Music and Medicine: The Arts of Healing - Being Part of an - Singapore Medical Association

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Music and Medicine: The Arts of Healing - Being Part of an - Singapore Medical Association
VO L . 5 3 N O . 6 | J U N E 2 0 2 1 | M C I ( P ) 078 / 1 2 / 2 0 2 0

                                                                 Music and Medicine:
                                                                 The Arts of Healing

                                                                          Being Part of an
                                                                         Asian Fraternity
Music and Medicine: The Arts of Healing - Being Part of an - Singapore Medical Association
news
                                                   CON T E N T S
Vol. 53 No. 6 2021

                                                   Editorial
EDITORIAL                                          04 The Editor’s Musings
BOARD                                                 Dr Tina Tan
Editor
Dr Tina Tan
Deputy Editor
                                                   Feature
Dr Chie Zhi Ying                                   05 Music and Medicine:
Editorial Advisors                                    The Arts of Healing
A/Prof Daniel Fung                                    Dr Joshua Hoe and Dr Stephanie Yeap
A/Prof Cuthbert Teo
Dr Toh Han Chong
Members                                            President's Forum
Dr Ganesh Kudva                                    08 Continued Support                     Review
Dr Lim Ing Haan                                                                             20 Healing Hearts, Touching Minds
Dr Jipson Quah
                                                      for Our Fighters
Dr Tan Tze Lee                                        Dr Tan Yia Swam                           Dr Suresh Nair
Dr Jimmy Teo
Dr Alex Wong
                                                   Council News                             22 Tucking into Food and Culture
EX-OFFICIOS                                                                                     Dr Tina Tan
Dr Tan Yia Swam
                                                   10 Highlights from the
Dr Ng Chew Lip                                        Honorary Secretary
                                                      Dr Ng Chew Lip
EDITORIAL                                                                                   Reflections
OFFICE                                                                                      23 Requiem for Ah Leng
Senior Manager                                     Insight                                      A/Prof Cheong Pak Yean
Sarah Lim                                          12 Medicine and the Law:
Assistant Manager                                     Telemedicine (Part 2)                 24 Being Part of an Asian Fraternity
Sylvia Thay                                           Jansen Aw and Dr Alex Cheng Wei Ray
                                                                                                Dr Jipson Quah
Editorial Executive
Daryl Lai
                                                   Opinion                                  26 Awake at 2am
ADVERTISING AND
PARTNERSHIP
                                                   14 Two Years into Medical                    Dr Tan Su-Ming
Li Li Loy                                             School (Part 1)
Tel: (65) 6540 9174                                   Faye Ng Yu Ci
Allan Kuek                                                                                  26 Visit from an Old Acquaintance
Tel: (65) 6540 9175                                                                             Dr Tan Su-Ming
Email: adv@sma.org.sg
                                                   Letter
PUBLISHER                                          18 A Time for Renewal
Singapore Medical Association                         Chin Sue-Kay, Ryan Chen and           Indulge
2985 Jalan Bukit Merah                                Ravanth Baskaran                      27 Medi-Crosswords
#02-2C, SMF Building
Singapore 159457
Tel: (65) 6223 1264
Fax: (65) 6252 9693
                                                                                            28 The World of Dance
Email: news@sma.org.sg                                                                          Dr Deva Priya Appan and Dr Mary Yang
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Music and Medicine: The Arts of Healing - Being Part of an - Singapore Medical Association
editorial

                  Dr Tina Tan                                 Music and dance are not simply
                                                           forms of creative expressions. For
                                                                                                    many, that heavy sense of deja vu
                                                                                                    still felt unnerving nonetheless.
                                                           folks like me who can’t play a tune,        I would draw your attention,
                                                           we certainly appreciate them and         especially, to SMA President’s
            Editor                                         rely on them to soothe our souls, or     column on voicing support for
                                                           even to let our imagination soar. In     healthcare workers. While Tan
              Dr Tan is a psychiatrist with the            my practice, music especially has        Tock Seng Hospital has thankfully
              Better Life Psychological Medicine           many benefits in calming emotional       reopened, healthcare workers
              Clinic, and a visiting consultant at         distress as well as being an integral    continue to bear the brunt of
              the Institute of Mental Health. She          part of reminiscence therapy in          having to manage COVID-19
              is also an alumnus of Duke-NUS               patients with cognitive impairment.      patients, adhere to stringent
              Medical School. Between work and
                                                              This issue, we are very pleased       infectious disease controls at
              family life, she squeezes time out for
                                                           to feature doctors whose talents lie     work and worry about their
              her favourite pastimes – reading
                                                           beyond the practice of medicine,         families when at home. On
              a good (fiction) book and writing.
                                                           and who have dedicated their time in     top of that, our usual clinical
                                                           the pursuit of their passion for music   work carries on to a limited but
                                                           and dance.                               definitely essential extent.
                  At the risk of exposing my inner
                  nerd, who here likes the theme              In addition, Dr Jipson Quah              It is traumatising to be on
                  song of The Mandalorian? Don’t be        kick-starts our humble attempt to        the receiving end of stigma
                  shy – I unabashedly declare that         draw in more readers by introducing      and ignorance, and that has
                  I watch the show just to hear the        SMA News’ first crossword puzzle.        come in blatantly obvious
                  song play during the end credits.        For those who enjoy such activities      forms from scooting away on
                  Or have you ever swayed to the           (especially since we can’t travel or     an MRT train to, if I may say so,
                  tune of Handel’s Minuet? Or blasted      socialise much and have to stay          underhanded comments on
                  out that rock song to the great          home more these days), please do         social media disparaging some
                  annoyance of your children? For the      have a go and enjoy yourselves.          of our colleagues. #umbrage
                  record, that last example does not            Our issue this month is truly          I hope that our readers are
                  apply to me. I just happen to blast      meant to lighten the mood, which         aware that SMA is working hard
                  out other types of music besides         comes amid Phase Two (Heightened         for the profession, to represent our
                  rock, thank you very much.               Alert), and hopefully we are in the      collective voices at the appropriate
                     Despite being neither a musician      midst of exiting that by the time of     platforms and make a difference.
                  nor dancer, I appreciate good music,     publication. However, the situation         This is the way.
                  especially a musical piece that is       remains fluid, or as one minister puts
                  strongly tied to a memory or evokes      it, “on a knife’s edge”. That message
                  a powerful emotion. Have you ever        truly sank in when home-based
                  had that experience? Such is the         learning was announced for our local
                  power of music and dance. There’s        schools yet again and people were
                  something innate in all of us that has   only allowed to socialise in groups of
                  an appreciation for these art forms.     two. We saw it coming, but I think for

            04 JUN 2021 SMA News
Music and Medicine: The Arts of Healing - Being Part of an - Singapore Medical Association
Music and Medicine:

                                                                                                                                           FEATURE
                             The Arts
                             of Healing
“Music can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch.” – Debasish Mridha
Many would agree with the saying that music heals the soul. Surely then, music would be a great partner in
the practice of medicine and the art of healing. Here, two authors share their respective journeys of being
both a medical doctor and an avid musician, and how one practice complements the other in their lives.

