He didn’t let the past shape his future
Published: 28 Dec 2017
“For my PSLE, I got 181 points. At first I didn’t feel much, but after I got my results and returned home, my parents saw the results and they were quite disappointed in me.” Tan Jun Xiang was from Normal Academic Stream in secondary school, but his determination to achieve his aims led him to NUS Medicine.
Despite not performing to his parent’s expectations in primary school, the 22-year-old thought back about his playful adolescent years, and how his teachers in secondary school gave him encouragement and motivation to study hard.
Jun Xiang then continued his education at Singapore Polytechnic, specialising in biomedical science. “I wasn’t offered biology, so what’s why when I went to poly, I wanted to try something new.” The thought of becoming a doctor came during his year two internship at a hospital, when he realised his passion in studying the human body and interacting with patients.
Currently in his second year of his undergraduate study, Jun Xiang shared what he pursues and believes in being a doctor. “I know that many people want to become a doctor because they want to save lives. I know saving lives is the top priority, but then there’s more to it in medicine. I believe that as a doctor, you should have empathy and understand the patient. Talk to the patient. Go through the whole journey with them.”
“I tell others: Don’t give up, just aim high and don’t compare yourself to others. You will never know what may happen.”
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