Giving Stories

“If you knew what you were doing, it wouldn’t be called research.” – Albert Einstein

Before I knew it, I have completed three semesters in the PhD program at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. The first year was spent primarily on coursework, where we were constantly probed to hone our problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Through classes, we’ve strengthened our foundations in research skill sets and learned to communicate and collaborate with classmates who came from all facets of the public health arena.

The PhD journey is exciting and challenging but it can also be daunting at times. There were times that I found myself asking why I am doing this, but I am beyond blessed to have entered a supportive environment – classmates that offer moral support, encouraging lecturers, experienced research officers who were willing to share their knowledge, and most importantly, reassuring and very patient mentors and supervisors.

It has been a fruitful year where I was given ample opportunities to explore my research interests. In April this year, I was fortunate to be able to share my research findings at the 28th European Conference of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Madrid, Spain (photo attached). It was an enlightening experience to have experts in the field critique and offer constructive suggestions to improve my research work and I came back with a refreshed perspective. Clinching two pilot grants in the past year has also opened the doors to collaborating with other researchers from NTU, A*STAR and TTSH/CDC. No doubt the PhD journey is an arduous one, but I constantly remind myself to enjoy the process of “climbing the mountain” and always look forward to the challenges that I will experience and learn from the programme.