History of ACMA (SA) & Foundation

DR FRANK T S CHIU, OAM, MBBS, FRACP, FCCP, JP.  Feb 2022

See the Chinese Version Here

See ACMA SA & Foundation photos here

ACMA Foundation Fact Sheet

CONCEPT

As the number of Chinese doctors increased in South Australia during the nineties, the question was raised about how they had contributed to society. This was considered a wake-up call for the Chinese doctors and the concept of a Chinese Medical Association was established by Dr Bernard GOH to address the issue. Dr GOH drafted a provisional constitution, approached ten Chinese doctors, representing specialists, general practitioners, hospital doctors, private medical practitioners and doctors from various countries of origin and together they formulated a constitution for the Association.  Letters were written to South Australian registered doctors with Chinese names, inviting them to a meeting at AMA House for a discussion to establish a Chinese Medical Association.

At the inaugural meeting on 15/6/1992 at AMA House, thirty-five doctors attended the meeting. The President of AMA (Australian Medical Association), Dr Phillip HARDING, was invited to address the meeting. There was a lively debate over the wording of the constitution. The name of Australian Chinese Medical Association (ACMA/SA) and its constitution were passed. The spirit of inclusiveness also allows doctors of non-Chinese descent to be eligible as ACMA members.   (History of the ACMA Dr Bernard GOH)

The election was held on the same day and executive office bearers were elected as follows:

President:   Dr Bernard GOH                             

Vice-President:   Dr Frank T S CHIU

Secretary:   Dr Siew Kiong THAM                       

Treasurer:   Dr Andrew KOE

ACMA/SA COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE:

The first ACMA/SA Committee Meeting was held on 21/6/1992 at the house of Dr Bernard GOH.

Apart from Executive Committee Members elected on inaugural day, office bearers of various portfolios were allocated as follows:

Education:   Dr Paul LEONG                               

Business and Finance:   Dr Wah Hin LEE

Social, Welfare and Sport:   Dr Michael LAI        

Membership and Locum Service:   Dr Jimmy HO

Constitution and Policy:   Dr Theresa LIM          

Publication:   Dr Kian Huat TAN

It was decided to produce ACMA/SA newsletters quarterly i.e. four times a year.

At the Committee Meeting on 6/12/1992, Mr. Gordon CHENG with BONNINS & Co. was proposed by Dr Frank CHIU to be the Honorary Legal Adviser and was accepted. Mr. Robert LEE Of LEE GREEN & CO was appointed as our auditor. The logo competition for ACMA was later won by Dr Patrick KEE.

Australian Chinese Medical Association, South Australia (ACMA/SA) was then incorporated and registered in the State of South Australia. It was affiliated with AMA in June 1993.

In recent years, financial reports, Annual Tax Returns and audit and ACNC Annual Reports have been done by Mr. Mike LEVY of LEE GREEN Strategic Accountants.

CURRENT ACMA/SA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE STRUCTURE:

Since the last Annual General Meeting on 24/9/2021, office bearers of ACMA/SA are as follows:

 President:  A/Prof Lilian KOW                          

Vice-President:  Dr Sheldon CHONG

Immediate Past President:  Dr Kien HA              

Treasurer:  Dr Peng XIU

Secretary:   Dr Andrew FAH                              

Membership:  Dr Jane ZHANG

Sponsorship & Finance:  Dr Evelyn YAP, Dr Jane ZHANG, Dr Richard HEAH

Education:   A/Prof William TAM, Dr Lydia HUANG

Publication:   Dr Sheldon CHONG, Dr Frank T S CHIU

Website:   Dr Andrew FAH

Public Relation :   Dr Frank T S CHIU, Dr Jane ZHANG

Charity:  Dr Johnny WONG, Dr Earl LAM

Young ACMA:  Dr Michael Ee

Foundation:  Dr Francis GHAN (Chairman), Dr Lap Kwong HAN (Treasurer)

ACMA/SA Secretary:   MS Tracey DiBartolo

THE MISSION AND OBJECTIVES OF ACMA

1. To promote health issues affecting the Chinese community in South Australia
2. To protect and preserve the professional, academic and economic independence of members of the Association    
3. To promote the standard among the members
4. To provide a forum for professional and social exchange among members
5. To promote and facilitate continuing medical education and research
6. To respond to community issues affecting members
7. To promote mutual understanding and to liaise with other medical and non-medical organizations

MAJOR ACTIVITIES include:

