Trailblazing a Healthier Future: How Two Graduates Aim to Advance Health Through Research
Published: 13 Jul 2024
Dr Joelle Tan
Class of 2024, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine)
Graduand with an MBBS and Master of Science (Research), under the MBBS Intercalated Year Programme by NUS Medicine
House Officer, General Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital
While many of her peers were laser-focused on completing their MBBS, Joelle found herself drawn to research in her second year at medical school. She put her hand up for several research projects and the experience reaffirmed that her ambition to pursue research was not merely fleeting. Joelle jumped at the chance to pursue a Master of Science (Research) under the Intercalated Year Programme (IYP) but the decision was not an easy or conventional one.
Most would view taking a gap year between Phase 4 and 5 of medical school to be disruptive to their medical education, but Joelle knew that it was a step in the right direction given her inclinations towards becoming a clinician scientist when she graduated. And she was glad that she took the leap as the IYP not only allowed her to get a good sense of what it is like to be a clinician scientist, it equipped her with the critical research skills through formal training and afforded her with opportunities to work with global luminaries.
Under the mentorship of esteemed advisors like Prof Yong Eu Leong and Dr Susan Logan, Joelle completed her thesis on sarcopenia, a critical area of study involving the age-related loss of muscle mass, strength, and physical function. Her contributions include exploring the feasibility of the D3-Creatine dilution method as a potential diagnostic tool of sarcopenia in Asian midlife women. Joelle also uncovered a fascinating link between Chinese reading language preference and muscle strength/physical performance, offering new insights into how language and culture impact health.
Her journey was not without its hurdles. In fact, she had to contend with one right at the start of her journey – having to decide on the direction of her thesis. Joelle realised very early on that the freedom to chart her own course in research was both a boon and a bane. But with the steadfast support of her advisors and colleagues, she was able to forge a path through the challenges. Of note, Joelle was faced with the daunting task of getting up to speed quickly in statistics and epidemiology having lacked formal training, but Prof’s Yong recommendation enabled her to take crucial classes on epidemiology and she was able to pick up these critical foundation skills needed for clinical research.
Having had the chance to immerse herself in research for a year, Joelle resumed her MBBS studies with the intention of pursuing further clinician-led research post-graduation. Currently, she is pioneering a study on the association between MRI-derived muscle fat infiltration and muscle strength/physical performance and intends to continue working with her thesis advisor, Prof Yong, on the Integrated Women’s Health Programme – a pivotal cohort study on midlife Singaporean women.
Looking ahead, Joelle hopes her research will have clinical applications, ultimately working to improve the healthy life expectancy of the population and beyond.
Dr Goh Lay Hoon
Class of 2024, PhD Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Senior Consultant, Department of Family Medicine, National University Health System
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, NUS Medicine
In 2019, Dr Goh Lay Hoon took one of the boldest steps in her career by deciding to pursue a PhD. On track to be a senior consultant back in 2020, she was encouraged by her then Head of Department, Prof Doris Young, who saw immense value in having a PhD holder within the Family Medicine Department and recognised that it aligned with Dr Goh’s own passion and interest in health services research.
For many doctors practicing family medicine, pursuing additional diplomas seemed more practical than the pursuit of a PhD due to the substantial commitment it demanded. However, Dr Goh felt compelled to explore research in the health services because she observed that despite the best efforts of doctors and patients, it seems that desired health outcomes were often not achieved. She also hoped that her PhD could help progress and improve the practice.
Her thesis centres on the role of GP Primary Care Networks in diabetes care delivery in Singapore, a growing area of importance given the emphasis on preventive care and chronic disease management under the national initiative, Healthier SG. What sets Dr Goh’s research apart is her holistic approach. She noticed that existing studies on primary care delivery often highlighted the perspectives of doctors and she wanted to provide a balanced view by including the voices of patients, nurses, and care coordinators in her study.
Dr Goh’s PhD journey was fraught with challenges. The onset of COVID-19 coincided with the start of her research, forcing her to put data collection on hold. GPs were overwhelmed with pandemic-related duties, leaving little time for her inquiries. During this period, Dr Goh focused on conducting a systematic literature review, awaiting the resumption of normalcy. She even had to rewrite her ethics clearance. Additionally, navigating health services research, a relatively new field compared to traditional research, meant Dr Goh had few mentors to guide her and few precedents to follow. She relied on advice from her thesis advisors and colleagues and had to piece together much of the process independently. One valuable piece of advice she received was to avoid trying to do everything, a lesson that proved challenging but essential.
Despite these obstacles, Dr Goh is the most senior woman in terms of career level in the medical field, to graduate with a PhD from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in the past five years. Her enduring interest in analysing clinical data—characteristics and health outcomes—which was too ambitious for her PhD is now within reach. She has secured a three-year research grant to examine data collected for routine care at the National University Polyclinics, to determine if patients adhere to clinical guidelines for chronic diseases and the characteristics of patients in relation to their adherence.
Dr Goh hopes to inspire fellow GPs and family medicine practitioners by demonstrating that it is never too late to pursue research and there is value in doing health services research because it improves care delivery. She acknowledges that being a pioneer can be daunting, but as Nelson Mandela puts it, “It will always seem impossible until it is done,” and Dr Goh believes that it can be done.
