History

Physiology is the study of normal function in the body and how genes, proteins, organ systems interact to maintain health. It provides a foundation for the health sciences profession and life science research. Physiology education in Singapore began soon after the establishment of the Federated States Government Medical School in 1905. The importance of Physiology to medical education was recognised by the appointment of a separate lecturer in Physiology in 1906, followed by the appointment of Professor James Argyll Campbell as the first King Edward VII professor and endowed Chair in Physiology in 1912. The teaching of Physiology in the early days was focused on the basics of normal function with little correlation to clinical problems and application. However, by the 1970s, first year medical students were given the opportunity to visit hospitals where they were tutored by clinicians to help them apply Basic Physiology to clinical problems. Curriculum changes in the subsequent years emphasized a reduction in content, integration among preclinical subjects, independent learning and clinical relevance. Physiology is taught not only to medical but also dental, pharmacy and life science students. The teaching of Physiology to science students is a collaborative effort between the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and the Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science.