• Chinese New Year Celebration around January / February each year
• Annual Scientific medical meetings around Queen’s Birthday in June
• Annual Charity Gala Dinner in November
• Yearly awards of ACMA prizes to final year medical students at the University of Adelaide and Flinders University
• Support visiting overseas professors and medical experts who have come to Adelaide over the years
• Yearly awards to matriculation students of members who score high marks through the ACMA Education Fund
• A letter was written on 26/1/1999 to Dr Frank CHIU by Ms Esther SOONG, President of Chinese Language Teachers Association of South Australia Inc, requesting yearly funding for Chinese Language Awards ($1000) to Primary school students. This was approved. The existing Chinese Language Awards ($1000) to secondary school students were undertaken by the Chinese Chambers of Commerce Inc. ACMA Award Ceremony usually takes place in November each year in different High School or Bonython Hall at the Adelaide University. Best students in over 20 Primary and over 20 Secondary schools receive the Awards and certified certificates. Either the Chairman of Foundation or President of ACMA/SA or their representative attends the ceremony followed by a Chinese dinner at a Chinese restaurant in the evening. Confucius Institute of the Adelaide University many years later took over the yearly funding of Chinese Language Awards for secondary school students. 
• The inaugural conference of the Australasian Council of Chinese Medical Associations and its annual general meeting was held in Canberra over the weekend 1/10/1994 -3/10/1994.
• This council, comprising various Australian states and New Zealand Chinese Medical Associations, has been in existence for over one year. The total membership is just under one thousand.

The objectives of the council are:

• To act as a united body on issues affecting member associations
• To form a liaison between individual associations
• To promote the health of the community and in particular, the Chinese community
• To foster and preserve the professional, academic and economic independence  of member associations and their members 

First president ACCMA was Dr Christopher POON (New South Wales). One of the early activities of the newly formed ACCMA has been the establishment of a task force on medical school admission.

Elections were later held for the office bearers for 1995:

• President: Dr David CHONG (Victoria)
• Vice-President: – Dr S K THAM (South Australia)
• Secretary/Treasurer – Dr Bernard GOH (South Australia)

Dr Kennan PUN (Victoria), Dr Frank CHIU (South Australia), Dr Leslie LIM (NSW) and Dr Allen LIANG (Auckland) have been appointed to join the task force (Dr Christopher POON, Chairman) to look into Medical School Admission Procedures. Successful outcome was later acknowledged and congratulated by ACCMA.   ACCMA was incorporated on 30/8/1996.

Each state of Australia or New Zealand takes turns every two years to host National ASM for two days with election of new office bearers. When ACCMA holds ASM in other state, ACMA/SA sends representatives to attend the meetings. When it was South Australia’s turn to hold ACCMA ASM, it was held in Adelaide or overseas. For instance, in 2013, ACMA/SA held ACCMA ASM in Kuala Lumpur for 2 days, preceded with a Pre-conference Tour of Vietnam for 4 days and a Post–conference Tour of Korea for 4 days. It was so successful that ACMA/SA held the next annual ASM again in Kuala Lumpur for 2 days, preceded with a Pre-conference Tour of Taiwan for 4 days and a Post-conference Tour of Middle East for 4 days.

• In addition, ACMA/SA has been conducting regular medical meetings for specialists of different disciplines for talks on various medical topics to its members.

•  Apart from affiliation with Australian Medical Association (AMA), it is also affiliated with many other non-medical organizations in South Australia.

• In 1996, the University of Adelaide changed its criteria for selecting medical students to medical school. Whereas previously the TER ranking was the sole criteria, this was changed to three components: TER, UMAT Psychometric Testing and interview. The weighing was TER 40%, UMAT 40% and interview 20%. The UMAT examination was in July and results announced in about September. Unless your UMAT is above average, you will not be granted an interview irrespective of TER results. It was obvious that this will significantly disadvantage Asian students, in particular students from a Chinese background. It was with this background the University Fighting Fund was established, headed by Dr Francis GHAN, Dr Frank FUNG and Dr Johnny WONG, to obtain legal advice as to the propriety of the University’s new criteria. ACMA/SA doubled its annual subscription fee to $150 for each full time member so that half can be donated to the University Fighting Fund. ACMA/SA then consulted a lawyer and a barrister. The end result is the University modified its admission criteria to admissions: Fee paying or rural bonding for 10 years. The clash with the Adelaide University proved that ACMA/SA was not just a social club but was willing to engage in important social issues of the day. The University Fighting Fund was closed in 2018 and the residual sums redistributed back to all the donors.

