Tina Tan
The July issue is, as usual, dedicated to our junior colleagues. We have featured articles to highlight the less-often discussed issues that concern doctors in training (DITs), such as choosing a residency programme. I wish to highlight also the contributions by the SMA DIT Committee and thank them for their tireless efforts in working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other healthcare institutions on junior doctor well-being.
In addition, for those who did not realise, 2023 marks 20 years since SARS first hit Singapore's shores. It is apt that while Singapore and the rest of the world have reopened this year after the COVID-19 pandemic, we remember that there was another novel coronavirus outbreak two decades ago. We have invited authors with memories of working during the SARS outbreak to pen their thoughts and reflections on that time. Dr Lee Pheng Soon's snippet is particularly thought-provoking and poignant (to me, at least), as he talks about the smell of fear. And I thank Dr Kevin Loy for his beautiful commemorative illustration.
Chie Zhi Ying
In the blink of an eye, we have come to the month of July and the second half of 2023. Looking back, it has been exactly a decade since my graduation from medical school, but the learning journey never ends.
With ever-changing technological advances, gone are the days where medical students and DITs hid bulky textbooks and notes in the pockets of white coats or scrubs. In their place are gadgets like iPads and smartphones which can get you any information with just a tap. DITs now also have the option of tuning in to various podcasts and multimedia lectures online to add to the diversity of their medical education and training. And like many of their Millennial and Generation Z counterparts, our DITs take to various social media platforms to share snippets of their lives.
In this July issue of SMA News focused on DITs, we are delighted to have the SMA DIT Committee led by Dr Ivan Low reflect on their role in the National Wellness Committee for Junior Doctors and the progress made since its inception.
On a more solemn note, it has been exactly 20 years since the SARS outbreak hit Singapore and changed the way our healthcare system runs and how healthcare workers work. In commemorating the sacrifices, courage and dedication of our healthcare workers, we are privileged to share doctors' remembrances of this painful chapter in their lives.
The adage, "To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always" serves as a constant reminder to us doctors on our mission and duty of care for our patients. And to our DITs, may the passion of healing, caring, learning and teaching burn bright for you.