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Ken Tan Yan-hua, a year 3 MBBS student, chose to spend his Enrichment Year volunteering with Medical Santo in Vanuatu—a place he remembered from childhood as ‘the happiest country in the world’. He was inspired by the organisation's holistic approach, which combined healthcare, education and employment initiatives through local collaboration.
Over three months, Ken worked alongside clinicians from diverse specialties, supported daily clinic operations, and assisted in a diabetes research project with Dr David King from the University of Queensland. Outside the clinic, weekends on Tutuba Island profoundly impacted him. ‘Snorkelling and fishing with the children revealed a self-sufficient community whose joy came from simplicity and connection,’ he reflected.
The experience honed his ability to deliver patient care with limited resources and introduced him to role models who reshaped his professional outlook. ‘It strengthened my commitment to equitable healthcare,’ Ken said. Now, he is determined to become a doctor who bridges gaps in resource-scarce settings.
‘The experience strengthened my commitment to equitable healthcare.’
Ken Tan Yan-hua
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