Oi Mun is The Neighbourhood Clinic’s most recent GP addition. Oi Mun is cognitively quick, very broadly interested and clinically excellent. She is also a mad keen Sherlock Holmes fan and book reader… but onto the questions:
Medicine, lets talk about medicine. As part of your training you were on rural placements quite a lot. What were 3 biggest things you learnt during that time? Rural areas lack the ease of access to medical and all other healthcare that urban areas have. There are less healthcare professionals, be it doctors (GPs, specialists), dentists, allied health professionals, and patients have to travel long distances to hospitals, clinics etc to undergo treatments. Many specialised treatments/equipment are only available in the city, and rural residents miss out if they are unable to travel long distances due to various reasons. The health outcomes in rural areas lag behind those of urban areas due to these factors. Could you give a brief snapshot on your philosophy towards medicine? And how you see your role? Medicine involves treating the patient as a whole-the biopsychosocial model-which includes the mind, body and socially. My role is to help patients obtain the best outcome for their health through various methods-pharmacological, preventive medicine and in collaboration with other specialists and allied health professionals.
What is/are your favourite foods?
I am Malaysian, and Malaysians love their street food. My favourites are cendol, ais kacang, penang assam laksa, nasi lemak. I also love traditional Chinese desserts like adzuki bean soup and black sesame soup.
You speak 3 languages (English, Malay, Mandarin), have lived in a number of countries and have a love for literature and words. Who is your favourite author and what is your favourite book?
I have many authors and books that I love, and my favourites can change with time, but if I had to pick one it would be Louis Cha (also so known as Jin Yong), the famous Chinese martial novels writer, and one of his novels which is translated as The Smiling, Proud Wanderer in English.
Other favourite books include Gone With The Wind, Sherlock Holmes, The Pillars of the Earth, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities.
Do you think that favourite books sometimes are more a reflection of where you are and what you are doing as much as the actual book?
Yes, not always, but certainly sometimes. The Neighbourhood Clinic is multi-modal practice built around integrating Allied Health professions like Osteo, Psychology, Exercise Physiology, Acupuncture and General Practice. What was it about this model that drew you to wanting to work at The Neighbourhood Clinic? The ability to work with allied health to provide non-pharmacological treatments to patients as part of their comprehensive medical care plan.
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