Text and photos by Dr Joshua Hoe
I have loved music for a long time. In my
favourite Victorian romantic comedy
Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth says to her
beloved Mr Darcy in an impassioned
speech at the climax of the novel: “I
cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or
the look or the words, which laid the
foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the
middle before I knew that I had begun.”
    Imagine me saying the same thing,
but about music. Perhaps you’ll see what I
mean more clearly through a few indirect
anecdotes. Some things are clearer by             1
illustration than telling.

A musical epiphany                             are in an undesirable artifact caused          I cannot tell you where that power
                                               by driving a tube amplifier too hard. By    comes from, but it is there and almost
I recently found out why I love the subtle     applying too much gain the audio signal     universally loved at that, so I know it’s not
“break-up” distortion on an electric guitar    is clipped, introducing harmonic and        a peculiar taste of mine (like drinking Milo
so much.                                       inharmonic overtones, sustain and that      without sugar).
   When you push the gain and tone             oh-so-lovely face-melting warmness.
knob into the right position and attack            But really all those words don’t mean   The nature of music
the guitar strings just enough at the          much when I hear that overdriven            Let me give another example of a
right moment, that distortion on a big         guitar tone in my favourite song after a    powerful experience I’ve had with music
sweeping chord on a chorus can take you        bad day at work, and it hits somewhere      recently. I was innocently surfing YouTube
places. That same distortion on a phrased      inside at the crossroads between mind,      (as one does), and came across a series of
melody up the neck of the guitar can tell      body and spirit (I think that localises     videos that really helped me understand
you exactly how beautiful life can be, or      to the thorax region in Netter’s Atlas      the harmonic series for the first time. I was
perhaps how tragic love lost really is.        of Human Anatomy). That dangerously         floored when I realised that the twelve-
    And now, in the words of Monty             gritty, warm and blooming sound             tone equal temperament system that
Python, for something completely               makes me think of bittersweet pain, a       we use almost universally in music, and
different: that familiar “distortion” sound    thunderstorm, frustration and catharsis     the intervals between these notes, are
is really a technical accident – its roots     all at once. It’s lovely.                   found naturally occurring as a principle

                                                                                                                   JUN 2021 SMA News 05
Music and Medicine: The Arts of Healing - Being Part of an - Singapore Medical Association
of physics in the harmonic series. (The          Music and medicine                                    Text and photos by
 harmonic series describes a series of                                                                  Dr Stephanie Yeap
                                                  When I get asked occasionally about
 overtones created after a fundamental
                                                  how music relates to medicine, to my                  What is your favourite post-call activity?
 is played on a resonating instrument. I’ll       career and to caring for patients – I get             For some, it may be going home to take
 stop here as I can hear an army of much          an odd anxious feeling that I have a lot              a good nap, meeting friends for a meal,
 better trained musicians typing furiously        and yet very little to say at the same                or even catching a movie – things that
 to email the SMA News Editor about equal         time. I really want to say “I love music”             our long work days would preclude us
 temperament as they read this.)                  and proceed to elaborate on that in                   from enjoying regularly. For me, my
     The mind-bending upshot to all that          a long-winded way that would make                     best post-call moments would be spent
 music-geekery is that music is fundamental       Gandalf ask for a toilet break.                       singing at one of my favourite bars,
 to the reality we live in, and to life really.       But really, I could not hope (or even             under the starlit sky.
    I may even go so far as to say that           attempt) to begin to summarise the                       My journey as a singer-songwriter
 when these mere oscillating waves of             power and joy of music – but I hope that
                                                                                                        began when I was in junior college,
 sound travel through the air and slap your       in those meandering paragraphs above,
                                                                                                        having been part of the school’s rock
 eardrums unceremoniously, and you can            you begin to understand what I mean
                                                                                                        band co-curricular activity. Entering
 feel your spirit lift and soar during your       when I say: “I really love music”.
                                                                                                        medical school, one of my biggest worries
 favourite song – that’s a hint of the divine         I would defer to my many far more                 was not being able to play music as a
 and the mind of God right there. That’s life     experienced colleagues on this, but                   working doctor, and hence with every
 and joy, really. (I hope that was enough         insofar in my personal experience as a                opportunity to perform, my mantra was
 payoff for having to read through that.)         hospitalist in an acute medical speciality,           “this could be my last chance”.
                                                  I have seen a fair amount of suffering.
     The experience of music, I think, sits                                                                This mantra stayed with me through
                                                  Death is always a sobering reminder
 squarely at a meeting point. The meeting                                                               the years, where I’d eagerly contribute to
                                                  that life is unthinkably fragile and finite.
 between mind, body and spirit, between                                                                 school events, or take part in the Medical
                                                  Fatigue and weariness at the seeming
 the technical and sublime, between                                                                     Society’s annual Open Mic, which led to
                                                  randomness of illness and suffering are
 listener and musician, between one                                                                     me taking big leaps in my music career
                                                  always ready to set in. I do my best to
 person and a thousand, between hours of          remind myself that the goal of medicine               including joining the National Arts
 chair-warming practice and ten seconds           is really to support life, the experience of          Council’s prestigious Noise Singapore
 of spontaneous improvisation that scares         life and the joy of living, and music has             mentorship programme and taking part
 your pants off, between science and art.         always unfailingly reminded me of that.               in Sing! China auditions. This idea that
     There’s a pathway from motor cortex                                                                I had to seize every gig opportunity, or
 to spinal cord, alpha motor neuron,              To indulge in some of Dr Hoe’s music                  risk regretting declining gig offers when I
 muscle fibres and to the movement of             and recordings, visit                                 began work fuelled me as I juggled both
 the vocal cords and fingers, but really,             https://www.youtube.com/joshhoe                   music and medical school.
 where does the music come from? Where            or follow him on Instagram
                                                                                                            What initially began as little stints
 does it go? What does it do when it leaves           @hoestudios.
                                                                                                        on stage as a Year 1 student grew into
 the musician and causes an audience
                                                                                                        an exciting journey – including singing
 full of strangers to feel the same feeling         Legend
                                                                                                        live on radio, playing for the President of
 at the exact same moment? Is there                 1. Original illustration by Joshua and his wife     Singapore and helming my own show on
 a rule for having too many questions               2. Joshua and his wife cover the song “Love is an   the grand Esplanade waterfront stage.
 in a row in an essay? Who knows?                   Open Door”, available on his YouTube page
                                                                                                           Perhaps the greatest joy, however, was
                                                                                                        marrying my love for music with my work
                                                                                                        in medicine. This manifested in reaching
                                                                                                        out to others through music, as well as
                                                                    Dr Hoe is, at the age of 32,
                                                                    still trying to decide if he
                                                                                                        writing songs about my experiences.
                                                                    is really an arts or science
                                                                    stream student. He works            Connections through music
                                                                    at Singapore General
                                                                    Hospital as a senior resident       One of my most distinct memories was
                                                                    and makes music at home             during my Year 4 psychiatry medicine
                                                                    almost compulsively after           posting in the Institute of Mental
                                                                    work. He has just picked up         Health. We’d been assigned to the A&E
                                                                    digital art and photography.
                                                                    Someday he could possibly           where, as many of us know, patients
                                                       2            be skilled in at least one of       with suicidal intent are often sent. I
                                                                    the above things.                   was to clerk a young man who’d just

