THE NUS MEDICINE CLASS OF '89 REUNION DINNER

The 37th anniversary dinner of the NUS Medicine Class of 1989 took place on Saturday, 11 July 2026 at the Weil Hotel, Ipoh. For me, it was a time to reminisce about the five years spent at Kent Ridge, attending unintelligible lectures, sweating over cadavers, fumbling around in laboratory classes, looking blur at tutorials, later "spotting" questions at the Provisional and Professional exam papers, "hunting" for signs at the hospital wards. 

With Chu Siu Kong, Rajesh Shah,
Loo Choo Woon & Kenny Ee.

It was during the first two years (1984-1986) when the class of 205 was united, a time we saw everybody at lectures in Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, and smelling of formaldehyde in the dissection hall. From 1987, we were split into clinical groups of eight and then packed to the hospitals for clinical postings - Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Paediatrics and all the miscellaneous short postings - Psychiatry, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology (Ear-Nose-Throat), Dermatology, Anaesthesiology and more. But we returned to attend lectures in Pharmacology, Pathology, Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, some of which were conveniently missed to spend more time in hospital.

With Teoh Mei Lin, Vanessa Ng (Mrs Loo),
Chu Siu Kong and his missus.

Before long, it was April 1989 and the Final Professional Exams and the final reckoning. By May, the more conscientious and cannier ones would be let loose in the public hospitals as house officers. Somehow, I got myself retained for another six months before passing in September. This afforded me a month-long vacation in London to attend all the concerts I wanted before actually beginning work in November. I eventually graduated in 1990, but the class of 1984-1989 represents my fellow passengers in the rite of passage that is medical school. 

Table 3 of Weil Hotel Ballroom

It was a short but highly eventful five years, which I only began to treasure as the years flew past. The antics will not be forgotten although some would rather forget those in a hurry. Whatever it is, the memories of old friends and colleagues will linger on, and we should meet again as soon as we can.   

 

Solid Gold Dancers.
They really put in much practice for this.

The same foursome 1989 and now:
Lim Woan Huah, Janet Lee,
Yong Sze Tein & Juliana Tan.

The Way We Were: 1984 and 1990.

This foursome made it to Buckingham Palace:
Lim Boon Ang, Janet Lee,
Philip Koh & Lim Woan Huah.

Does this remind you of someone?

Getting ready for the big photo.

Here it is!
Credit: Jett Fynn

"Datuk" Leong Seng Keen serenades
with Yue Liang Di Biao Wo De Xin.

This silly game involves catching of balls.

The big question is, "Do What?"

With Koong Heng Nung, Nelson Chua,
Erik Ang & Karen Yap (Mrs Ang).

With Nelson Chua, Kam Leng (Mrs Chua)
and Datuk Rajesh Shah of Pulau Pinang.

We're not gangsters,
just ex-NUS medical students!

P.S. Sometimes I wonder what my ex-classmates thought of me then. I would probably be remembered as the strange fellow who loved classical music, played the piano, binge-watched Professional Wrestling, and could never get a girlfriend. Mind you, I tried. Which is just as well, because that might have meant retention for one more year, possibly more.