Page 7 - PULSE@UM ISSUE 1/2019
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our people. our story

        professor dr christina tan phoay lay: an oPen letter from a family
        Physician anD meDical eDucationist



             y dear Lisa,                           cultivate a culture of sharing  and
        mThank you so much for your email and  appreciation
        the update on what you have been doing.  It  How often have we shown appreciation in our
        has been great following your career progress  interactions with our students?  How have we
        since  you  graduated  –  how  time  flies!    And  replied when they provide an answer to a query
        now, you have just received an appointment as  that  may  not  match  our  expectations?    We
        a lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine, University  sometimes seem to have a tendency to focus
        of  Malaya.    This  is  wonderful  news  indeed.   on the more negative aspects in our dealings,
        Congratulations!    I  am  sure  your  family  are  especially with our students, this comes across
        very proud of all your achievements.        as being critical of what they do (or not do).  It
                                                    is then very easy to progress into a downward
        You  asked  for  some  advice  to  help  you  get  spiral  of  negativity.    It  would  be  much  more
        started in your new position.  It must sound  constructive to focus on the positives and this
        quite  daunting  joining  a  premier  academic  would contribute to a more conducive learning
        institution;  and  now  having  “to  lecture”,  environment  for  them.    Show  appreciation
        especially when you have not done this before.   of their efforts (“What did you do well?”) and
        I recall what it was like when I first started in  encourage  them  to  go  the  extra  mile  (“What
        the  university,  so  I  will  share  with  you  some  can you do better?”).
        of the things I have learned along the way as a
        doctor and teacher. Perhaps they might be of use.   Being a teacher doesn’t just mean the teaching
                                                    is  a  one-way  process,  but  we  can  also  learn
        keep patients at the heart of care          a  lot  from  others,  including  our  students.    In
        Being  a  health  care  professional,  we  always  sharing  experiences  and  knowledge,  we  not
        need to be reminded that patients are central  only  enhance  their  education  but  also  enrich
        to  the  care  we  give  and  other  professional  ourselves further.
        activities. Improving health care is what we all
        strive for, so patient care must always come  This  culture  of  sharing  and  appreciation
        first.  There is a lot that we can learn from our  should not just apply to our interactions with
        patients, by looking, listening, interacting with  students, but could also easily be extended to
        them and involving them in their health care.    our peers, other health care professionals; and
                                                    to sinclude the support staff who often work in
        Patients  who  I  have  looked  after  over  the  the background and provide unwritten support
        years,  especially  long-standing  ones  in  my  to help us along in our careers.
        Family Practice Clinic, have taught me many
        things that cannot be gained from textbooks;  have resilience and coping mechanisms
        – how to break bad news, how to share good  This goes hand in hand with the previous points
        times and bad times, what trust, truthfulness  on sharing and appreciation.  In order to give
        and respect are really about.               meaningful feedback to students, it became


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