LIFE at SGH Campus | May/Jun 2013
A clinician-scientist in the making Shu Qi with mentor Assoc Prof Chan Yew Weng.
that she become a doctor even though her brother is a lawyer and her sister is pursuing a Master’s degree in architecture. It was an attachment at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) that opened her eyes and heart to medicine and research. “I was quite undecided about what to do after completing my ‘A’ Levels but had the opportunity to learn from Dr Donald Poon who was then with the Medical Oncology Department at NCCS. He was a very good mentor and took time to teach me many things including the human anatomy,” said Shu Qi.
Successful findings
“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” This quote by American author Napoleon Hill aptly sums up the persistence and determination required of individuals to be successful. To be a clinician scientist is no different, but that has not deterred Ms Tham Shu Qi who has set her sight on becoming one. The 23-year-old student from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore embarked on a pilot study of a new teaching method for medical students. She undertook this study while juggling classes, school work, examinations and department rotations in hospitals. Thankfully, her efforts paid off. Shu Qi and her team took home the Best Poster Award (Education) at the SGH Annual Scientific Meeting held in April this year.
Experimenting with Research
The youngest in a family of three children, Shu Qi shares that her parents never insisted
After her short stint at NCCS, Dr Poon hired Shu Qi as a Research Associate. The few months of experience allowed her to witness and understand how patients can benefit from research and also led to not just an interest in medicine but also a passion for research. Shu Qi is also grateful to her other mentor, Associate Professor Chan Yew Weng, Senior Consultant, at SGH’s Department of Anaesthesiology, for his guidance in clinical and research work. Prof Chan is one of the four authors of the pilot study. “From the way Prof Chan deals with problems, we can see that he is a very innovative person. He also arranges my schedule to ensure that I see the whole spectrum of work in the Department of Anaesthesiology, where I am now posted,” said Shu Qi. Shu Qi was lucky to have met two good mentors who guided and inspired her. But luck can only get her so far. The rest depends on the efforts she puts in. This, after all, is only the beginning of a very long journey…
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