In conjunction with the World Family Doctors’ Day on 19 May, our colleagues from the SCH Post-Acute and Continuing Care team share a little more with us about their journey in healthcare, and some of their experiences. We get up close and personal with Dr Loo Yu Xian from Outram Community Hospital (OCH), whose love for Biology during Junior College propelled him towards a career in Medicine. To him, Medicine’s biggest draw is being able to touch another human being the way no one else could, so he found the person-centered philosophy of Family Medicine a natural fit. As a family doctor in a Community Hospital setting, Dr Loo relishes the chance of engaging patients with complex medical, psychological and social conditions, and having an uninterrupted period of time to work closely with them and their loved ones. "I am driven by the impact that good person-centered care has on the patients I serve and humbled by their gratitude and the life lessons they have taught me in return. I’m inspired to be part of a team that cares about doing what is right, and not what is easy."And when the going gets tough, having a sense of humour as well as wonderful colleagues have helped greatly, and of course going home to his wife and two kids at the end of each work day. Dr Loo shares with us a memorable patient encounter."One time, a patient whom I had seen before was admitted to my ward for palliative care a few years later. He recognised me at first sight and recalled our friendly interaction. He confessed that he was initially apprehensive about receiving end-of-life care, but his worries dissipated as he has now met someone he knew and trust. Encounters such as this show that our work and actions can really leave a lasting impression on the people we serve."Dr Loo also leaves us an encouraging message to cheer us on amid this challenging healthcare climate: "I was still a medical student when SARS struck Singapore in 2003, and now find myself in the frontline along with other healthcare workers during this COVID-19 pandemic. Just like SARS, I am sure that this too shall one day pass, and things will gradually get better again. Until then, we can take solace in that we are not alone in this fight. In my eyes, there are no better people to be with than the folks we have in our SCH family."
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