To celebrate World Family Doctor Day, we chat with some of our SCH family doctors who are involved in different areas of care. Our doctors are more than caregivers — they are innovators, educators, dementia care advocates, and champions of palliative care.
Dr Sharon Harvinder, Senior Staff Registrar, OCH PACCWhat drew you to the field of palliative care, and what keeps you motivated in this challenging field? I was drawn to palliative care by the opportunity to provide whole-person care that honours each patient's unique identity, beyond their medical diagnosis. It is a deeply fulfilling privilege to serve patients in life's final moments by easing suffering, providing comfort and preserving dignity. What keeps me motivated are the moments when our team is able to help patients and families find peace and meaning in what matters most to them, thus making a meaningful difference in their final chapter. Even when we can't change the outcome, we can still shape their experience with compassion and love. How do you help families navigate end-of-life discussions and decision-making? I approach these conversations with honesty and non-judgement, guided by the principle that everyone deserves the same dignified and compassionate care I would want for my own loved ones. I begin by listening closely to understand the patient's preferences, worries and hopes. I then explore the family's concerns and priorities. With this shared understanding, I guide and support families through decisions that are aligned with patient's values. These conversations are never easy, but framing choices around what matters most to the patient often brings clarity and comfort during an emotionally challenging time. What misconceptions about palliative care do you frequently encounter?A common misconception about palliative care is that it means giving up hope or hastening death. In reality, palliative care allows nature to take its course while reframing hope from curing the illness to making the most of the time left and ensuring the best possible quality of life in a patient's final days. Many also believe that palliative care is only about sadness and loss, but instead, it has taught me to see beauty in small moments and to appreciate simple everyday joys. Caring for those facing the end of life has also shown me the incredible strength and resilience of the human spirit. Rather than focusing only on loss, palliative care celebrates the meaning and purpose of life. Could you share how you maintain emotional resilience while working with terminally ill patients? I rely heavily on my incredible multidisciplinary team – colleagues who truly understand the weight of this work and readily create space for vulnerability, honest reflections and conversations about our experiences and emotions. My faith and my family also give me strength and perspective that help me process and make sense of the immense suffering we witness in end-of-life care. This combination of personal belief and team support allows me to remain present and continue to care for my patients. What's the most unexpected thing that brings joy to your workday?The most unexpected thing that brings joy to my workday is hearing laughter in our hospice ward – whether it is between patients and their families, or among our team. These moments of lightness and connection amidst profoundly difficult circumstances remind me that even in life's final lap, there is still room for joy. Dr Tan Wan Ying, Senior Staff Registrar, SKCH PACCWhat motivated you to take on leadership and educational roles beyond clinical practice?I'm currently involved in teaching medical students and planning of interprofessional education (IPE) sessions.I observed that the best learning takes place in the clinical setting. As a medical student before, I was able to learn best under mentors who put in time and effort into crafting case scenarios and teaching us to put theory into practice. My mentors served as great role models for me; not just in knowledge and skills, but also in their drive and passion in patient care, something which I hope to inculcate in the new generation of doctors.Besides medical education, I am also passionate about enhancing learning and collaboration among the healthcare professionals. As the IPE lead at SKCH, I have the opportunity to work with various healthcare professionals to identify learning gaps, issues faced on the ground and work together to formulate teaching sessions that can improve awareness, knowledge and skills. I strongly believe in working together as a team to improve patient care and am also humbled by the fact that there are just so many things to learn from each other!How do you adapt your teaching methods to prepare new doctors for the evolving healthcare landscape?As patient care is increasingly complex and challenging, I would often use case studies to illustrate the concepts which I am trying to teach. I think the mantra of "see one, do one, teach one" still applies in this day and age. What's the most important lesson you try to instil in medical students and young doctors?There are two lessons I always keep close to my heart. The first is "To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always" and the second is "To treat your patients like how you would like your love ones to be treated." How do you maintain work-life balance while juggling clinical, leadership, and educational responsibilities?I exercise regularly as it keeps me going for my day-to-day work!Who is your role model in leadership and what is one question you would ask them? It can be anyone in the world!One of my role models in leadership is Mother Teresa. Her unwavering compassion, humility, and dedication to serving the most vulnerable have always inspired me. If I had the chance to ask her one question, it would be: "What keeps you going when you feel discouraged?" I believe her answer would offer deep insight into the strength of purpose and faith needed to lead with heart, especially in the face of adversity.Dr Charmaine Tan, Associate Consultant, OCH PACCWhat inspired you to pursue innovation in healthcare, and what challenges did you face along the way?In our day-to-day work, there will certainly be moments where we wonder if there were innovations or technologies that could help us do the job better, faster, or even replace the need for a person to manually perform the activity. However, we may not know what is available in the market, and how to go about trying such technologies in the workplace.Could you share a specific innovation you are involved in and how it has improved patient care? Or you could share about the ATLAS project?I was previously involved in the Robot project where we trialled using Temi Robots for fall prevention for our patients. Currently, I am involved in the ATLAS project which combines a telerehabilitation device with an exercise programme for patients to perform their own exercises during admission on upon discharge. This allows them to perform exercises on their own with visual and auditory feedback apart from scheduled rehabilitation sessions, as well as upon discharge while waiting for Day Rehabilitation Centres. How do you balance maintaining clinical practice while pursuing innovative solutions?I wouldn't be able to do it without an extremely supportive and hardworking team from the Research and Translational Innovation Office (RTIO), including Research Coordinators whom we hired to join us specifically for this project! They are our brain, arms, and legs that work together to make this project possible. What emerging technologies do you believe will significantly impact family medicine in the next five years?Technologies that aid monitoring and treatment would be helpful if we are able to utilise AI with predictive algorithms. For example, with the emergence of continuous blood sugar monitoring devices, perhaps there can be real time adjustment and suggestion of insulin dosages for patients, customized to the type of insulin and regime they are on, as well as their glucose levels. Likewise, technologies that guide behavioural management for activity and diet may help with automated tracking, exercise programs and prompts throughout the day, customised to the patient.If you could instantly invent any medical device without limitations, what would it be and why?Hmm, perhaps a diagnostic machine! Like those in movies where you enter a device, it scans you, does blood tests for you, assess your vitals, and then comes up with a list of potential diagnoses and treatments!
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