Let's Get to Know Our Doctors!

Dr Gabriel Gerald Yee, Consultant,
BVCH Post-Acute & Continuing Care

An inspiration from my youth
I decided to become a family doctor when I saw how compassionate and competent my GP, Dr Ng was in my childhood. He was able to pinpoint that the cause for my recurrent stuffy nose, earaches, middle ear infections and nocturnal cough was not a serious bacterial infection, but rather, Allergic Rhinitis precipitated by air conditioning and dry air.

Prior to seeing him, I had repeatedly seen numerous pediatricians and ENT surgeons, and my mother became progressively anxious and "antibiotic dependent". Dr Ng's manner when I stepped into his office was simultaneously empathetic and knowledgeable. My mom and I felt instantly better and assured. Years later in medical school when I was deciding on a residency – it was between Surgery, Internal Medicine and Family Medicine – I chose Family Medicine. In this field, we see many types of patients, we are not confined to one organ system, and we see patients from all walks of life. It doesn't matter what is their problem – biological, psychological, social or spiritual. We will co-create the solution with them with the relevant experts.

Making Medical Musicals
I love doing musical parodies of everything! During my secondary school days, I loved music already but it was in med school that I realised I love musical parodies. I can't actually write music, I don't even have a piano grade, playing entirely by ear. Recently I reminded the doctors about the need for "Safe Prescribing" to the tune of "Jet Lag" – I sang for them live and they were very amused and never forgot the importance of safe prescribing practices! Things turn up a notch when I play the piano too, especially with a band. Here's a snippet of what I wrote!

Safe Prescribing - Sung to the tune of Jet Lag Ft Simple Plan X Natasha Bedingfield
Verse 1
What'd you order in the IMR

I glossed over every line

You told me you didn't have time

I had discharge memos to write

It's getting lonely being suspended

I don't even wanna be in this town

Tryna figure out the court case's making me crazy

Chorus
You ordered morning, med's at

midnight

Going out of CH, into SGH

They wake up, intubated, and they're

going mad

Their kidneys so bad

and my heart, heart, heart is so jet

lagged

Did you do safe prescribing

Did you do safe prescribing,

prescribing

Syukri Omar Bintalib, Resident Physician,
SKCH Post-Acute and Continuing Care

A Family Business
I wanted to become a family doctor because my dad was a family doctor and I would often visit his clinic when I was younger. He became part of the community he was serving over the years and his patients who frequently visited his clinic trusted him with their health. Seeing these close relationships inspired me to consider family medicine as a profession. After becoming a Family Physician, I realised that Family Medicine allows me to care for patients in various clinical settings such as polyclinics or community hospitals. Being able to look after patients long-term within the community and getting to know their personal stories adds more satisfaction to the job.

Connecting through songs
I joined the choir when I was in secondary school. It was by chance that I came across it when we were visiting the various CCAs during secondary 1. I went for the audition and I was asked if I wanted to join. I said yes and I was in the choir till I finished secondary school! In choir, we performed choral pieces from different genres and languages. While I was in the choir, we did school performances, competed in the Singapore Youth Festival and also went overseas for international competitions.

I think we all connect to music in our own different ways. It gets us through tough times and good times. Music adds colour to our lives.

Mohamed Shameer, Resident Physician,
OCH Post-Acute and Continuing Care

More time with my patients
Since medical school, I found myself drawn to family medicine due to its unique blend of primary care, continuity of care and the emphasis on the whole person. What I enjoy most about family medicine is the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. Each patient has their unique story, challenges, and aspirations. As a resident physician at OCH, I have the luxury of spending more time with my patients to get to know them on a personal level and tailor their care to their individual needs.

A deep interest in language
Outside of work, I enjoy watching and reading Tamil content. In fact, I have been a fervent advocate of the Tamil language since my university days when I was a member of the NUS Tamil Language Society. I still take part in Tamil projects when the opportunity arises. This year, I was one of the guest speakers at Tamil Language Festival 2023 where we spoke about the relevance of speaking mother tongue in today's society.

Having a good command of the Tamil language has indeed helped me to build trust and rapport more effectively with the Tamil speaking patients in OCH. I find that speaking in patients' native languages improves their outcome and overall satisfaction. Hence, I am also learning conversational Mandarin and Malay to communicate more effectively with my patients!

Luke Low, Medical Director,
SKCH

Inspiring junior doctors
I appreciate the breadth of knowledge and skills that are required to be a successful family physician. But perhaps most importantly, being a family physician allows me to make a meaningful difference in the lives of my patients. Working alongside our multi-disciplinary team, I have the opportunity to help them navigate the complexities of the healthcare system, to manage their chronic conditions, and to support them through difficult times. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing my patients return home and knowing that I played a role in their journey towards recovery and restoration of function.

Games we played as kids, and even now…
I started playing console games when I was 9 years old, so you can imagine the number of games I have played! I only entered the world of multiplayer cyber-gaming when I was in medical school. Those were the days of Counterstrike, and I would sometimes go to my friend's dorm room to play. In case you are wondering, no, I did not skip any lectures or tutorials to play. I usually would only play after exams and during holidays. So, I was still a hardworking medical student.

After all these years, it is a hobby that transports me to another world and another dimension, where anything is possible and everything is out-of-this-world. In this virtual realm, I can become a sword-swinging prince, a gun-toting survivor, a Kung Fu master, a ninja turtle, a pilot in a spaceship, a magician, or a commander of the C&C Global Liberation Army. I can be anyone, anywhere.

Faces Of Healthcare

Let's Get to Know Our Doctors Part 1

Find out our our multi talented doctors at SCH in our part 1 of Let's get to know our Doctors!

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