Quick Facts
Biography
Dr Chew Chin Hin is the only doctor from Singapore who had been conferred the prestigious Mastership in the American College of Physicians (MACP) for contribution to medicine in Singapore.
Background
As a child, Dr Chew grew up in the doctors' quarters of Singapore General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital because his father, Dr Benjamin Chew, worked there. He had practically grew up in hospitals. Witnessing the cruel effects of World War II and the diseases that were widespread with little medical supplies during that period, made him to decide to become a doctor. He had his education at Victoria School and Anglo Chinese School.
Dr Chew was senior physician and head of medicine at Tan Tock Seng Hospital from 1965-1979 and also the medical director. He delivered the first TTSH oration in 1997.
Dr Chew served as the Deputy Director of Medical Services Ministry of Health from 1981 to 1991. He helped to break the stranglehold of tuberculosis (TB) in Singapore and initiated the Advance Medical Directive (AMD) or living will. He was master of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore, 1973 to 1975. He was bestowed the Public Administration medal, gold (PPA(E)in 1983 by the President of Singapore.
He was conferred the prestigious Mastership in the American College of Physicians (MACP) on 22 April 2010 - the first and only Singaporean honored. The Mastership has been given to fewer than 700 doctors worldwide since 1923. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians in UK, and Australasia, Honorary fellow, Colleges of Physicians, Hong Kong and Singapore. He was the first non- Australasian to receive the RACP College medal.He delivered the first Seah Cheng Siang Memorial Lecture in Singapore and the Gerald Choa Memorial Lecture in Hong Kong.
After retirement in 1991, he became the adjunct Professor of Medicine and honorary advisor at the Division of Graduate Medical Studies National University of Singapore's Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. He is also Emeritus Consultant, Tan Tock Seng Hospital. An Honorary Member of the Singapore Medical Association, Professor Chew delivered the SMA Lecture in 1998 and the Gordon Arthur Ransome Oration during the Golden Anniversary of the Academy of Medicine in 2007.
He is married to Dr Anna Hui and have four children and two grandchildren.