The reason why I want to be a health care professional is because of my mum. She is a staff nurse and since young, I have witnessed how she attends to her patients with love and patience. Hence, I see my mother as a role model and hope to enter the health care profession. I wanted to do more than what a nurse does and did not go into medicine as being an allied healthcare professional will allow me ample time to spend with my friends and family. Thus, I choose to study physiotherapy because of interest in this area and this is a profession which provides me the opportunity to interact with people from all ages and most importantly, help patients regain the highest level of independence. Physiotherapists also play an important role in health promotion and prevention of injury. Hence, the satisfaction obtained in the process of treating patients, to see them recover eventually and dealing with unexpected challenges is something that I cannot gain from or find in a desk-bound job.

I choose to take up NHG scholarship as NHG has well-established hospitals, institutes and polyclinics under the group with a mission of providing patient-centered quality care. NHG also recognizes the importance of continuous education and research in order to provide the best quality care to their clients. Furthermore, taking up this scholarship means that I get to study physiotherapy both locally and overseas in Sydney. This is a great opportunity to see how the course is taught in different countries and the difference in clinical practice in these 2 countries. Also, it gives me a chance to experience a different culture in Sydney, interact with the students and physiotherapists over there and to learn to live independently in a foreign country.

Staying overseas has made me grown more mature emotionally, learn to deal with every aspect of life from basic things like doing household chores to handling unexpected situations and most importantly, treasure what I have in Singapore (my family, friends). Moreover, studying at University of Sydney gives me the chance to be taught and interact with well-known tutors who are highly regarded in their respective fields of Physiotherapy. Some of whom have written the textbooks we use both in Nanyang Polytechnic and University of Sydney. Their in-depth knowledge and passion in the respective areas of specialisation inspires me to equip myself through continuous learning so that I can treat clients effectively and efficiently and NHG recognises the importance of continuous learning. I am grateful that NHG has given me this scholarship which allows me to pursue physiotherapy in a way not many has an opportunity to.

Looking ahead to my career with NHG, I would really like to increase the public awareness of the role of physiotherapists in treating an array of physical conditions, health promotion, injury prevention and the different areas of specializations. This is important as many from the public are not aware of the healthcare services that physiotherapists provide. I’m looking forward to provide effective treatment to my clients by keeping myself up to date with current evidence-based treatments and continuous learning. And ultimately I will like to specialize in an area of my interest through further studies. Advice for would-be NHG scholars, "Take up any opportunities that are offered to you by NHG as you pursue your studies for they bring you one step closer to your aspirations. Never give up in what you believe and persevere till you reach your goals.”