Our Stories

It's thrilling to be part of a healthcare organisation that constantly strives to push the boundaries of medicine and patient care. As a young doctor many years back, I chose to join NUHS because it was, and continues to be, an excellent training centre with emphasis on educating, preparing and mentoring physicians of the future. Additionally, as part of the organisation's goal of developing well-rounded doctors, I was also given the opportunity to lead projects which honed my administrative and leadership abilities. There are abundant opportunities available here to advance and deepen one's learning. The organisation recently sponsored my further training with a world-renowned expert as part of advancing my sub-specialty training. Learning never stops here. I always look forward to my next training opportunity.

Nursing is my calling, and teaching is my passion. They are interlinked, just as I see myself as the link for the student and new nurse at the bedside, helping them to apply what they have been taught in the classroom. I enjoy the tri-roles in clinical, management and education. They are overlapping bubbles. Even as I impart what I know, I am continuously learning. Theory in practice is key, lest we lose touch of the ground. From my days as a young mother to two toddlers 13 years ago, I have not stopped learning through the academic route from obtaining my nursing degree and advance diploma in nursing (orthopaedics), all at the same time, before completing a postgraduate diploma in education from the National Institute of Education (NIE). It takes a whole passionate and nurturing village to raise generations of nurses. I am but only one of the many runners in this generational marathon, doing my part to pass on the baton of knowledge to the next.

Before joining public primary care, I'd spent some years in a private healthcare consulting company. During that time, I realised that I enjoyed interacting with individuals through dietetic counselling, particularly those diagnosed with chronic conditions. The opportunity to have more of such interactions propelled me to make the switch to public primary care. Being a successful dietitian requires motivation and a desire to improve the health status of others. It is indeed satisfying to see improvement in my patients' biochemical results through dietary intervention, and it is what keeps me going to work daily. I'm glad that I am able to explore different areas of interest and work on my professional development at the National University Polyclinics (NUP).

To me, healthcare is all about putting our patients first, helping them to heal, giving them the best care possible. When I joined Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH), I was deeply heartened by the amount of care and thought that has gone into every facet of the hospital. From the angle of the lightings to the position of patient beds, everything was meticulously planned for. Even the buildings were constructed with patients' needs in mind. I was very happy to see that every patient has a window, which will greatly help in their recovery. I was also grateful to learn that the hospital was designed to ensure patients who need to move across the operating theatres and treatment rooms will not be seen by members of the public, thereby protecting their privacy. These were just some of the things that were done to ensure our patients are comfortable and well provided for so they can focus on their health and the healing process. As a doctor, I find it reassuring to work for an organisation like NUHS that is patient-centric and willing to go the extra mile for the delivery of patient care.

- Adj. A/Prof Low Shiong Wen,
Head of Division & Senior Consultant, Neurosurgery, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital & Group Director, People & Culture and Quality & Safety, National University Health System

Medicine has always been my passion since I was a child. In medical school, I was fascinated about the art of diagnosis, which still is the crux of medical practice. I was intrigued by Internal Medicine, and so decided to pursue that as my specialisation. Being able to provide quality and holistic care to my patients has made my professional journey thus far very satisfying. This passion is my reason for joining Alexandra Hospital team, the first healthcare institution in Singapore to roll out a new model of care called the Integrated General Hospital (IGH), where patients receive end-to-end services under one roof from a single care team, and where their post-discharge care is well integrated with the community. The mode of clinical care is based on a generalist-led and specialist-reinforced model. I have enjoyed this memorable journey thus far.

- Dr Satya PK Gollamudi,
Head & Senior Consultant, FAST Programme, Alexandra Hospital

I believe that if you want to push healthcare and patient care to another level, you need two things: great ideas and a willingness to execute them. In this aspect, NUHS has demonstrated a boldness to challenge the status quo. I was given an opportunity to lead a project which re-educated our department on the best site to administer injections to patients. The protocol was quite a departure from industry practice but we had enough evidence to show the benefits. I was heartened to receive the management's fullest support on our recommendation. It's this openness to ideas, along with superiors who are willing to listen and go out on a limb for you, that makes it all the more gratifying to work here.

- Celine Yeo,
Advanced Practice Nurse, Emergency Medicine, National University Hospital

Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Ever since I stumbled into Diagnostic Radiography, I have never looked back ever. I enjoy interacting with people from all walks of life, and the unique opportunity to provide frontline clinical services, participate in education and training, and even venturing into the new territory of management here, at NUHS has been an enriching and humbling learning experience. As a radiographer, I get to work with sophisticated medical imaging equipment to produce diagnostic quality images of the human body, facilitating patient diagnosis and treatment. Exciting times are abound for healthcare, especially here at Alexandra Hospital, as a team of passionate individuals work tirelessly to pioneer new models of care and transform the future of healthcare.

- Casey Chong,
Senior Radiographer, Alexandra Hospital

Every mind has tremendous innate potential to learn, think and create. My aim is to inspire students and juniors to embark on translational medicine. I find it highly rewarding when I hear from my trainees and mentees on their successful clinching of research awards and the impact they have made on medical science. I firmly believe that education is not about teaching the bits and bytes. Rather, the challenge of teaching is about building unique individual operating systems in every student so that they can query the right information at the right time, learn, assimilate, think, question and understand, and thereby build a self - motivated learning individual. A teacher's job is to guide, educate, illuminate, stimulate and inspire. Just as I have been inspired by my teachers, I aim to stretch and revolutionise the mind of every student that I take; one mind at a time.

- A/Prof Dan Yock Young,
Senior Consultant, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital

I delved into the world of healthcare 25 years ago as a radiation therapist. I was caring for a family member who was stricken with cancer back then, and this sparked a desire in me to treat and care for cancer patients. Being in such a diverse sector has given me many opportunities to explore different roles and career paths. Thanks to the network of institutions under NUHS, I have gained experience as a clinician, an educator, and now as a healthcare administrator. Although the transitions were challenging, the support I received from my colleagues and seniors has enabled me to cope well in these different roles. In my current role at the National University Polyclinics (NUP), I hope to contribute to the growth of the next generation of allied health professionals and administrators, as they embark on their journey to shape family health as members of the NUHS family.

- Jamilah Binte Mohamed Jailani,
Senior Assistant Director, Clinical Services, National University Polyclinics

Having worked in a nursing home, the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), and now Alexandra Hospital (AH), I feel heartened and blessed that I am able to pursue my service role with passion and empathy, through the common shared experiences with patients and their caregivers. I remembered the frustration, anxiety and loss I felt as a caregiver for my mother who was diagnosed with cancer more than 10 years ago. I made a bold choice to stop running my business and be by my mother's side until she passed on. I derive the greatest satisfaction from problem-solving and being the 'go-to' person doctors refer patients to. If I could shorten their wait time, fill-up service gaps, and improve on ways to create a better patient experience, it would make my day - giving me more reasons to serve on and be there when my patients need me the most.

- Susan Chng,
Senior Patient Service Associate, Alexandra Hospital