Issue 21 - NUS Medicine

A PUBLICATION OF THE
NUS YONG LOO LIN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Issue 21 / February 2017

DEAN'S MESSAGE

Dear Readers,

February 4 is World Cancer Day. It is commemorated annually in many countries, because cancer remains a global scourge, killing more than 8.2 million people in 2012. These mortalities will rise by about 70% over the next two decades, according to World Health Organization data.

Dismal as the numbers are, there is cause for hope. Scientists are discovering and learning more about the nature of the hydra-headed beast, and developing new treatment options.

Dossier

Asia-Pacific’s Biggest Medical Education Conference Returns to Singapore in 2017

The Centre for Medical Education (CenMED) hosted the 14th APMEC in January 2017. The APMEC series was initiated in 2003 with the motto, “Think BIG, Start Small, ACT NOW”. CenMED has built the APMEC series and has progressively developed it to its current status as a major conference in the field of medical education.

Celebrating 30 Years of Family Medicine

On February 13, 1987, Family Medicine was given academic recognition by the Faculty of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

NUHS Becomes New Integrated Health Cluster

The National University Health System (NUHS) is merging with Jurong Health Services (JurongHealth) as part of a reorganisation of the public healthcare system in Singapore announced by the Ministry of Health. Six existing regional healthcare systems will be reorganised into three integrated clusters, each with its own network of polyclinics, to better meet Singaporeans’ future healthcare needs.

Cross-cultural Health and Hygiene Education

The people of Pekanbaru have relatively little knowledge about nutrition and the importance of proper hygiene practices.

With these issues in mind, Project Sukacita wants to address these challenges through programmes and activities that serve to educate the people in this community and also address health concerns of the children.

Harnessing the Power of Class Giving

The Dean of NUS Medicine, Associate Professor Yeoh Khay Guan (Class of 1987), is a firm believer in the power and enduring impact of class giving. He initiated the establishment of the MBBS Class of 1987 Bursary and championed the cause among his classmates.

Friends and Students Rally to Honour Leading Surgeon

One of Singapore’s most-respected surgeons, and an inspiring teacher who has trained many of the surgeons in practice in the country was honoured through the establishment of a professorship at NUS Medicine.

Science of Life

Cancer Immunotherapy – Immune System Unplugged: Releasing Cancer’s Grip with Checkpoint Inhibitors

Using the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells has been a focus of intense research for several decades, but recent breakthroughs in the field have moved immunotherapy to the forefront of new cancer treatments. This article about antibodies that release “checkpoints” in immune cells marks the first in a series about different types of cancer immunotherapy.

The Summit Research Programmes

High-calibre investigators leading distinctive, collaborative research programmes that aim to produce new knowledge of diseases, improve clinical practice and train talented researchers. These are the aims of the Summit Research Programmes, says the initiative's advisor, Professor Lee Eng Hin.

NUS Dons Produce An International Bestseller

A textbook on Emergency Medicine techniques by two professors at NUS Medicine has become an international bestseller.

Titled ‘Guide to the Essentials in Emergency Medicine’, the textbook is the work of Drs Shirley Ooi and Peter Manning, both senior doctors at the NUH Emergency Medicine Department (EMD) and also associate professors at the NUS medical school.

North-South Nexus

Seventeen years ago, a Vietnamese military doctor arrived to commence postgraduate work at NUS Medicine. Senior Colonel Dr Le Van Dong reflects on his experience.

People of NUS Medicine

Walk a Mile in His Shoes

You might have caught sight of him, hauling a black cabin bag and striding purposefully through the corridors and hallways of the NUS Medicine campus, moving from the Dean’s Office in the Tower Block to University Hall on Upper Kent Ridge Road and then back again. Mr Krishnan s/o Kumaniar covers the same route twice daily, Mondays to Fridays, in all weather.

Insights

Battling Cancer

A cancer patient shares about her personal struggle to cope with the disease.

Palliative Care? No Thanks

Palliative care is often linked with death and dying, and as human beings are naturally death avoidant, they try to steer clear even if they do not know anything about Palliative care. We who work in the field understand it is all about LIVING the best and most meaningful life possible.

Ethics Revisited: The New Medical Code – What Has Changed?

On January 1, 2017, the latest version of the Singapore Medical Council’s Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines (2016 ECEG) came into force, and accompanying it is a comprehensive Handbook of Medical Ethics, which is designed to provide more detail on best practice in following the Code and Guidelines.

Scheduler

February – April 2017

FEBRUARY – april Date Event & Venue Feb 9 Workshop: Grant Writing Seminar Room T07-03, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block Feb 21-22 Workshop: Fundamentals Centre for Healthcare Simulation, Level 3, Centre for Translational Medicine (CeTM), NUS Feb 24 Workshop: Debriefing Centre for Healthcare Simulation, Level 3, Centre for Translational Medicine (CeTM), NUS Feb 24 Lunch […]

SCHEDULER

FEBRUARY - APRIL

Date

Event & Venue

Feb 9

Workshop: Grant Writing
Seminar Room T07-03, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block

Feb 21-22

Workshop: Fundamentals
Centre for Healthcare Simulation, Level 3, Centre for Translational Medicine (CeTM), NUS

Feb 24

Workshop: Debriefing
Centre for Healthcare Simulation, Level 3, Centre for Translational Medicine (CeTM), NUSLunch Talk: The Role of Interprofessional Education (IPE) in Patient Safety
Seminar Room T08-03/04, Level 8, NUHS Tower Block

Feb 25

Family Medicine 30th Anniversary Dinner Commencement Ceremony
Orchard Hotel

Feb 27

Oon Chiew Seng Distinguished Visitor Programme
Public Lecture: Lifestyle Strategies for Dementia PreventionAuditorium, Level 1, NUHS Tower Block

Mar 1

Oon Chiew Seng Distinguished Visitor Programme
Lunchtime Scientific Lecture: The Connections Between Sleep and Risk of DementiaAuditorium, Level 1, NUHS Tower Block

Mar 11

NUS Open Day
University Town, NUS

Mar 25-26

Workshop: The Anatomy of Complications
Advanced Surgery Training Centre, Level 2, NUH

Mar 28

7th Annual Graduate Scientific Congress (AGSC) & Career Day
Auditorium, Seminar Room T01/02, Exhibition Area & Staff Lounge, NUHS Tower Block

Mar 31

NUS Medicine Awards Ceremony 2017
Staff Lounge, Level 1, NUHS Tower Block

Arp 4

Workshop: Lipidomics Introduction
Centre for Life Sciences (CeLS), NUS

Apr 5

Workshop: Learning Outcomes and Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA)
Multi-Purpose Hall 1, Level 3, Tahir Foundation Building, MD1, NUS

Apr 6-8

3rd Congress of The Society of Endometriosis and Uterine Disorders
Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre

Apr 6

Workshop: Teaching & Learing Strategies for Healthcare Professionals in the New Millennium
Multi-Purpose Hall 1, Level 3, Tahir Foundation Building, MD1, NUS

Apr 17-18

Workshop: Effective Course Design for Health Professional Education
Multi-Purpose Hall 3, Level 3, Tahir Foundation Building, MD1, NUS