06 JUN 2021 SMA News
Music and Medicine: The Arts of Healing - Being Part of an - Singapore Medical Association
come in – with a stoic face he revealed
that he’d come from a strict family with            1
high expectations for his career. He
eventually caved and broke down,
sharing that he’d been contemplating
taking his life because his father
threatened to disown him if he pursued
what he loved: music. As opposed to
continuing the “nine-grid” history-
taking template we’d been taught to

                                               Photo: Benghui Eu
administer, I paused and explained,
“Actually, I’m a musician too.” We then
went on to discuss the struggles of
being passionate about music, amid the
pressures of more “traditional” priorities
like good grades and a professional
job. At the end, the patient appeared
comforted and was encouraged to                                                          Legend
                                             it was heartening to know that my
talk things out with his father. In that
                                             music connected to others’ personal         1. Steph launching her original music album at
moment, it felt almost serendipitous.                                                    the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre (August 2020)
                                             experiences and further inspired their
   Of course, now as a working doctor        expression of art.
and especially with the cessation of
                                                What would be my biggest advice
live music during COVID-19 times, my
                                             to peers or juniors who feel driven to        Dr Yeap is a medical officer working
nights playing gigs have dwindled.
                                             pursue a passion outside of medicine,         in Singapore General Hospital, and
Nonetheless, being a doctor has put me       be it music, photography, crafts, gaming      also a singer-songwriter in the local
in a privileged position to encourage        or even cooking? Sometimes the best           music scene under the moniker
others through music. One such               thing we can do is to just take a deep
                                                                                           “Stephycube”. With the release of
opportunity was collaborating with                                                         her album Most Of All (2019), she was
                                             breath and make the plunge, reminding         highlighted as one of “Singapore’s
Creative Nation Singapore (a collective      ourselves that “this could be my last         Top Acts” on Spotify and on Apple
by the National Youth Council) to curate     chance”. Because if not now, then when?       Music’s “The A-List: Singapore Music”.
a Spotify playlist entitled “Stockpile
                                                 When the pandemic gets better, and
of Love”, which features songs to
                                             you’re heading to your favourite bar for
encourage front-line workers and
                                             a drink after work, don’t be surprised
COVID-19-stricken patients recovering
                                             if you see a bleary-eyed but smiley
in the wards.
                                             singer providing background music for
                                             the evening. Just give a little smile and
Reaching out over distances                  wave, for that could be me post-call!
Writing original music has also allowed
me to document my experiences in lyric
and song, and connect with others. One
amazing encounter I had was receiving
an email from a listener in the US – she
shared that her daughter, a competitive
dancer, survived a harrowing bout of
supraventricular tachycardia earlier that
year. Having chanced upon “Emergency
Room” on Spotify, an original song I
wrote about my grandfather, she was
inspired to use it as her contemporary
solo piece, relating it to her own
experiences in the emergency room. For
one, it was incredible to realise that my
music had reached somewhere so far
away from home, but more importantly,
Music and Medicine: The Arts of Healing - Being Part of an - Singapore Medical Association
PRESIDENT'S FORUM

                                                     Continued
                                                     Support for our
                                                           Fighters
                    Illustration: Dr Justinian Zai

                                                                Text by Dr Tan Yia Swam
Music and Medicine: The Arts of Healing - Being Part of an - Singapore Medical Association
Throughout the months of May and           Those with family members working in         I urge all our Members to exercise self-
June, like me, many of you must have       Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) who had        care. Take a break from work and from
followed the reports of local COVID-19     to endure “self-isolation” or even move      worrying about COVID-19.3,4
outbreaks very closely. The tracking       out into temporary accommodations               This June issue carries some light-
of the progression of cases depends        to abide by the “Segregation Order”          hearted articles on the arts. The arts
on where you get your facts from, as       would have felt the pain of having to be     soothe the soul, whichever medium you
the style of reporting may bias one to     a broken family, even if temporarily. Yet    may prefer – be it theatre, music, visual
certain conclusions.                       there are doctors who mock this, calling     arts and/or other genres. I personally
   After 16 months of battling COVID-19    it a “Government-paid staycation”.           choose music to match my mood.
in Singapore, some consistent social           I have family and close friends             If you are feeling very stressed,
elements that impede our fight include:    working in TTSH, and I can see that          consider taking a half-hour or short
1. Lack of timely and accurate             the relentless stress, continuous work       break to get something to drink and put
   information (eg, the limitations        and mounting fear is taking its toll.        on your favourite music. Let your mind
   of testing).                            The fatigue and burnout experienced          wander and not think of anything in
                                           by these doctors are real. But I am also     particular. Live in the moment.
2. Inability to disseminate factual news   relieved that there is some awareness
   fast and securely.                      of discrimination against healthcare
3. Proliferation of speculations.          workers (HCWs), and that many are
                                           speaking up on this. These HCWs are          References
Varied comprehension                       on the front line and they make the          1. Barron D. Health Care Workers Don’t Want to Be
                                           most personal sacrifices. I have heard       Heroes. Scientific American. Available at: https://bit.
It seems that everyone interprets the      some opine that, “This is what they          ly/33WS3mI.
severity of the COVID-19 pandemic                                                       2. Bobak A. Medical Ethicist on the Problems with
                                           signed up for, they should know.” The
based on what they know, and in truth                                                   Calling Healthcare Workers ‘Heroes’. Mad in America.
                                           narrative of “healthcare hero” might
– no one has a complete picture. Some                                                   Available at: https://bit.ly/33YLL5U.
                                           need to be changed somewhat.1,2 While
have gotten very relaxed, because they                                                  3. Gov.sg. Tips for Battling Stress and Anxiety during
                                           it is a calling to be in healthcare, there
have not known of anyone getting                                                        COVID-19. Available at: https://bit.ly/3fp04WO.
                                           should also be an understanding and
COVID-19 within their social circles                                                    4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coping
                                           appreciation that we too are humans
and news of faraway places do not                                                       with Stress. Available at: https://bit.ly/3frSqeg.
                                           and this is a job, just like any other.
affect them. Yet there are others who
have lost loved ones to this virus and        Social media is always a double-
might be living in fear that they might    edged sword – on the one hand                   Dr Tan is a mother to three kids, wife to
lose more family members to this           providing fast information and                  a surgeon; a daughter and a daughter-
                                           updates, and comic relief in the form of        in-law. She trained as a general surgeon,
pandemic. The majority of the people
                                                                                           and entered private practice in mid-
would perhaps have a situational           memes, but also capable of spreading
                                                                                           2019, focusing on breast surgery. She
reaction, depending on context.            falsehoods fast and inviting much               treasures her friends and wishes to
                                           casual and callous comments, maybe              have more time for her diverse interests:
   Even within healthcare, I realised
                                           even deliberate cruelty. I hope that            cooking, eating, music, drawing,
that doctors practising in different                                                       writing, photography and comedy.
                                           my friends here will exercise your
areas and/or subspecialties can have
                                           professionalism, empathy and basic
very different perceptions as well.
                                           decency to be thoughtful and kind. The
                                           whole world is suffering together.

