Page 23 - Pulse @ UM 2018

THROUGH OUR LENS

TOH PUAN AISHAH ONG (TPAO) LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Nik Sherina Hanafi & Ng Chirk Jenn (Department of Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Malaya)

The Department of despite limited resources and
Primary Care Medicine recently very few academic staff then. In
celebrated its 30th Anniversary. 1989, University of Malaya
In conjunction with this special became the first university in
event, the inaugural Toh the country to offer the
Puan Aishah Ong Lifetime MMedFamMed programme,
Puan
Achievement Award (TPAO) producing its first graduate in
1993.
was presented to Professor 1993.To date, University of
Datin Dr Chia Yook Chin. Malaya has produced over 140
Family Medicine Specialists.
Professor Chia is a With Professor Chia’s guidance,

Professor of Primary Care the department started the
Medicine in the Faculty of Master in Medical Science inin areas of hypertension,
Medicine, University of Malaya. (MMSc) and PhD research geriatrics, gastroenterology and
programmes. The department allergies. She has groomed
She completed her MBBS programmes.
training in University of Malaya has since produced five PhD many junior staff to become
and proceeded to work as a and five MMSc graduates. independent researchers. She
medical was visionary in motivating
medical officer in the
Department of Medicine. After Professor Chia’s passion several academic staff to
pursue PhD studies, despite
an attachment at King’s College in teaching and training goes pursue
Hospital and a brief stint in beyond the university, with her shortage of manpower in the
general practice, Professor spending most weekends department and at a time when
Chia continued her career as a giving talks and training general few clinicians held PhD
lecturer in University of Malaya, practitioners as well as degrees. This has made
during which she received conducting public forums and the Department of Primary
during
media sessions. She is Care Medicine one of the
the Commonwealth Medical media
Fellowship for research work at currently the Director of the strongest primary care research
the University of Cambridge. Academy of Family Physician departments in the region with
She was Head of Department Malaysia’s Graduate Certificate 10 lecturers having doctorate
from 1989 to 2003 and was in Family Medicine course. degrees.
promoted to a full Professor
Globally, Professor Chia is
during this time. On the research front,
Professor Chia’s has been very recognised for her academic
Together with the founding resourceful. She has managed work in hypertension. She has

Head, Dr Tan Heng Soon, to secure grants that allowed been involved in the Malaysian
Professor Chia played an her as well as other department Society of Hypertension since
instrumental role in setting up lecturers to pursue research. In 1997. As the current President,
the Department in 1987. the 1990s, she received the she works closely with
CICHE Award which funded the
Professor Chia has excellent CICHE the International Society of
clinical skills. She laid a strong research collaboration between Hypertension to promote public
foundation
foundationfor the provision of UM and British academic awareness on hypertension
primary care services and institution to work on elderly and train healthcare providers
teaching. Professor Chia was care. Professor Chia has in hypertension screening,
visionary in pushing forward the participated in several clinical diagnosis and management
Master of Family Medicine trials and published works across the world.
related
(MMedFamMed) programme relatedto primary care mainly
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https:// resfom.um.edu.my Issue 1 Year 2018