Another milestone was etched in the history of the College of Family Physicians Singapore, when it launched its Family Medicine Fellowship Programme (FMFP) on 9 October 1998.

The FMFP is a two-year programme by assessment. The aim is to develop the Family Physician in the areas of clinical practice, teaching and research so that he/she can take on the leadership role in Family Medicine.

The launch was marked with an Inaugural Lecture by Professor John Murtagh on Problem Solving Strategies in Family Medicine. Professor Murtagh is the Professor of General Practice and Head of the Department of Community Medicine at the Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. He was one of the two external examiners for the 1998 MMed (Family Medicine) Examinations.

The occasion was also marked by the designation of the Graduate Family Medicine Centre as one of the training centres for the Fellowship Programme. This centre is situated above Dr Cheong Pak Yean’s clinic at 76 Jalan Jurong Kechil. The entire 2nd level of his premises has been converted and refurbished to provide better training facilities.

This centre has been a venue for graduate training in Family Medicine since 1993. Many batches of doctors from the Private Practitioners Stream (PPS) on the two-year MMed (Family Medicine) Course have used it for intense discussions and debates. The centre has also hosted a large number of a large number of Ministry of Health Family Medicine Trainees on their 2-week GP Postings. It is fitting that this centre takes on a further task of being a venue for the Fellowship Programme.

Dr Alfred Loh, President of the College of Family Physicians Singapore, conducted the official opening and unveiling of the plaque to commemorate the occasion. The event was well attended and supported by representatives from the Ministry of Health; the Graduate School of Medical Studies and Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, NUS; the Health Corporation of Singapore; senior members of the College and Family Medicine fraternity; and doctors who have graduated with the MMed (FM) degree.