                                           Means to recharge
                                           I dare say everyone is battling some
                                           form of COVID-19 fatigue. People have
                                           lost lives and jobs to this. Everyone
                                           has lost their freedom to some extent.

                                                                                                                      JUN 2021 SMA News 09
Music and Medicine: The Arts of Healing - Being Part of an - Singapore Medical Association
council news

                                                                       Report by Dr Ng Chew Lip

                  SMA’s published survey on impact of COVID-19

                  To understand how our Members are doing during the                     Dr Ng is an ENT consultant in
                  pandemic, SMA conducted a survey to evaluate the impact                public service. After a day of
                  of COVID-19 on doctors in the private sector, specifically on          doctoring and cajoling his two
                  income and practice patterns.                                          princesses at home to finish
                                                                                         their food, his idea of relaxation
                     The majority of respondents, in both GP and specialist              is watching a drama serial with
                  groups, reported income loss and a decrease in patient                 his lovely wife and occasionally
                  load, with a small percentage having to retrench staff or              throwing some paint on a canvas.
                  cut wages.
                     The article, published in Annals, Academy of Medicine,
                  Singapore, can be found at https://bit.ly/3bJhj47.

                  WSH toolkit for healthcare workers                                 Passing of CMAAO President Dr K K Aggarwal

                  The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council has                  The SMA Council informs with regret the news of Dr K K
                  developed the “WSH Orientation toolkit for Healthcare              Aggarwal’s demise on 17 May 2021 in New Delhi, after a
                  Workers”. The course aims to equip participants with               lengthy battle with COVID-19.
                  WSH knowledge, such as the WSH Act and its regulations,
                                                                                        Dr Aggarwal was President of the Confederation
                  common hazards at their workplaces, and control                    of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania (CMAAO)
                  measures, so that they can protect themselves and                  from 2019 to 2021. SMA is a member of three regional/
                  prevent injuries and ill health.                                   international bodies, namely the Medical Association of
                     Adapted from the “Basic WSH Healthcare Online                   South East Asian Nations (MASEAN), CMAAO and the World
                  Course”, the toolkit can be used by healthcare institutions        Medical Association (WMA).
                  to conduct orientation and training for their staff. The              In his short tenure as President of CMAAO, Dr Aggarwal
                  toolkit includes enhancements from the online course               turned CMAAO into a vivid institution of organised
                  such as:                                                           medicine with daily discussions, weekly – mostly
                  • Updated content in alignment with recent                         educational – online meetings and friendly cross-border
                    regulatory changes (Workplace Safety and Health                  exchange of facts and opinions.
                    [Incident Reporting] Regulations 2020);                             SMA wishes to extend our deepest condolences to
                  • New fire safety and response module;                             Dr Aggarwal’s family during this time of grief.
                  • Facilitation tips for the slides; and
                  • Enhanced comprehension questions at the end of
                                                                                     Passing of Dr Yeo Khian Kiat
                    each module.
                      The toolkit was reviewed by the WSH Council                       The SMA Council informs with regret the news of SMA
                  (Healthcare) Committee, which consists of stakeholders             Life Member Dr Yeo Khian Kiat’s demise on 28 April 2021.
                  in the healthcare industry, to ensure that the content is          Dr Yeo was a GP at Drs Horne & Chin before he retired,
                  accurate, relevant and useful to the healthcare community.         and he has been an SMA Member since 1969.
                     The WSH orientation toolkit can be downloaded from                We wish to extend our deepest condolences to Dr Yeo’s
                  https://bit.ly/3u8a1xg.                                            family during this time of grief.

               10 JUN 2021 SMA News
Music and Medicine: The Arts of Healing - Being Part of an - Singapore Medical Association
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Medic in e and the Law
INSIGHT

          TELEMEDICINE
          (PART 2)                   Text by Jansen Aw and Dr Alex Cheng Wei Ray

               This is the second article of a two-part series. In this, the authors delve deeper into the legal-technological aspects surrounding the use
                of telemedicine. Part 1 (https://bit.ly/5305-Insight) discusses issues where law and technology converge in the realm of telemedicine.

            Due diligence and                                    One solution would be to implement            to prevent unauthorised access to the
            authentication issues                            a two-factor authentication system,               telemedicine application and patient
                                                             where not only the patient’s iden-                records and to prevent any identity
            It is not often that a doctor is faced
                                                             tification document is verified,                  impersonation where possible.
            with considerations of due diligence to
                                                             but the patient’s identity can be
            be carried out with regard to a patient.                                                               Additionally, there are
                                                             verified using their mobile number.
            These belong more commonly to a                                                                    confidentiality issues surrounding
                                                             Additionally, as a government-wide
            corporate setting. Nevertheless, there                                                             telemedicine. Although the NTG
                                                             initiative, it may make sense if Singpass
            is a need to carry out due diligence                                                               guidelines state that doctors should
                                                             can be integrated into telemedicine
            and authentication of a patient in the                                                             not record the contents of the tele-
                                                             apps during the initial registration
            context of telemedicine. Given the                                                                 consultation to respect the sanctity of
                                                             to automatically verify a patient’s
            remote environment in which the                                                                    doctor-patient confidentiality, there
                                                             identity, similar to how some banks
            doctor comes into contact with the                                                                 is nothing stopping the patients from
                                                             are getting information from the
            telemedicine user, it may be difficult                                                             doing the same thing on the other
                                                             MyInfo platform to verify new account
            for a doctor to verify the identity of the                                                         end, which may make some doctors
                                                             signups.1 Alternatively, an NRIC/FIN
            patient and the information provided,                                                              uncomfortable in providing care via
                                                             verification platform can be created to
            and this may lead to a risk of abuse.                                                              tele-consultation. A proposed solution
                                                             grant doctors the right to check if the
            For example, a user may provide                                                                    in future, once the Healthcare Services
                                                             identification number is genuine. This
            false information to a doctor over                                                                 Act kicks in, is that tele-consultation
                                                             will in turn prevent issues regarding
            the telemedicine platform in order to                                                              should only be conducted on
                                                             phantom patients and any potential
            obtain a payout under an insurance                                                                 approved applications with all these
                                                             drug abuse cases.
            policy, and it may be difficult for the                                                            considerations taken into account.
            doctor to verify such information given
            that they are not in direct contact with         IT security and
                                                             confidentiality issues                            Data protection
            the patient.
                                                             At the moment, tele-consultations are             If telemedicine is the engine driving
               The current National Telemedicine                                                               the way forward in providing medical
            Guidelines (NTG) stipulates that a               performed across various platforms.
                                                             Some GPs and even polyclinics are                 services, then data (or more specifically,
            doctor should request for the patient’s
                                                             conducting them through the use                   the patient’s data) is the fuel that
            photo identification with NRIC/FIN
                                                             of video-conferencing software,                   powers this engine. It is through the
            number clearly shown on the video
                                                             which may pose a security concern.                collection and use of such patient data
            screen before the consultation to
                                                             It would be wise for a telemedicine               over remote means that the doctor
            verify their identity. However, a colour
                                                             provider to have in place the proper              is able to come up with the relevant
            photocopy of an edited identity
                                                             infrastructure and IT security to ensure          diagnosis, treatment and advice for the
            card will look exactly the same as
                                                             that information transmitted between              patient in telemedicine.
            a real one on screen, as the doctor
            will not be able to feel the texture             the doctor and patient is secure from                In this regard, it is critical that a
            of the card. Furthermore, since the              intruders or hackers.                             doctor providing telemedicine services
            various telemedicine apps operate                   In line with the above, telemedicine           be well versed in the requirements to
            on their own servers, there are also             providers should also ensure that                 protect personal data of the patient
            no alternative avenues for a doctor to           there are proper Identity and Access              under the Personal Data Protection
            check if an NRIC/FIN is genuine.                 Management2 mechanisms in place                   Act (PDPA). These include ensuring

