Adj Assoc Prof Ben Tan graduated in 1991 with a medical degree from
the National University of Singapore and obtained his Masters in Sports
Medicine in 1997 from the world-renown Australian Institute of Sport. He
is a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine Singapore (FAMS) and American
College of Sports Medicine (FACSM). Adj
Assoc Prof Tan is presently Head of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Sport & Exercise
Medicine Centre, and Senior Consultant at three of Singapore’s leading Sport and Exercise Medicine Centers – SSMC@CGH, SSMC@Novena, and SSMC@SSI.
Adj Assoc Prof Tan is the Chairman of the Exercise is Medicine (EIM)
Singapore National Centre, and EIM Southeast Asia Regional Centre;
Co-Chairman of the Sports Medicine Subspecialty Training Committee;
Co-Chairman of the National Sports Safety Committee; Specialty Editor of
the Singapore Medical Journal; Past President of the Sports Medicine
Association of Singapore; and member of the workgroups for the MOH
Clinical Practice Guidelines on Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease
Screening, and Heat Injuries. Adj Assoc Prof Tan served as Team
Physician for the Singapore Contingents to the 1998 and 2002 Asian
Games, and the 1999 and 2001 Southeast Asian Games. His original
research covers sports medicine and sports science, and has been
published in international peer-reviewed journals and presented at
international conferences. Adj Assoc Prof Tan is also the author of the
books, “The Complete Introduction to Laser Racing,” and “Fight the Fat –
What You Must Know and Do to Lose Weight,” and “Run for Your Life! –
the Complete Marathon Guide.” Apart from sports injuries, Adj Assoc Prof
Tan's area of interest also includes musculoskeletal sonography,
extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), physical activity promotion,
weight management, gait analysis, and performance enhancement.
Adj Assoc Prof Tan, a former Nominated Member of Parliament
(2014-2015), currently serves as the Chairman of the World Sailing
Medical Commission; Sports Patron and Medical Advisor of the Singapore
Disability Sports Council; President of the Singapore Sailing Federation
(SSF); Chairman of SSF Olympic Pathway Taskforce; Advisor to the
Singapore Ice Skating Association; Member of the Sports Excellence
Steering Committee (MCCY) amongst other appointments in the sports and
physical activity sector.
An Olympian, Adj Assoc Prof Tan is an Asian Games (1994) and
four-time consecutive Southeast Asian Games (1989, 1991, 1993, 1995)
Gold medalist in sailing. He is a Hall-of-Famer and three-time Singapore
Sportsman of the Year. After competing in the 1996 Savannah Olympics,
Adj Assoc Prof Tan retired from competitive sailing and now sails
(including kiteboarding) recreationally. He took up marathon running
recreationally in 2002, competing in more than 20 marathons to date,
including all six World Marathon Majors (Boston, Berlin, London, New
York, Chicago, and Tokyo), and has a personal best time of 2 hrs 56 min.
Adj Assoc Prof Tan also a regular SCUBA diver and (snow) skier.