remarked that the formation of the Chapter of Family Medicine Physicians is timely to assist with the growing needs of the greying population in Singapore. She added that the Ministry values the holistic care provided by the family physicians whose practice is defined by its breadth and patient-centricity.

Mrs Tan also highlighted on the important role which the Academy played in postgraduate training and education, and recorded her appreciation on the continual partnership between the Academy and MOH in the training of doctors.

Led by Pro-tem Chapter Chairman Dr Cheong Pak Yean and other senior Academicians including Dr Goh Lee Gan, the Chapter of Family Medicine Physicians will be inaugurated in January 2015. I look forward to closer collaboration of our Academy with the College of Family Physicians, Singapore through this Chapter.

3. SMC's Draft Ethnical Code and Professional Standards (ECPS)

The Academy received an email from SMC on 1 September 2014 to give feedback of the Draft ECPS. The draft ECPS has been uploaded onto the Health Professionals Portal (https://hpass.moh.gov.sg/doctor.do) where you can use your SMC User ID and Password to login and access the draft ECPS. Alternatively, if you have difficulty accessing/obtaining it, you may email the Academy at ams@ams.edu.sg to request for an electronic copy of the draft. The deadline for submission of your comments and input has been extended to 30 November 2014.

I would urge all Fellows to study the 111-page draft ECPS in detail. The draft is framed to define the essentials of honourable behaviour for the physician and the professional standards physician must observe in clinical and scientific activities. We probably need to make significant change to the way we practice medicine if the draft ECPS is accepted and implemented without our inputs.