          12 JUN 2021 SMA News
that the patient’s consent is obtained    their medical condition. In our view,          Jansen is a partner with the Litigation
                                                                                         and Dispute Resolution Practice, and
before collecting, using or disclosing    the market for smart tele-monitoring
                                                                                         Technology and Data Protection Practice
his/her data; ensuring that there are     devices with incorporated AI technology        in one of the oldest law firms in Singapore,
reasonable security arrangements to       is set to grow.                                Donaldson & Burkinshaw LLP. Jansen is
protect such personal data; ensuring          However, these come with                   an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme
that the personal data of the patient                                                    Court of Singapore.
                                          challenges too. Deepfakes, which
is accurate during collection; and        refer to manipulated videos or other
ensuring that the personal data of        digital representations produced by
the patient is not retained for an        sophisticated AI that yield fabricated
unreasonably long time.3 It should        images and sounds that appear to be
be noted that the PDPA will be            real, may also pose a problem in the
undergoing changes in the future, and     arena of telemedicine.7 Doctors may
a public consultation has recently been   have problems verifying a patient’s
carried out to seek comments on these     identity, giving rise to phantom patients.
proposed changes.4                        It may even be exploited as a loophole
                                          by patients with ill intent to manipulate      Dr Alex is a family physician who works
The future of telemedicine                the tele-consultation process.                 as a locum medical doctor during his free
In a recent McKinsey survey, healthcare                                                  time. He is currently pursuing a Master of
                                             Recently, Singapore’s Infocomm
                                                                                         Laws with the University of London. Aside
leaders interviewed cited remote          Media Development Authority and                from his medical qualifications, he also
monitoring as a key area for future       Personal Data Protection Commission            holds the degrees of Bachelor of Laws,
investment and up to $250 billion         (PDPC) produced the second                     Master of Professional Accounting and
worth of current US healthcare            edition of the Model AI Governance             Master of Business Administration. He is
spending could potentially be                                                            an incoming practice trainee lawyer at
                                          Framework (Model Framework) to
                                                                                         Donaldson & Burkinshaw LLP.
virtualised.5 If devices can be created   regulate the use of AI technology.8
to replicate a doctor’s physical          The Model Framework’s strength
examination and provide accurate          and unique contribution to the
information to the attending physician    global discourse on AI ethics lies in
remotely, even telemedicine’s             translating ethical principles into
staunchest opponents may be               practical recommendations that
converted to embrace it. Some of          organisations can readily adopt to
these technologies already exist but      deploy AI responsibly. The barrier to
cost issues prohibit their widespread     entry of AI adoption is hence lowered
adoption in telemedicine. It may          and users have the confidence
just be a matter of time before such      to implement AI to improve their             References
production costs are lowered, making      processes. This framework is sui             1. GovTech Singapore. MyInfo. Available at:
telemedicine more accessible to           generis, which means that the                https://bit.ly/35EnOhv.
patients. For example, oDocs Eye Care     framework can even be applied in             2. Gittlen S, Rosencrance L. What is identity and
invented an add-on device that can        the field of medicine. Therefore,            access management? Guide to IAM. TechTarget
turn any smartphone camera into           using the PDPC’s Model Framework             SearchSecurity [Internet]. Available at: https://
                                          as the foundation, we hope that the          bit.ly/3mrITqz.
an ophthalmoscope, which can aid
doctors in diagnosing eye conditions      Ministry of Health comes up with             3. Personal Data Protection Act 2012. Available
through tele-consultation.6 Electronic    guidelines specifically for telemedicine,    at: https://bit.ly/31SrX39.
stethoscopes which can wirelessly         accompanied by a compendium of               4. Personal Data Protection Commission. Public
transmit recordings of auscultation       use-cases, to guide practitioners in their   Consultation on Personal Data Protection
                                                                                       (Amendment) Bill. Available at: https://bit.
sounds back to the computer via           practice of telemedicine.
                                                                                       ly/3fTgJUf.
Bluetooth are also available in the
                                                                                       5. Bestsennyy O, Gilbert G, Harris A, Rost J.
market. Perhaps in future, every          Conclusion                                   Telehealth: a quarter-trillion-dollar post-
telemedicine patient can have an
                                          Telemedicine has the potential to            COVID-19 reality? McKinsey & Company
electronic stethoscope at home to         reshape the way in which medical             [Internet]. 29 May 2020. Available at: https://
complement the tele-consultation.         practitioners practise medicine. Just
                                                                                       mck.co/3cW5mZR.
   Artificial intelligence (AI) is        like how Uber disrupted the transport        6. oDocs Eye Care. About us. Available at:
also becoming more pervasive in                                                        https://bit.ly/3usH0N7.
                                          sector, how AirBnB disrupted the
telemedicine. There are currently         tourism industry and how blockchain          7. Shao G. What ‘deepfakes’ are and how they
several online self-diagnosis programs    technology disrupted the banking sector,     may be dangerous. CNBC [Internet]. 13 October
                                                                                       2019. Available at: https://cnb.cx/3wJWjDk.
available (eg, Symptom Checker by         it would be interesting to see whether
WebMD and the Mayo Clinic Symptom         telemedicine will become the next            8. Personal Data Protection Commission.
                                                                                       Singapore’s Approach to AI Governance.
Checker), which taps into AI technology   disruptor in the practice of medicine in
                                                                                       Available at: https://bit.ly/3fJiYcO.
that allows patients to self-diagnose     the age of the COVID-19 pandemic.

