Raffles Dialogue 2017 Focuses on Global Concerns

The second edition of the Raffles Dialogue took place from September 4 to 6 at the NUS University Hall. Themed “Human Well-Being and Security in 2030: The Critical Role of Innovation”, the conference focused on the world’s most pervasive healthcare issues today.

Eminent opinion leaders congregated at the three-day conference to share insights and discuss novel approaches to tackling exigent global health concerns, such as managing infectious diseases in an interconnected world, financing research of neglected tropical diseases and chronic conditions, rethinking personalised care for the elderly and improving mental health and resiliency, among others.

The bi-annual event attracted over 100 local, regional and international participants as well as NUS Medicine students like Edward Lim Jianyang. The Phase III student attended the event despite his clinical posting and busy curriculum.

“It was centred around a topic that struck me greatly because I have always been interested in the field of innovation in medical technology. I hope to gain experience and insightful thoughts from the leaders in this field.”

Asked for his biggest takeaway from the conference, he felt that the talk about mindfulness by Associate Professor Jeremy Hunter, Founding Director and Associate Professor of Practice, Executive Mind Leadership Institute, Peter F. Drucker School of Management, USA was striking. “His key message was for us to compose our thoughts before making any rash decisions. It was a very powerful statement and served as a reminder to us as future doctors to always stay calm, and put our patient’s interest first before making any decisions.”

There were also medical students who participated in the event in other ways. Phase I student, Caitlin O’Hara volunteered her services at the event as a student liaison officer. Attached to a speaker, her role was to ensure the smooth settling in of the speaker during the conference. “I got to interact with her on a personal basis, where she shared with me her experiences in her area of work. It was very insightful. Aside from that, I also gained practical skills from the conference committee, such as effective workplace communications and the work that goes on behind the scene of a conference. It was a rare opportunity.”