Celebrating a community of educators across the SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC

On 3 July, a group of 40-odd healthcare professionals and educators from a diversity of backgrounds converged on the Duke-NUS amphitheatre for the Technology-Enhanced Learning for Health Professions Education executive certificate graduation ceremony, exuding warmth, camaraderie and passion even after a long workday. The secret to remaining energised after work? A passion for education, it seems.

The graduation ceremony may have coincided with the conclusion of the course’s sixth edition, but it wasn’t only the 2024 cohort who received their certificates that evening. The five other cohorts who went before them also received their official certs.

The course, hosted by the Duke-NUS Centre for Lifelong Learning, was rolled out in 2021 to fill a gap in healthcare education by providing healthcare educators with a strong foundation in educational theory, as well as equipping them with the knowledge to effectively incorporate technology to enhance learning, deputy course director Assistant Professor Jason Lee had told MEDICUS in a previous interview. To earn the certificate, students complete two foundational modules and two electives from a choice of five, including simulation, serious games, or learning analytics.

While the evening celebrated participants’ achievements, it also served a bigger purpose: to provide a platform for this community of educators from the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC) to connect across cohorts and learn from one another.

Associate Professor Nigel Tan, co-director of the course who gave the opening remarks at the ceremony, encouraged the latest graduates to return as facilitators, just as many others had done before them, and play an active part in this vibrant community of educators.

This was fondly described as “keep[ing] the virtuous cycle going” by Professor Fernando Bello, co-director of the certificate and Associate Dean for Technology-Enhanced Learning and Innovation at Duke-NUS.

Demand for the four-module credit-earning course has been high, said Prof Bello in his remarks, noting that interest comes from all the professional colleges and the many institutions from the AMC.  

The attending graduates of the 2023a cohort gather for a selfie with their certificates. // Credit:  Nicole Lim, Duke-NUS

During the ceremony, a representative from each of the six batches stepped to the front to share their reflections, from which finding communities of practice, networking and the applicability of technology to their classrooms emerged as the biggest takeaways. The collaborative nature of the course also encouraged a great measure of sharing between the professions, resulting in a feeling that they were not alone in this.

Said speaker Ms Chan Pei Yuan, a dental professional from the National Dental Centre of Singapore and graduate of the 2021 cohort: “I believe in the transformative power of knowledge. Teaching allows me not only to impart technical skills, but also empathy and a passion for excellence to the next generation of dental professionals. It is immensely fulfilling to contribute to their growth and to witness their journey towards becoming competent and compassionate healthcare providers.”

2022 graduate Ms Catherine Poey from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital Nursing Division, spoke of her students as “skyscrapers”, with the educators being the “architects who help them achieve new heights”. The role of the educator, then, is to bring their students towards the peak of their potential, while still maintaining structural integrity.

Speaker Chan Pei Yuan of the 2021 cohort inspires with her dedication to technology as a means to deliver knowledge. // Credit: Duke-NUS

Catherine Poey of the 2022a cohort delivers her speech to much laughter. // Credit: Duke-NUS

Ms Nur Ashikin Binte Mohamed Ismail describes her journey of adopting tech in her work // Credit: Duke-NU

Added Ms Cerene Wong, a social worker from Changi General Hospital and a 2022b cohort graduate: “It’s important to continue to be curious and be willing to get your hands dirty in trying new things—and by having people share in this work, the work will spread, and we can all benefit.”