                                                                                                                  JUN 2021 SMA News 13
OPINION

                       O Y E A R
                     TW al School S
                                 into Medic                Text by Faye
                                                                        N g Yu Ci
                                                                                                      1
                                                                                                          Part 1

          Parallel histories                            from Kent Ridge MRT to UTown. In
                                                        place of the library, I studied at the
          When I was a child, my mother loved
                                                        common area outside Starbucks,
          to tell me stories from her university
                                                        the vast patch of green in front of
          days. She said those were the most
                                                        me, the view and weather sublime
          radiant years of her life, ones she
                                                        on wind-rimmed days. While my
          enjoyed to the fullest. There was the
                                                        mother ran for desserts, I ran from
          thrill of unbridled youth, coupled with
                                                        the anatomy hall to the histology
          the freedom of academic enterprise.
                                                        laboratory, and for the MD6
          With independence came the liberty to
                                                        tutorial rooms when my clinical
          allocate and repurpose time, pre-curated
                                                        group detoured too far away for
          school days a relic of the past. University
                                                        lunch. On that day, we lost track of time         Singapore at the Southeast Asian Games,
          was the semi-autonomous rite of passage
                                                        in between full-bellied laughter and              impassioned environmentalists driving
          to adulthood, with only a portion of its
                                                        honest conversation, enclosed in the              sustainable efforts and aspiring artists
          responsibilities. It was the place where
                                                        warm-coloured walls of La Nonna.                  producing Spotify soundtracks. There
          you discovered and found yourself.
                                                                                                          are friends living in Hall whose gamut of
              As a university student, my mother        Getting into medical school                       co-curricular activities all but take them
          weaved through the campus on her                                                                away from the studying of medicine,
          steel-framed bicycle, squeaky wheels          When my juniors asked me for advice on
                                                                                                          friends who strike a good balance
          and wooden box laden with books at            applying to medical school – questions
                                                                                                          between work and play, and friends who
          its rear. Swerving around the tree-lined      on how to write their personal statements
                                                                                                          swear by the hardcover Robbins Basic
          bends, the lake next to the Central           and prepare for interviews – I thought hard
                                                                                                          Pathology textbook they lug to school
          Library glimmered, its lotus pads dark        about what I could share. It prompted me
                                                                                                          every day. We have our class clowns and
          circles under the relentless sun. During      to consider what made for a successful
                                                                                                          opinionated vocalists, gym jockeys and
          examination season, my mother’s               medical school candidate, and by
                                                                                                          food bloggers, diehard nerds and old
          study group took turns to save seats          extension, what my friends in NUS Yong
                                                                                                          soul poets… Though few might expect
          for each other in the library, where          Loo Lin School of Medicine are like. I
                                                                                                          it, medical school is variety and diversity
          students camped out overnight between         thought about their personalities and
                                                                                                          – there is a place for everyone.
          shelves of books, brushing their teeth        attributes, lingering on unifying features
                                                        that made them alike. Nevertheless, there            Another truth I discerned in retrospect:
          by the sinks in the mornings. On lazier
                                                        was nothing definitive I could arrive on.         most of us made it into medical school
          afternoons, she leafed through pages
                                                                                                          because we were lucky. We were lucky
          of jotted notes lying on her dormitory            Besides the usual character traits
                                                                                                          to have performed well at the multiple
          bed, the ceiling fan overhead whirling.       of integrity, diligence and persistence,
                                                                                                          mini-interview stations and encountered
          When the scent of freshly made desserts       along with a prevailing code of moral
                                                                                                          faculty who believed we would make for
          wafted up from a floor below, she was         conduct, there are few other qualities
                                                                                                          good doctors. We were privileged to have
          always one of the first in line at the        that can encapsulate or represent our
                                                                                                          come from educationally advantaged
          canteen. With her roommates, she raced        class. Everyone has idiosyncrasies of             backgrounds and systems that gave
          towards what would later become one of        his or her own, and it is impossible to           us the circumstances to succeed. We
          her fondest and most vivid memories of        pinpoint why each of us made the cut              had teachers who impressed upon us
          youth, strangely yet gently beckoning.        for medical school.                               the value of hard work, developed our
             By the time I entered university, it was      Similarly, the interests and pursuits          ability to think for ourselves and invoked
          a different campus, a different dream.        of medical students range far and                 our curiosity for the subjects we learnt.
          Instead of a bike, the orange and blue        wide. Among my classmates, there                  We met seniors who served as our role
          university shuttle buses ferried me           are national players representing                 models, demonstrating, by virtue of who

          14 JUN 2021 SMA News
buns, full and eased into perfect domes.       mechanisms. Our greater overall breadth
                                                On occasions, there would even be              and depth of knowledge helped us to
                                                the fragrance of turmeric, the auntie          draw connections between concepts,
                                                behind the counter folding potato filling      allowing us to keep the bigger picture
                                                into pastry dough, crimping the edges          in mind instead of getting caught up
                                                together deftly to form the braided rims       in the details. The year passed in quick
                                                of curry puffs.                                footsteps, steady hearts and opened
                                                   As first years, there was a lot to adjust   books in libraries.
                                                to and take in. We studied anatomy,
                                                physiology, histology and biochemistry         The medical school experience
                                                with vigour and exuberance. All of a           Unlike other faculties, medicine is
                                                sudden, we were medical students,              relatively self-contained due to the
                                                doctors to be, and the idea was surreal.       way our degree is structured and
                                                As much as the newfound knowledge              organised. We have our own campus,
                                                was overwhelming, our freshness and            academic calendar and curriculum, in
                                                eagerness kept us going. Only later in the     addition to a curated set of electives
                                                year did we run into each other streaming      and exchange programmes.
                                        2
                                                lectures from the library, exchanging
                                                                                                   Instead of a modular system, we have
                                                knowing glances as we hid rueful smiles.
                                                                                               a fixed syllabus whereby everyone goes
they were, what compassion and humility            By second year, we had formed our           through the same series of lectures
looked like, and what responsibility and        close circles of friends and acquired a        and tutorials. Although I was initially
an unwavering work ethic meant.                 clearer idea of what we hoped to achieve       disappointed by the inability to choose
                                                in our pre-clinical years. Things became       or customise classes, I gradually grew to
   Then, there were those who went the
                                                more comfortable and manageable, as            appreciate the routine and predictability
extra mile for us. I am indelibly grateful to
                                                we gained familiarity over the various         medical school offered. It was a relief
my General Paper teacher, who sacrificed
                                                aspects of medical school. Second year         that I did not have to arrange my own
her lunch breaks on Fridays to discuss
                                                was a continuation of the first year’s         timetable or strategise over how to
extra essay plans with me, and Mum, who
                                                endeavours, our days filled by the usual       bid for modules. More importantly,
made sure I always had hot piping food
                                                array of lectures and tutorials. What          a common curriculum strengthened
on the dinner table to return home to.
                                                was different was the new mala stall at        our solidarity by giving us a shared
These people supported us in tangible
                                                Frontier canteen, that made our noses run      experience and memories we could all
and intangible ways, believing in us when
                                                when we felt brave enough for another          relate to. It felt reassuring to go through
we struggled or lost faith in ourselves.
                                                notch up the spice-tolerance scale.            medical school in tandem with the rest
While we were zealous and ambitious, we
were more so enabled and blessed.                  Academics wise, the curriculum              of my batchmates, as we learnt, revised
                                                was heavier, but counterintuitively,           and took our examinations together.
    In replying my juniors, I urged them
                                                everything made more sense. Perhaps               Despite the standardised curriculum,
to be themselves, relax and, most of
                                                this was because the Year 2 curriculum         there is no lack of options or opportunities
all, enjoy and learn from the process of
                                                was built upon our Year 1 foundation:          for co-curricular activities in medical
applying to medical school. Medicine,
                                                pathology was derived from anatomy             school. We have our annual Rag and Flag
after all, is a science and an art. In many
                                                and physiology, while pharmacology             (RAG), Inter-Faculty Games, as well as local
instances, it is also serendipity.
                                                acted upon the body’s physiological            and overseas community involvement
Pre-clinical years
The first year of medical school was a
flourish of new beginnings, friendships
and experiences. Like flowers, each was
a bloom inching and spreading open,
with some shutting earlier, and others
maturing to full-laden density.
   In medical school, we had an intense
curriculum. Our first few weeks of school
already had our calendars brimming,
packed with back-to-back lectures,
tutorials, anatomy hall and histology
laboratory sessions. During the lecture
breaks, my friends and I would wind up                   3
at Dilys by the bread racks, enamoured
by the scent of coffee and assorted

