Endean Tan
Dr Endean Tan juggled online masters studies in Internal Medicine with work, exams and national military service. Despite the challenges, the MSc helped him with the final hurdle to becoming a specialist and consultant in Singapore.
| Name |
Endean Zie Hean Tan |
| Degree |
MSc Internal Medicine (Online Learning) |
| Year of Graduation | 2015 |
Your time at the University
I’ve had close ties with the city during my training as a registrar – both attending courses and exams for the Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom - MRCP (UK). I’ve also given one or two lectures at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE), have visited friends staying there, and I simply love the people and culture. I have been on campus but only as a visitor and for a very brief few hours just taking in the sights and sounds.
I suppose my main memories of the city of Edinburgh revolve around the hospitals: exams mainly!
On a more personal level, I honestly struggled with keeping on par with the course; juggling work, exams, national service (military) responsibilities and course work was not easy.
The time zone difference also made my participation in live conversations rather difficult. I think the biggest lesson I learnt was how to remain committed despite these challenges, and to see the bright side of putting my nose to the grindstone: it would eventually pay educational dividends!
I think the biggest lesson I learnt was how to remain committed despite these challenges, and to see the bright side of putting my nose to the grindstone: it would eventually pay educational dividends!
Your experiences since leaving the University
I am currently a Consultant in General Internal Medicine, Head of the Acute Internal Medicine Service (i.e. Acute Medicine) in Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore, and an Assistant Professor at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, a partnership between the Nanyang Technological University and Imperial College London.
I was recently appointed to the Clinical Board of the hospital. I am also a Board Member of the Chapter of General Physicians, Academy of Medicine, Singapore, and hold concurrent appointments as the Lead for Medicine at the School and Associate Programme Director for the National Postgraduate Year One Residency Programme.
The MSc course helped me with my “exit exam”, the final hurdle to becoming a specialist and consultant in Singapore. The wide-ranging scope of the syllabus (diagnosis, specialty topics, education, statistics etc.) assisted greatly as the blue print exit exam is extremely broad – a reflection of the nature of General Internal Medicine.
Alumni Wisdom
Education is the cornerstone and linchpin of every possible avenue to success, and the returns on this particular investment will be only as good as the effort you put in.