Professor Tham Kum Ying

Assistant Dean, Year 5
Email: [email protected]​

Professor Tham Kum Ying is Education Director and a Senior Consultant at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. She graduated in 1988 with an MBBS from the National University of Singapore, obtained her FRCSed (A&E) from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1993 and became a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore in 1999.

In 2006, she completed her Master of Science (MSc) in Training and Human Resource Management from the University of Leicester graduating with Distinction. She completed her Doctorate in Education in 2016.

Since 1994, Prof Tham has been actively involved in the education of medical students, nurses, paramedics, house officers, medical officers and trainees. She has played an active leadership role in enhancing the teaching and faculty development programmes of the National Healthcare Group, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine since her appointment as Associate Dean and Director of Clinical Training in 2007. Upon completion of her term as Associate Dean in 2010,

Prof Tham was appointed as Assistant Chairman of the Medical Board (Education) to enhance education as a core mission of Tan Tock Seng Hospital. In 2013, she was appointed Education Director of Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Pre-Professional Education Office.

Nationally and regionally, she is a much sought-after teacher, lecturer and educator in resuscitation, trauma, emergency medicine and medical education. Her current research interests focus on trauma resuscitation and the teaching and learning of medical professionalism. Outside of Singapore, she has contributed to the clinical and educational capacity-building project for emergency medical services in Malang, Indonesia. She continues to lead the capacity building project for two rural districts in Sichuan, China.

Prof Tham has won several awards in recognition of her dedication and excellence in teaching, including the Best Teacher Award, Top 10 Teachers Award, e-Learning Champion Award and a School-level Education Excellence Award at the 2015 Nanyang Education Awards.

Prof Tham has also won the Commendation Medal (Pingkat Kepujian) at Singapore’s 38th National Day Award ceremony and the Courage Star for her work in the fight against SARS in 2003. She was also awarded the National Healthcare Group Outstanding Citizenship Award in 2006 for her contribution to NHG.