                                                                                                                       JUN 2021 SMA News 15
4

                                                                                                                                 5

projects (LCIPs and OCIPs) to participate    programme under Frontier Danceland. I       Legend
in. We also have organising committees       choreographed as well for the first time    1. Being inducted into the medical fraternity at
for events like Freshmen Orientation         in medical school, putting together a       the White Coat Ceremony
Programme and Dinner and Dance,              piece for the Silent Mentor Appreciation    2. Celebrating our birthdays for one another
apart from Medical Society directorates,     Ceremony.                                   and being each others’ pillars of support in
                                                                                         medical school
ad-hoc book clubs and interest groups.           My time in the community service        3. Day trip to Johor Bahru with my M2 clinical
   As an incoming freshman, the              projects that I was a part of left a        group, where we tried out the amazing banana
plethora of experiences presented by         deep impression on me. My fondest           cakes from Hiap Joo bakery
university can be overwhelming. This         recollections are of the people – the       4. Striking a pose in front of one of Angkor Wat’s
                                                                                         temples, which we visited for our L25 trip
gives rise to FOMO – the fear of missing     residents and villagers I served,
out. At the start of orientation, these      together with the friends I worked          5. Colour coordinated with my M1 clinical group
                                                                                         in our Patient-Based Programme attires, each
exclamations were familiar: “I’m FOMO        alongside with. Sometimes, it is the        of us in a different shade of the rainbow
I’m not in dance for RAG”, “I’m FOMO         most mundane and minute of details
because I can’t make it for the house        you remember: how dim the corridor
gathering tonight”, and “I’m FOMO about      of the rental block was as it extended      Faye is currently an undergraduate
not signing up for OCIPs”. I think back      down into more sets of metal-hinged         student at the NUS Yong Loo Lin
to walking around the multi-purpose          gates… the throb of the granny’s pulse      School of Medicine. In her free time,
hall during CommServ, a day where            as you measured her blood pressure.         she writes, bakes and dances. Her
                                                                                         poems have appeared in Cha: An Asian
community service projects convene           I recall staying up till the wee hours of   Literary Journal, Quarterly Literary
to put up an exhibition for incoming         the morning sorting through health          Review Singapore, Raven Chronicles,
juniors, and being inundated by the          records on Excel and those long van         and Bookends Review, among others.
sheer spectrum and number of projects        rides in Cambodia from Phnom Penh           Her poetry is also forthcoming in the
spanning the room. When everything           to deep inside the villages. When I         Annals of Internal Medicine.
seems possible, paralysis in decision-       dozed off on my friends’ shoulders,
making occurs.                               I remember waking up to the most
   Personally, there was also the            comical expressions of them sleeping.
impulse to take hold of these offerings.         Through these experiences, I gained
After considering which causes most          insight into my strengths, weaknesses
resonated with me, I joined Project          and dispositions. When there were
Lokun, a biannual humanitarian health        difficult decisions to make, I also
service project to Pursat, Cambodia, and     realised what I loved and cherished.
the Neighbourhood Health Service, a          It takes time to sort through all the
local health screening project reaching      shimmer and the clutter, to figure out
out to elderly residents in rental blocks.   and understand yourself. Growth is
Beyond medicine, I continued dancing         never a linear process – it is important
in NUS Synergy and the PULSE scholars’       to be patient.

16 JUN 2021 SMA News
Rene w a l
Letter

                                                   A T I M E F O R

                 In the month of April, the air warms as spring arrives
                 in the UK. Golden fields of daffodils carpet the ground
                 and pink buds of cherry blossoms grow on what was
                 once bare branches. Spring is a time of rejuvenation
                 and renewal. As vaccines continue to be rolled out
                 across the nation and the number of COVID-19
                 cases fall, life in the UK is slowly regaining a sense of
                 normalcy. Before the UK eased out of lockdown on
                 12 April, the Singapore Medical Society of the United
                 Kingdom (SMSUK) organised a slew of springtime
                 events to engage our members and enhance their
                 learning. Below are some of our highlights since the
                 last column.
                     On the last Saturday of February, SMSUK members          Dental composite class
                 and alumni from all over the UK and Singapore came
                 together to celebrate the month of love and friendship         SMSUK also launched our new “Grassroots Events”
                 in our online social event “Crazy Rich Palentine’s”.        initiative, where members had the opportunity to
                 Inspired by the massive box office hit romance              organise events together with the SMSUK committee.
                 Crazy Rich Asians, participants were encouraged to          We kicked off with a talk on “Shaping the Future of
                 come dressed in their fanciest first-date outfits for       General Practice in Singapore”, organised by SMSUK
                 the session. The event featured our popular “speed-         member Cornelius Tan in collaboration with the
                 friending” sessions facilitated in Zoom breakout rooms,     Singapore Medical Societies of Australia and New
                 a short Valentine’s Day trivia quiz and a segment           Zealand, and Ireland. The talk was attended by over
                 where participants had fun creating and presenting          50 members from the three societies who listened to
                 “Palentine’s Profiles” for their friends. It was an event   insights from Prof Doris Young, Dr Wong Tien Hua and
                 filled with warmth, laughter and banter.                    Dr Ruth Lim, three prominent figures in Singapore’s
                                                                             general practice scene.
                    The COVID-19 pandemic brought about much
                 disruption to clinical teaching for medical and dental         As the above events were the first of their kind in
                 students in the UK. To address this, SMSUK got creative     our society, we are heartened by the strong support
                 and spearheaded events such as our first ever hands-        from our alumni and mentors who volunteered to
                 on virtual dental composite class in March. Over 50         organise and conduct the sessions, enthusiastic
                 participants were tutored on various composite filling      participation from our members and overwhelmingly
                 techniques by volunteer mentors and alumni. The             positive feedback we have received.
                 hugely successful event was also joined by members of          For this month’s prompt, we asked our members to
                 our affiliated societies from Malaysia and Hong Kong.       share how they have spent their Easter break.

