Profile: 5 Quick Questions with … Dr Grace Chua, national badminton player, LKCMedicine Class of 2023

By Siti Rohanah Koid, Director, Communications and Outreach

How do you feel now that you’ve graduated?
I feel very excited. Sometimes it’s difficult to believe that we made it through five years of medical school and now we are in the working world. Here at the graduation ceremony, the reality is sinking in, that we’ve graduated, we are doctors, and we are starting work.
How are you feeling in anticipation of starting work next month?
I’m excited. I heard many stories from my friends. But at the same time, I’m a bit scared that I’m not really prepared. But my friends have told me that we will learn on the job. I think no matter how much medical school prepares us for work, it will never prepare us enough.
A part of your studies was affected by the pandemic. What did you learn from the pandemic?
Our years 3 and 4 (in the MBBS programme) were quite affected by the pandemic, but that was something we couldn’t control. We tried to make the best out of it. Our School really gave us support to help us through it. Overall, it didn’t have a huge impact on our education.
We still got the education that we needed from our School… we went through online lessons; we were more focused on other areas, that we wouldn’t otherwise have had in our postings. I think overall it was a good experience. But I’m glad we are out of it. Finally we were back to face-face lessons and now back in the hospitals.
Who were you most inspired by during your studies?
During my five years at LKCMedicine, one person who inspired me the most was sister Ramani. She helped us by teaching us clinical skills that we need at work, and also gave up her time for us, helping us to learn and practise our skills, even coming back on Saturdays to open the labs for us. And certain small things (for example) when I started School and was looking for stuff. She just came by asking me what I was doing because I was very lost. Then she guided me. Even after that, she checked in on me. Just these small things that she did that really inspired me, and I would like to express my gratitude to her.
You’re also a national badminton player. How did you juggle that and School?
It was difficult balancing sports and my studies. I had to train in the evenings after my lessons, after my clinical postings. But I have very supportive friends and family. If I did have to miss lessons because of competitions, I knew that I could count on my friends, asking them what I have missed. My family had also been very supportive, cooking for me, preparing things for me.
The School had been supportive as well. They granted me LOAs (Leave of Absence) to go for my competitions; the faculty checked in on me regularly, asking me how I’m doing, whether I needed support. All in all, there had been very good support here, which is why I was able to balance both my studies and my sports.