Season's greetings to one and all! The end-of-year holidays are always a good time to slow down, relax and take stock of the year that has gone by. Unless you happen to be one of the lucky ones on call.
For the SMA, one of our annual year-end highlights is the SMA Lecture. During this year's Lecture, A/Prof Yeoh Khay Guan, Dean of the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, shared his thoughts on the future of medical education. The 2nd National Medical Students' Convention was held on the same day, with A/Prof Benjamin Ong, Director of Medical Services, speaking on the paradigm shifts in medical training. Both events are the subjects of this edition's Feature article.
The holidays are also a time to re-establish connections with others. As doctors, we may be separated by geography, but we are all connected by the shared desire to do our best for our patients and the challenges we face while doing so. Dr Anantham Devanand and Dr Benny Loo share their experiences at the 2018 World Medical Association General Assembly and the Junior Doctors Network meeting held in Iceland.
My favourite part of the holidays is enjoying my brother's and mother's cooking. However, if food for thought is more your thing, Dr Tan Yia Swam has contributed a compelling argument on why you should not join the SMA (I think). Meanwhile, Dr Chew Shing Chai shares his thoughts on consent-taking and the potential need for high-tech recording equipment in the modern medical clinic.
After some food, it's always nice to watch other people sweat it out on television. Since my son is still too young to play sports, and the basketball, soccer and rugby teams I support are in a slump, it's nice to know that there is still one team I can support and live vicariously through. The SMA team has done us all proud as they emerged champions in this year's InterProfessional Games, and you can read all about it in this edition.
The holidays are a time of being thankful for what we have. It is also a time of giving and putting others before ourselves. Dr Grace Chew has kindly shared with us her experiences while volunteering in Okayama, Japan, after a massive earthquake.
Finally, here's wishing one and all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!