At an event like the SMA Annual Dinner, the running joke is that even though I am attending as a guest, I am also working (and networking). Which explained why I was seated in my chair only half the time. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable evening of catching up with friends and colleagues, including two of my classmates from Duke-NUS Medical School and former teachers.
This year's Annual Dinner was particularly meaningful to me given that I have previously had the privilege of working with Prof Kua Ee Heok, one of two recipients of our Association's Honorary Membership this year. I first met Prof Kua as a wide-eyed psychiatry resident during my posting at the National University Hospital (NUH) and have fond memories of his "round table" discussions with junior doctors where he shared his insights with us. His profound experiences in psychiatry led him to write books such as Listening to Letter from America and The Undefeated Mind, copies of which sit on my shelf at home. Prof Kua has shown an unwavering dedication to his subspecialty of geriatric psychiatry, and the body of research he has produced on our local elderly folk is a testament to that.
Coincidentally, our Guest of Honour (GOH), Director-General of Health Prof Kenneth Mak, emphasised in his speech the need for Singapore's healthcare landscape to adapt to the rising tide of the Silver Tsunami, and I look forward to further news on what to expect from policymakers in that regard.
As a related aside, our recent issues (including this one) have featured what we call "Letters from the UK". These letters showcase contributions from medical students studying abroad as they write home to Singapore about their overseas experiences (especially their clinical ones). As is obvious from the title, this was inspired by the same BBC radio programme that Listening to Letter from America was inspired by – Alistair Cooke's "Letter from America". We hope readers have found this series meaningful and refreshing, and that we continue to receive such contributions from our overseas trainees. Not to worry, we also welcome contributions from our local trainees.
The other Honorary Member this year was Prof Rajmohan Nambiar, whom I met for the first time during the Annual Dinner. Prof Nambiar is a prime example of someone who embodies the concept of "ageing gracefully", given how active he remains to this day. This presentation certainly was in line with the running theme of the night, given what the GOH spoke of. I was delighted to find that I was seated with Prof Nambiar's children, Tina (my namesake) and Brian, both of whom, I am unabashed and thrilled to say, are fans of my editorial. This editor has often wondered whether her monthly column is skipped so that readers can sink their teeth into the "meat" of the issue (in other words, the main articles carried). To say the least, I was heartened to discover that they both consciously look forward to my musings, and that I am not writing in a vacuum.