Lee Zhi Yuan Marcus is a Physiotherapist at Changi General Hospital. He is a recipient of the Mid-Term Healthcare Merit Award (offered by MOH Holdings) and holds a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy with Honours from SIT.
Since young, Marcus knew he wanted to help people and make an impact in their lives. Witnessing his grandmother’s recovery journey, Marcus was deeply moved by the invaluable impact of physiotherapists on a patient’s recovery.
“When I was in junior college, my grandmother sustained an injury when she fell and had to undergo a period of rehabilitation. I accompanied her to several of her rehabilitation sessions and saw first-hand what physiotherapists do. I was impressed with how she was able to make significant progress and walk more steadily after that!” he exclaimed.
This not only sparked his initial interest in physiotherapy, but spurred him to turn this interest into his career.
Broadening Horizons With a Scholarship
Once Marcus made up his mind to pursue physiotherapy, it was full steam ahead to realise his ambition. He enrolled at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy with Honours.
Wanting to work in an acute care hospital after his graduation, Marcus applied for the Mid-Term Healthcare Merit Award offered by MOH Holdings. It paved the path for him to achieve his dreams.
“The scholarship has given me an amazing opportunity to start my career at Changi General Hospital (CGH), an acute hospital which provided me with a robust clinical foundation,” he elaborated.
Not only did the scholarship provide monetarybenefits, but it also opened doors to opportunities for Marcus to participate in various networking and engagement events where he met up with fellow scholars from different courses and senior healthcare professionals and leaders from various institutions.
“I enjoyed these events as it allowed me to widen my social circle and build a strong professional network, which will be valuable as I grow in my career,” he shared.
Unique programmes were also in place to help Marcus advance his personal development. For example, there were leadership opportunities for him to assist with planning events such as the Healthcare Orientation Programme.
Lee Zhi Yuan Marcus
Meaningful Work That Impacts Lives
As a Physiotherapist at CGH, Marcus provides care and rehabilitation to help patients restore movement and functional ability of the body affected by pain, injury, illness or disability.
He sees a variety of patients with different conditions like stroke, orthopaedic and trauma cases, musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory illnesses and dementia, carrying out various types of treatments such as therapeutic exercise, cardiovascular endurance training, manual therapy and other supplementary modalities including robotic aided therapy.
Marcus usually starts his day by screening patients under his care and discussing updates with his multi-disciplinary care team colleagues, including nurses and doctors, to ensure that his patients receive the best holistic care.
Additionally, he also conducts physiotherapy sessions and group therapy exercises for his patients to help them build their strength and train their balance.
“There are many benefits of conducting group therapy as it gives patients opportunities to socialise and brings about a form of motivation by introducing a little (friendly) competition,” he explained.
At present, Marcus’ focus is caring for seniors in the inpatient and outpatient settings. He shared that falls contribute to inpatient admission for seniors. In caring for the community, CGH launched a “No Falls Programme” to help seniors break the cycle of falls, through awareness of exercises to strengthen their muscles and improve their balance, ensuring continuity of care from hospital to home.
“The No Falls Programme is one of the many initiatives the CGH care team has developed to provide health education for the community and empower the population to take charge of their health, in line with the Healthier SG strategy,” he added.
“As we deliver trust to our patients and their loved ones, we can enable and empower them to achieve a better quality of life,” he shared.
“With the exposure through various clinical rotations at CGH, I have picked up multiple skills that enable me to treat my patients in a holistic manner.”
Lee Zhi Yuan Marcus
Lee Zhi Yuan Marcus
Journey to Clinical Excellence
Indeed, CGH has provided Marcus with opportunities for him to grow clinically by arranging for him to have rotations to different specialisations within physiotherapy, including areas such as cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, geriatrics, neurology, critical care, orthopaedics and sports and exercise medicine.
“With the exposure through various clinical rotations at CGH, I have picked up multiple skills that enable me to treat my patients in a holistic manner.” he shared confidently.
Not one to sit back and rest on his laurels, Marcus is seizing every opportunity to take on clinical and non-clinical related responsibilities and giving his best to learn and progress.
“After building my clinical foundation in the first two years, I have been given the opportunity to take on leadership roles, overseeing manpower allocation and welfare for my team, as well as planning department-wide events. This responsibility drives me to achieve more for my team and my organisation,” he enthused.
To aspiring individuals looking to make a meaningful impact in the healthcare sector, Marcus offers this advice: “If you see yourself doing this as a career and are really passionate about what you’re studying, take the leap of faith and just apply for it! Receiving this award has paved the way to help me grow as a clinician and as a person!”
This article was first published in BrightSparks Magazine July 2023. Republished with permission from CareerBuilder Singapore.