Page 16 - Scholarship Guide Feb 2019

14 CHIAM SHIQI

“For those who Why did you choose the scholarship?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
are unsure Who or what influenced you most to take
up this scholarship?
of where their Since I was young, my passion has always revolved
passion lies, around the healthcare sector. One of the biggest de-
termining factors of why I decided to become a podia-
exploring the trist was my grandmother. My grandmother had lived

different fields with diabetes for many years and I grew up witnessing
how her condition had deteriorated throughout the
through job years - from having an innocent foot infection to finally
having to amputate her toes. Throughout the years,
shadowing I accompanied her to follow-ups with the podiatrist
will be a good regarding her wound management and that is how I
came to know about Podiatry. Ever since then, I have
way to start. aspired to be like them. When I chanced upon the What are the most challenging responsibilities
Healthcare Merit Award Scholarship offered by MOH
you have and how do you cope with them?
Ultimately, Holdings (MOHH), I was elated as I was able to pur- One of the challenges I faced as a health student
sue the study of my dreams! Given that Podiatry is not
studying abroad is the difference in education sys-
nothing beats a course available in Singapore, taking up the schol- tems. As I was so used to studying mainly theories
first-hand arship would allow me to pursue my studies without in Singapore, I struggled during clinical sessions as
I had to observe a physical condition, analyse and
having to worry about the financial aspects. In five
experience.” years’ time, I see myself working towards becoming give an on-the-spot diagnosis. From this, I learnt that
a senior podiatrist, forging good relations with my col-
a condition can manifest in different forms and what
leagues and other allied health professionals, as well the textbook teaches you does not always correlate
as helping raise awareness for Podiatry in Singapore. with the physical observations. Hence, I collated a
series of manifestations which could arise from a
What do you think makes the scholarship stand clinical condition and attempted to list every possible
out from the other scholarships on the market? diagnosis when I see a patient. Some of my diagnosis
What fundamental questions did you have in may not be accurate, but I have learnt that it is all right
mind to make the comparisons needed for to make mistakes now. Making mistakes is also a way
your decision? of learning, as I will learn something new when my su-
One of the most obvious reasons why the scholar- pervisor corrects me for an inappropriate diagnosis. I
ship offered by MOHH particularly stood out to me believe that with more experience and exposure, I will
was because Podiatry is a niche field and very few be more proficient in giving an accurate diagnosis.
organisations provide scholarships for it. Addition-
ally, it is a full-term scholarship which would relieve What are your interests?
a huge financial burden off me and my family. This How do you balance it with your studies?
would allow me to focus more on my studies instead I am an active member of taekwondo and I train up to
of worrying about the hefty amounts of school fees. two times a week. With an extra co-curricular activity,
Moreover, I felt that the scholarship would provide me having priorities and time management are essential.
with ample opportunities for personal and profession- Hence, I try to minimise my time spent on social me-
al development – MOHH supports scholars to attend dia and make use of the time between classes and
conferences, seminars and workshops to gain greater on the bus to study. Honestly, there are times when
insights of their profession and participate in com- I am really worn out from juggling between the two
munity involvement programmes to give back to the and would lose motivation but thankfully, I am lucky
society. Lastly, I feel that the scholarship values every enough to have a group of friends who are ready for
individual scholar, as each one of us is assigned to a impromptu meet-ups which lift my spirits up!
scholarship officer to guide us in this journey, whom
we could turn to in times of need. All in all, these are What qualities are essential to have if
the factors I have taken into consideration before de- a student is interested in the scholarship?
ciding that the scholarship offered by MOHH is the Passion, diligence and resilience are some quali-
most appealing one. ties essential for students who are interested in the
scholarship. More often than not, passion is the main
Chiam ShiQi What do you think are your strengths driving force in the pursuit of one’s goal. I feel that
Healthcare Merit Award that land you the scholarship? with passion, anyone will give it their best, enjoy what
I have always been a believer in the value of experi- they do, and eventually perform well. For those who
Age: 24 ential learning. During my last year in Temasek Poly- are unsure of where their passion lies, exploring the
technic, there was a module called Haematology different fields through job shadowing will be a good
Attained:
Diploma in Biomedical which piqued my interest. I was interested in find- way to start. Ultimately, nothing beats first-hand expe-
Science, Temasek ing out more about this topic and hence took up a rience. There is no doubt this journey is going to be
Polytechnic phlebotomy course. To further relate the knowledge tedious but with hard work and diligence, anyone can
I have previously learnt in Polytechnic, I went on to pull through. Being resilient is another important qual-
Now: work as a part-time phlebotomist. My ability to apply ity. Most of the health disciplines offered by MOHH
Year 2, Queensland what I have learnt into my job is perhaps why I was are specialised fields and they tend to be pretty inten-
University of Technology,
Bachelor of Podiatry chosen for this scholarship. sive. There are bound to be times when you struggle
and feel demoralised, but you need to persevere and
From: overcome these challenges because at the end of the
Temasek Polytechnic day, that is how everyone grows.