EDUCATION
RESEARCH
Singapore, 28 May 2011 – Duke-NUS awarded the Benjamin Sheares Professorship in Academic Medicine to Professor Soo Khee Chee at an event that marked the completion of four years of medical study by its pioneering class of Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) students. The professorship recognises Prof. Soo’s pioneering contributions to research, scholarship and clinical service that has significantly impacted the practice of medicine in Singapore.
Prof. Soo Khee Chee is the founding Director of the National Cancer Centre Singapore and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Health Services, and the Vice Dean for Clinical and Faculty Affairs at Duke-NUS. A visionary leader, he was one of the original group of doctors who advocated for the creation of a second medical school in Singapore. Throughout his prolific career, Prof Soo has achieved outstanding international distinctions in research, scholarship and clinical services. He has made significant contributions to the healthcare sector, specifically in the training of young clinicians and the establishment of a conducive clinical and research environment. His contributions to the community are evident from the many illustrious awards and accolades that he has garnered, including the National Outstanding Clinician Mentor Award in 2008, as well as the Public Administration Gold Medal, a prestigious National Day Award conferred to him in 2003 for his praiseworthy contributions to Singapore.
Prof. Ranga Krishnan, Duke-NUS Dean and chairman of the selection committee for the professorship, said “Prof. Soo is a tremendous asset to the institution. His foresight and expertise as Vice Dean for Clinical and Faculty Affairs at Duke-NUS has led to its rapid development and success. He is an excellent clinician-scientist and revered educator. His continued role at Duke-NUS and SingHealth will further enhance the building and establishing of Duke-NUS as a key component of the academic medical centre at Outram.”
In a letter supporting Prof. Soo’s appointment, Dr. Edward Holmes, Chairman of the National Research Council, Ministry of Health, called Prof. Soo “one of the most prominent and influential leaders in Singapore academic medicine”, citing his vision and leadership that was critical in the development of the National Cancer Centre.
Prof. R. Sanders Williams, President, The J. David Gladstone Institutes and Founding Dean of Duke-NUS, commended Prof. Soo’s significant contributions to Singapore’s medical landscape. He said, “As a medical educator, he exemplifies the master clinician. I have personally seen him exert a positive influence on trainees and colleagues during rounds and clinical care conferences in Singapore General Hospital. As an investigator, he collaborates effectively in academic pursuits with fellow surgeons and doctors, and has published a considerable number of contributions to improve the care of patients with cancer.”
The newly endowed Benjamin Sheares Professorship in Academic Medicine is made possible through a S$2.5 million seed gift from Tote Board and SingHealth Foundation as well as a significant donation from the Sheares family. This prestigious professorship is said to be the first professorship to be named in honour of the late Benjamin Sheares. As a founding father of Singapore Medicine and Singapore’s second President, Dr. Benjamin Sheares is a sterling role model for Singapore’s younger generation of clinicians and clinician‐scientists.
Said Prof. Soo, “I am personally inspired by the legacy of the late Dr. Benjamin Sheares and am honoured and humbled to be conferred this professorship. Teaching and mentoring medical students constantly energizes me and enables me to witness their growth. Their vigour, thirst for learning and enquiring minds are constant reminders for me to stay curious, innovate and improve on the practice of medicine. I will endeavour to fulfill the expectations that come with this professorship and serve the community like Dr. Benjamin Sheares did.
The Duke‐NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke‐NUS) was established in 2005 as a strategic collaboration between the Duke University School of Medicine, located in N. Carolina, USA and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Duke‐NUS offers a graduate entry, 4‐year M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) training programme based on the unique Duke model of education, with one year dedicated to independent study and research projects of a basic science or clinical nature. The first batch of students will graduate in 2011. Duke‐NUS also offers M.D/PhD and PhD programmes. As a player in Singapore’s biomedical community, Duke‐NUS has identified five Signature Research Programmes: Cancer & Stem Cell Biology, Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disorders, and Health Services and Systems Research. For more information, please visit www.duke‐nus.edu.sg.
The Singapore Totalisator Board, or Tote Board, established on 1 January 1988, manages its funding activities from the gaming surpluses generated from the operations of the Singapore Turf Club, Singapore Pools and from the casino entry levies. The Tote Board supports a variety of projects and programmes in the areas of arts and culture, charity, community development, education, health and sports.
Said Mr Tan Soo Nan, Chief Executive of Tote Board, “The Benjamin Sheares Professorship marks the Tote Board’s first partnership with Duke‐NUS. We are pleased to support this prestigious project to honour the late Dr. Benjamin Sheares, and to contribute further to our nation‐building and community programmes.”
SingHealth Foundation is an Institute of Public Character established in 2002 to facilitate medical innovation in healthcare through its grant‐giving and fundraising efforts. Capitalising on SingHealth’s strengths, the Foundation strives to improve the quality of healthcare for Singapore’s future generations by funding biomedical research, skills upgrading and training for medical and healthcare professionals, innovative patient services, patient support programmes and Singapore Cord Blood Bank ‐ the only public cord blood bank in Asia providing a second chance at life for Asian patients who need blood stem cell transplants. SingHealth Foundation supports programmes that help realise tomorrow’s medicine.
“This grant supports a worthy and significant programme both for SingHealth and SingHealth Foundation. As Duke‐NUS is SingHealth’s partner in Academic Medicine, this is an important professorship for SingHealth Foundation to support. It reinforces SingHealth’s commitment to quality patient care and translational research. For SingHealth Foundation, it exemplifies the programmes we aim to support that encourage innovation and improvements for even better healthcare. Like Professor Sheares, the individual selected for the Professorship will be a role model to medical students, clinicians and clinician scientists,” said Professor Tan Ser Kiat, Chairman, SingHealth Foundation and Group Chief Executive Officer of SingHealth.
Note to the Editor:
Annex A – The biography of Prof. Soo Khee Chee
Annex B – About the Benjamin Sheares Professorship in Academic Medicine
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