MOH Holdings Healthcare Scholarships & Careers Fair
A look into MOH Holdings’ Healthcare Scholarships & Careers Fair 2022
With some spare time last weekend, I decided to attend MOH Holdings’ Healthcare Scholarships & Careers Fair 2022, which took place virtually from February 26 to 27. Over the course of two days, students had the opportunity to interact and hear from a range of healthcare professionals, learning more about their professions to make well-informed decisions if they decide to pursue a career in the field.
The fair began with an opening video, highlighting our healthcare scholars’ motivation to #DaretoCare despite the strain placed on them during the pandemic. Following an opening address by Stephanie Ho, Senior Assistant Director, Healthcare Scholarships & Talent, a brief outline of the Singapore Public Healthcare Landscape, Scholarship Eligibility Criteria, and Student Scholarship Schemes was provided by Nigel Lian from the Healthcare Scholarships team. From here, a range of talks followed.
Firstly, students could attend panel discussions with healthcare scholars, who recounted their scholarship experiences. There, they refuted stereotypes about being a scholar and misconceptions about their respective healthcare disciplines. At the same time, the scholars also provided mental health and self-care advice to aspiring juniors who want to follow in their footsteps.
Professionals from disciplines, such as diagnostic radiography, medical social work, nursing, and pharmacy, also addressed the students. The speakers discussed their healthcare disciplines, including why they chose to work in the field, what they do on a daily basis, and more.
Of course, with today’s digitalisation, technology plays an essential part in healthcare. The future of health technology was also discussed at the fair. Health technology, or HealthTech, is quickly becoming a crucial facilitator in revolutionary health and healthcare initiatives. Professionals from several healthcare professions and industries discussed how they were using technology in their unique work environments.
With so much buzz, follow along as I recount my experiences at the fair!
So, what’s so special about the Healthcare Scholarships & Careers Fair 2022?
First and foremost, the event’s specialised website was something I thoroughly loved. The team put a lot of effort on the website’s design to focus on the fair, and it showed. As a student with design background, I found this to be quite enjoyable! The site’s categories were easily accessible, and it was straightforward to navigate compared to other events I’ve attended in the past. Information was also consolidated in one place, making it easy to refer to if I had questions or wanted to switch to a different session. I had a great time, and that was the most important aspect for me! I could even watch recordings of the various sessions after the fair was over — these recordings will be available on the website until 31 March, which you can check out on MOHH’s YouTube channel. Have a go at it yourself: https://healthcarescholarships.live/
*Note that you will have to register your email on the website before being able to view the session recordings.
A QnA portion was included at the end of each talk. QnA sections are typical in talks, but what made this one unique was the ability to access a live chat feed on the website where not only professional speakers, but also fellow students, could chime in with their thoughts. I was heartened to see students enthusiastically ask questions, and to see other students respond in the comments. The engagement between students was inclusive and strong, a sight not commonly seen at virtual fairs like these!
Speaking of which, engagement among organisers, speakers and students was also extremely high. From past experiences, there was usually a clear separation between the groups since encouraging engagement, especially at an online event, is challenging. Students here, however, could participate in features ranging from question polls to leaderboard games, allowing the organisers to curate topics that they were interested in hearing about. As a student with a lack of expertise and experience in the healthcare field, I felt included in the conversation and enjoyed learning about the industry in the process!
Though I had learnt many things from the different talks that I attended, some excerpts stood out to me in particular. One of them was from the talk “Learn & Explore: Diagnostic Radiography, Medical Social Work, Nursing and Pharmacy,” where Ms Dian Maisarah Sulaiman, a Social Worker at Montfort Care, said this: “Maybe we [healthcare professionals] don’t want to admit that we are burnt out because we feel that we must be there for our patients. But burnout is something that is very real, so be honest and true with people that you trust so that you can abolish the thought that (burning out) only happens to weaker people. Because it really happens to everyone.”
This quote struck a chord with me. Burnout indeed applies to everyone, not just healthcare professionals. We can get so caught up in wanting to push ourselves that we forget to give ourselves time to rest and re-energise. Burnouts can lead to feelings of ineptitude, as well as the belief that you are unable to be productive. While not working hard may cause us to feel guilty, it’s important to remember that having adequate rest actually allows us to maximise our productivity in the long run! Thus, I feel Ms Dian’s advice will remain in my mind for a long while.
Another excerpt that caught my attention came from the webinar, “Busting the Myths of the Community Care Sector,” which took place on Sunday. Dr. Hui Zhen Aw, Deputy Head of the Singapore Cancer Society, spoke about the unspoken strength that healthcare professionals must have when a patient passes away. Where there is life, there is also death, and in the healthcare industry this is especially apparent. “It’s normal to feel sad,” Dr. Aw said, “and it’s vital to address your sentiments because we’re all human beings.” She also explained how the healthcare community supports each other during trying moments like these: “You are not alone… Various doctors, nurses, and counsellors will do a debriefing with you and discuss the patient. You’ll also have additional support from your teammates as you go through the emotional phase together.”
It may seem strange to seek advice from your colleagues while you, yourself, are a healthcare professional, but that’s the beauty of the healthcare sector: they look out for each other and have each other’s backs. Team members are pillars of support for one another, and they help each other get back on their feet when things go wrong. The camaraderie displayed in the healthcare sector is admirable, and something not every workplace can boast about having. I bet it’s an amazing feeling to be a part of such a community.
There was so much more to learn at the fair, but if I were to condense my main takeaways, here are three points that struck me most:
Firstly, in the healthcare industry, passion is crucial. Working in healthcare might be one of the most satisfying job choices if you’re passionate about helping people and making a difference in their lives. The professionals who talked at the event seemed to love what they do; their passion helps them push through times that are difficult and full of challenges. The spark in their eyes moved me as they spoke to aspiring youths like us about their passion, seeking to inspire us to follow in their footsteps. Passion fuels the industry, and we can’t afford to be short on it if we want to work in healthcare.
Secondly, there is a lot of support available for those who want to go into the field. Knowledge is essential, and one cannot enter unprepared. Many resources, such as this fair, are available for students who want to learn more about fields in healthcare, and a range of scholarships are offered by MOHH to financially support aspiring healthcare professionals.
My final takeaway is that the path to healthcare may be difficult, but it’s equally rewarding. Through long hours of studying and working, healthcare professionals are driven by their camaraderie with their colleagues and their patients’ joy and gratitude, the highest truth that all healthcare professionals seek throughout their careers. After today, I am really proud of our healthcare sector, and to all the aspiring healthcare professionals reading this article, good luck, and all the best! I wish you well on your career path, and I believe it will be the best decision you’ll ever make.
Keen to enter or find out more about MOHH Healthcare Scholarships and what they entail? Head over to apply for a scholarship via Brightsparks, or simply go to https://www.healthcarescholarships.sg/ to find out more about the various scholarships. If you have further questions for us, simply post them (anonymously or otherwise) on our Padlet, and we’ll liaise with our partners at MOHH to answer them.
