News: Voices from PGY1s

Six months after leaving LKCMedicine, we speak to our Postgraduate Year 1s who share their experience working on the ground as junior doctors.

Au Shu Ting: 

Transitions are never easy and venturing out into medical practice is worlds apart from being a medical student. However, these new challenges and unfamiliarity are accompanied with fulfilment and growth. Being the batch of House Officers who did not manage to get a hospital-based SAP due to the Covid situation, I am sure my fellow classmates/ colleagues were all apprehensive and slightly worried about starting work.

However, we have received immense guidance and teaching from seniors and fellow colleagues which has helped to bridge this gap. Looking back on the past nine months of work so far, we have all progressed so much from the timid, worried fresh graduates we were. Though it is tiring and often thankless, through the care of countless patients, I am frequently reminded of why I chose this career in the first place. It is especially fulfilling seeing the patients improve and recover from their various ailments, under our care. 

Stanley Low:

Working life has been an eye-opening experience so far. While medical school knowledge is essential for doctors, much of the skills needed to flourish in a working environment can only be learnt through on-job training. It is very heartening to look back and take stock of how much I have progressed as a doctor and a person during this challenging and exciting Housemanship year.

Shafiqah Binte Shahrin:
Working life as a PGY1 is tiring to say the least. I remember when I first started out as a houseman back in April 2020. I had to adapt to the reality of being called a Doctor every day and be committed to the responsibilities that it holds. I remember having to learn so many new things daily and endlessly seeking help from my seniors and nurses. Although it was such a new experience, I did feel that medical school prepared me in terms of getting to apply the knowledge we acquired into the care of real patients. Daily working life requires me to work long hours, miss meals and sleepless, but motivation is what keeps me going because at the end of the day, this is a duty that we serve for the benefit of our patients. 

Ong Kim Yao:
Being a House Officer has been one of the most draining yet fulfilling things I've ever done. I'm grateful to the mentors that have guided us along the way and the friends who have shared this journey together. When this is all over these everyday struggles will become shared memories that we look back on fondly!