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CGH has a new Associate Dean Dr Helen
Oh May Lin,
Senior Consultant, Department of Medicine, who was
appointed for a two-year term starting from 1 Jul 2005.
Dr Helen Oh, an infectious disease physician who joined CGH
in 1995 also heads CGH’s Medical Centre for International
Travellers (MCIT). She will be coordinating the teaching of
medical undergraduates, Basic Specialty Trainees (BST) and
Advanced Specialty Trainees (AST).
Dr Oh who has been teaching for 18 years is happy to take
on this new responsibility. She said, “It is very rewarding.
It is
gratifying when students whom you have taught remembered
you. My main objective is to provide the students who come
to CGH, both undergraduates and postgraduates, with the
skills and vision to further their careers. A vision is important
because one must know where you are headed.”
" Taking
over as Associate Dean, the first thing
Dr Oh hopes to do is to send the teachers
back to the classroom. “We are trained as
doctors. Teachers go to NIE for training. All of
us do not have formal training in teaching
techniques. To ensure quality of teaching,
I
hope to send our younger teachers for courses
run by Medical Education Unit, National
University of Singapore to learn formal
teaching techniques to improve their
teaching skills,” said Dr Oh."
Another action plan she hopes to carry
out is to enhance the
facilities for learning at CGH. A good teaching hospital as a
library to facilitate the learning experience so her dream is
to have a centralised library to house all the medical journals plus
the services of a full-time librarian.
Although clinical teaching is essential in a hospital, patients
sometimes have a negative perception of medical students
following doctors on rounds. At any time, CGH receives up to
50 students.
Dr Oh said, “The teaching staff must select patients who do
not
mind being a subject so that the experience is amenable. The
facilitator must be mindful that patients can get tired. No one
likes having 20 students prodding his tummy.”
On a personal note, Dr Oh’s inspiration was Dr Anthony Chow,
her mentor at the University of British Columbia at Vancouver,
Canada when she was on her HMDP.
“He bothered to teach and encouraged me to do research.
The skills he imparted has allowed me to work on and keep up with
my infectious disease work,” said Dr Oh.
" We
also wish to thank A/Prof Low Boon Yong, Senior Consultant
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, for his service
and valuable contribution as the Associate Dean since
1 Jul 1998.
During his tenure, A/Prof Low was involved in making many improvements to CGH
medical students teaching and house officers training.
He also oversaw the implementation of a structured assessment and training system
for house officers in CGH "
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