Breaking new ground in Family Medicine

Although it was not part of his overall plan, Dr. Gerald Koh has broken new ground in medical education. He was the first graduate of Schulich Medicine's Department of Family Medicine's PhD program. Launched just four years ago, the program is the first of its kind in the Americas.

Dr. Koh, who successfully defended his thesis in August, found everything he was looking for at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry- a world class program that offered him the opportunity to fulfill his academic responsibilities from a distance, allowing him to stay close to his family in Singapore.

He wasn't part of the program long when he discovered how much more it had to offer, including a truly dedicated faculty. "Besides being knowledgeable and experienced in what they (faculty) do," says Koh, "they are compassionate, understanding and do their best to try and help you out." He also found great respect and friendship among his classmates. "Everyone is an expert in their own field, everyone is from different parts of Canada and the world, and everyone is contributing different perspectives to an issue or discussion which makes it really rich in terms of understanding."

Dr. Koh's thesis was entitled "Functional Recovery and Caregiver Support of Stroke Patients Admitted for Rehabilitation in Singapore Community Hospitals." His goal is to take the knowledge he has acquired through this PhD to improve family medicine research in Singapore and use his skills in health system research to effect change.

Following in Dr. Koh's footsteps are four other PhD candidates poised to use their research to better the practice of family medicine.

Watch the video of Dr. Koh after his successful defence here.