                                                                                                       – Chin Sue-Kay, Editor, SMSUK

         18 JUN 2021 SMA News
Text and photo by Ryan Chen

                     Ryan is a Year 1 medical student at University of Leicester.

                  Spring was here. Since I would be spending Easter                 British icon! Together with some friends from junior
                  in the UK this year, I decided on visiting Cambridge              college (JC), I let my mind wander on the stroll down
                  and London.                                                       Southbank, tracing the Thames as it unveiled various
                     Cambridge was charming. The solemn, overcast                   landmarks – the Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Big
                  clouds that greeted me there soon gave way to                     Ben and the London Eye. The day I visited coincided
                  clear, spotless skies that rained generous pockets                with His Royal Highness The Prince Philip’s passing. As
                  of sunshine onto those hallowed, ancient streets                  I witnessed the crowds gracing Buckingham Palace’s
                  and college buildings. Punting down the River Cam,                stately gates, laying flowers and paying their respects,
                                                passing various landmarks           I couldn’t help but be reminded of the spirit of British
                                                like King’s College Chapel          unity amid trying times, especially during COVID-19.
                                                and the Wren Library, under            On my second trip to London, I met with an old
                                                the famed Mathematical              JC friend. We visited Portobello Road Market before
                                                Bridge and the Bridge of            adjourning to Notting Hill, which was adorned with
                                                Sighs, I couldn’t help but          colourful houses and bespoke luxury cars. In contrast,
                                                marvel at this Eden that            Chinatown toyed with my senses with the smell of
                                                spoke of eras of grace and          Asian cuisine, the sight of red everywhere and the
                                                academic prowess.                   pockets of spoken Mandarin I overheard in various
                                                  London – where do I               conversations. It really did not feel like I was in Europe!
                                               start? My two day trips                 Despite spending Easter abroad with trips and
                                               down South would not do              activities, I still miss Singapore dearly; the occasional
                                               justice to the beauty of this        tinge of homesickness is real.

Buckingham Palace gates

                     Text and photo by Ravanth Baskaran

                     Ravanth is a Year 3 medical student at Cardiff University.

  A long Easter break is not something that exists for us        I have attempted to
  at Cardiff University, as we carry on with our Student         explore the beautiful land
  Selected Component (SSC) block during this period.             of Wales as quarantine was
  Due to the nature of my SSC, I spent my bank holiday           slowly being lifted. From
  doing night shifts, helping the surgical registrars with       mountains to beaches, my
  their duties while learning a whole lot. Through this          housemates and I have
  Easter period, I also embarked on many new projects            trekked mountains, swam
  – one of which was founding the online Objective               in the sea, ran (or walked)
  Structured Clinical Examination (OCSE) teaching                a marathon for charity,
  platform, OSCEazy. With help from my fellow SMSUK              and much more. As we
  friends, we gained an outreach of over 4,000 medical           look ahead, apart from the
  professionals across all platforms! I embarked on this         looming examinations, we
  project with the aim of providing a quality online OSCE        hope to be able to follow                                        Nature trekking
  teaching tool to address the difficulties in learning          local guidelines and explore
  brought about by the pandemic. With the success                the country – something that we have not been able to
  of OSCEazy, we have branched out to include finals             do for the past year. We hope to be able to travel back
  and Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons               during summer to our respective home countries in
  examination teaching as well.                                  order to spend time with our families and friends and
    Easter has also served as a time to recuperate               enjoy the good home-cooked meals that come along
  and relax from the stress of being a medical student.          with being back home.

                                                                                                                           JUN 2021 SMA News 19
H eartinds
                                                                    s,           Healing
REVIEW

                                                                 M
                                                            Touching
                                                                                                         Review by Dr Suresh Nair

          Preface                                       VP – firstly, for his friendship of over 30           Murder Is My Business (published in 1990)
                                                        years; secondly, being invited for the book           served as a forerunner, recent editions
          Sometime in late December 2020,
                                                        launch; and thirdly, for being the chosen             include Dr Lee Wei Ling’s A Hakka Woman’s
          I received a video invitation card from Dr
                                                        one to write his book review. Indeed,                 Singapore and Dr Charles Toh’s Heart
          VP Nair (VP) to attend his book launch. I
                                                        humbled but supremely honoured                        to Heart. On 15 January 2021, another
          felt humbled that he had “hand-picked”
                                                        because of who VP is and will always be               medical luminary joined the book club –
          me to be one of his 50 guests for the
                                                        – to his family, friends, patients, and the           VP – with the launch of his book Healing
          launch as he was a man known to
                                                        grassroots, Malayalee, global Indian and              Hearts, Touching Minds – The Journey of an
          hundreds. At the launch, I congratulated
                                                        global Rotary communities, and to me                  Interventional Cardiologist (HHTM).
          VP and suggested that he get the book
                                                        personally – a man of distinction.
          reviewed for SMA News, to which he                                                                     HHTM is perhaps unique in its
          replied: “Fantastic, good idea! It will be        Please indulge me in reading my                   multi-dimensional effort, weaving
          even more fantastic if you wrote the          first book review as I ponder writing a               into a single canvas the ambitious and
          review.” I couldn’t rain on his optimism,     biography of VP – the man who overcame                determined doctor’s socio-cultural
          yet looking around the hall, I saw more       struggles on many fronts but always rose              background, education, practice of
          competent writers waiting in line for         above the din with his bright, broad smile            medicine and in particular cardiology,
          VP’s autographed book. Suddenly, I felt       and pure heart of gold.                               and a bunch of thoughts that ranged
          that he had in his characteristic manner                                                            from the Tiananmen incident to a
          humbled me a second time and I should         Book Review                                           woman President for Singapore. It is
          not refuse him; I had to do it.                                                                     even cheekily contradictory as VP argues
                                                        The Singapore medical fraternity’s
              Why? Simply because VP is a giant of a    contribution to the written word is                   a case of women empowerment and
          man who is not just a doctor but a person     noteworthy. While Prof Chao Tzee Cheng’s              yet sallies up to the belles of beauty
          of sterling qualities, and who carries with
          him the charm of disarming anyone with
          his smile, laughter and genuineness.
          Here is a man, doctor, friend, mentor and
          “uncle” who goes the extra mile for all and
          sundry, and often much more than that,
          especially for people like me with whom
          there is a connectedness based on care,
          respect and affection. So, in my earnest
          quest to do justice to VP’s publishing
          endeavour, I researched on how to
          write a book review and gathered a few
          friends to guide me through the process.
          I know that no effort will honour VP
          adequately for his heart of gold. Instead
          of daunting me, it made my effort at
          writing the review more earnest, exciting
          and interesting. I adhered to uphold his
          commitment to always aim high and
          learn from the journey. After writing
          the book review, I felt trebly blessed by     Dr VP Nair with Minister Dr Tan See Leng during the book launch

         20 JUN 2021 SMA News
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