Read the reflections of three SingHealth Residents – Dr Joel Soon, Dr Kee Wanyi, and Dr Valerie Chew – who looked back on their residency journeys and penned a note of advice to their younger selves.
This year was all about marking milestones. If I could summarise the year in one word, it would be 'eventful'.
One of the highlights this year was being able to see myself grow as a resident-educator. We launched a Youtube channel to host educational videos with the purpose of helping final-year students prepare for their surgery exams.
We were inspired to start our own channel to optimise teaching time and our peers' learning. With the videos, we hope that they can familiarise themselves with some of the concepts first before going for practical lessons in the wards.
Another highlight for 2023 was passing the Master of Medicine (Surgery) exams with my batch mates and securing our promotion to senior residency. As the saying goes: "If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together" – going far together, is what we did.
Above it all, my most favourite moment from this year would be getting engaged to my fiancé!
To my younger self: As a proceduralist, it is imperative that we take good care of our health for the sake of our career. Try not to do vigorous exercises post-call unless you want to sustain a torn hamstring and rotator cuff injury… again.
Being in medicine has been both a privilege and a humbling journey. You get to be there for your patients when they are at their most vulnerable. What has kept me going all this while is knowing that every day at work is an opportunity to make a difference in someone's life.
2023 unfolded quite unexpectedly. I saw myself being more involved in meaningful initiatives that helped provide better support for my fellow residency peers. These include conducting Cadence tutorials for residents taking PACES and organising CASA dinners. Funnily, my involvement with these activities started from making casual conversations with my peers.
Unfortunately, I was not able to interact as much with the House Officers in the team as I was on multiple rotations across sub-specialties. It would have been nice if I could have played a more mentoring role to my juniors. It heartens me to see them grow into better clinicians.
To my younger self: Remember to always pay it forward… guide your juniors as how your seniors had done for you. Be brave and don't be afraid to try out new things. It is alright if you fail the first few times – never stop sharpening the saw!
Medicine resonates well with my innate desire of wanting to help people and make an impact on someone's life. In fact, I owe it to my past volunteering stints at several community hospitals and rehabilitation centres – it has shaped who I am today.
As a clinician, seeing my patients' conditions improve and subsequently being discharged, leaves a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart. It further affirms my decision of wanting to be part of my patients' recovery journeys, and to be with them during their most vulnerable moments.
This year saw me facing challenges and gaining new experiences. I have just transited into my second residency year, which has given me opportunities to further hone my clinical skills.
I have also learnt to better manage critically ill patients and their caregivers. Behind each diagnosis is a patient with a story to tell – they are all humans after all. Thus, I often tell myself to walk in my patients' shoes and see things from their perspectives.
Before we bid goodbye to 2023, I would like to express my gratitude to my comrades in medicine. Thank you for all the friendships forged over these past few years. I wouldn't have been able to get to where I am today if it weren't for you.
To my younger self: Always be prepared to think a step ahead of your current role. Do not be afraid to ask questions and try new things. It will prepare you for the next steps in your career.
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