Is There a Doppelganger in SCH?

Dr Wan Ying was previously an Occupational Therapist before pursuing a career in medicine. Drawing from her experience in both professions, she has developed a strong appreciation for working in a community hospital setting.

Let’s Hear What She Says
I value working with other healthcare professionals to better the care of my patients.

As patient care is increasingly complex (both medical and social aspects), I strongly believe in the unity of efforts, harvesting of ideas from different professionals to problem solve and set individualised goals for my patients and their caregivers.

This is done so with the hope of enabling the patients to transit well into the community and age in place.

Working in a community hospital as a Family Physician allows me to practice what I value and do what is best for my patients, at a comfortable pace.


What is a Day as a Doctor Like Working in SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH)?
I start my day by looking through my patient list and checking if they have any acute issues overnight.

This is followed by morning ward rounds to go through the patients’ issue list thoroughly, examine my patients, and attend to any concerns that they may have.

We have weekly Multidisciplinary Team Meeting (MDM), where doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and pharmacists, gather together to discuss about our patients’ medical issues, rehabilitation goals and discharge care plans.

MDM is important for us to establish clear care plans and also serves as an avenue for team members to clarify their concerns.

My afternoons are usually spent seeing new admissions, reviewing existing patient’s acute issues, planning and conducting tutorials for medical students or fellow colleagues who are taking exams.


Working as Family Medicine Doctor @ SCH
I enjoy the time that I have with my patients; they are the ones who remind me to appreciate the simplicity of life and to count my blessings.

Working in a community hospital can be challenging as we manage patients with a wide range of complex medical and social issues.

There are times I may not be familiar with medical realms or difficult social circumstances of my patients that I would have to crack my head over.

That is when I would read up, engage in discussion with my fellow colleagues, brain storm solutions or ideas, and formulate a sound plan for my patients.

There’s never a dull moment in my work at the community hospital. Seeing my patients improve and transit back to the community motivates me.

I joined SCH after the completion of my Family Medicine Residency training under SingHealth. I was preparing for my MMED exam then and my department had been very encouraging and nurturing throughout the journey.

We received many tutorials and pearls of wisdom from seniors who had gone through the rigorous exams.

Besides studying and working hard, we play hard too!

Our department organises activities for staff bonding on a regular basis.

For instance, we recently had a department lunch followed by cycling at Pulau Ubin.

All in all, I am thankful for the amicable and supportive working environment at SCH; a place where I can practice collaborative patient-centered care and continue my growth as a Family Physician.