• Dr Chin Hian LIM and his wife have been visiting Hope Foster Homes in China, 2 – 3 trips a year, since 2005. They go to where most help is required and usually end up in Luoyang, as it has the highest number of orphanage children, usually about 100 at any one time. The Hope Foster home was established by Robin and Joyce HILL in 2000. As of 30^th September 2013, it has been estimated that there are about 558,957 children in various orphanages throughout China. 94,082 are under the care of Children Welfare Institute. Henan has the highest number with 41,378 orphans.  Over the last 21 years the Hills had taken into their care more than 2000 children. They now have orphanages in Beijing, Jiao Zuo, Xin Yang, Luoyang, Zheng Zhou and Nanjing. Hope Foundation has been caring for children with various disabilities. Among children with terminal or severe disabilities, mortality rate has improved from 60% to 20%. Many children were successfully adopted overseas.   As China is still short of good quality medicine and medical/surgical supplies in Hope Centers, Dr Lim always bring a supply of medications and medical needs with each trip.

• At the Annual General Meeting of ACMA/SA and Foundation at the Imperial Peking Restaurant on 2^nd October 2002, a congratulatory note was made for Dr Frank CHIU who was awarded The Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) by the Hon. Governor Marjorie JACSON-NELSON, AC, CVP, MBE, Governor of South Australia, at the last Queen’s Birthday Holiday in June.

• Young ACMA Committee has been formed for many years and it conducts regular social and educational activities

• ACMA Women Group has been formed in recent years and it conducts separate social activities

• ACMA Golf Club was formed many years ago and its members conduct regular activities and yearly tournaments

• ACMA Badminton Group was formed many years ago and it has regular activities and competition

•  Mock OSCE for 5^th year medical students – October 2016 at Benson Radiology Ashford

•  Young ACMA Westpac Seminar 26/8/2017

ACMA/SA FOUNDATION CHARTER

The ACMA/SA Foundation was launched at the Chinese New Year Dinner at Chateau Moteur on 22/2/1997. Prof Derek FREWIN launched the Foundation and we had the Governor Sir Eric NEAL and Lady NEAL as guests of honor. The dinner was an outstanding success with the introduction of a cultural program. Thanks to the Young ACMA, the lion dance raised over six hundred dollars for the Foundation. The auction that followed raised a further sum of over two thousands six hundred dollars. Sir Eric NEAL was very impressed with ACMA/SA and Foundation. A few months later, he invited the President of  ACMA/SA, DR Frank CHIU, and his wife Ms Margaret CHIU, to a private dinner at the Government House together with six other distinguished guests. 

ACMA/SA Foundation was incorporated on 30^th May 1997 as an extended charity arm with the aims of:

1. Support medical research and education
2. Support community health and health education: particularly translating health literature into Chinese language for members of the community who are not proficient in English
3. Encourage research by medical students of Adelaide and Flinders University
4. Provide awards for excellence in medical studies for students of Adelaide and Flinders University
5. Fund projects that benefit the elderly and disadvantaged

FOUNDATION COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

In the beginning, three Trustees were nominated:   Dr Bernice PFITZNER, Dr Lap KwonG HAN and Dr Francis LING.   Other Management Committee members for the Foundation were:  Dr Bernard GOH, Dr Frank CHIU, Dr Siew Kiong THAM, Dr Khing Shim LING, Dr Chin Hian LIM, Dr Khing Shim LING, Prof Derek FREWN and Mr. Alfred HUANG. The first meeting of the management Committee and Trustees of the Foundation occurred on 1/2/1997. Dr Frank CHIU proposed that the secretary of the Foundation chaired the meeting which was passed. Dr Bernard GOH indicated that since the Foundation was initiated by ACMA/SA Inc. any financial benefit provided by this group should also satisfy the objectives of ACMA/SA Inc. The Trustees elected Dr Lap Kwong HAN to be the Chairman and Dr Bernard GOH to be the secretary.

Memorandum of two new trustees was signed on 20^th March 2000 which included Dr Frank CHIU & Ms Wendy MAH

On 27/9/2003, Ms Wendy MAH resigned and replacement Trustee was Dr Bernard GOH

On 20/8/2005 Dr Bernice PFITNER went interstate and resigned and replacement Trustee was Dr Francis GHAN

At ACMA/SA Foundation AGM on 10/8/2011, Dr Francis LING resigned and replacement Trustee was Dr Johnny WONG

Foundation Committee at that time consisted of the following:

Chairman:  Dr Lap Kwong HAN              

Secretary:  Dr Frank CHIU         

Treasurer:  Dr Bernard GOH                        

Trustee:  Dr Francis GHAN        

Trustee:  Dr Johnny WONG   

On 30/7/2014, Dr Bernard GOH resigned and replacement Trustee was Dr Evelyn YAP                               On 30/7/2015, Dr Frank Chiu resigned. On the Committee Meeting, Dr Francis GHAN took over the Chairmanship of Foundation and appointed Dr Frank CHIU as a Historian Adviser of the Foundation. Dr CHIU’s replacement Trustee was Dr Siew Kiong THAM who resigned three years later.

 

At present, ACMA/SA Foundation Committee consists of the following:

Chairman:  Dr Francis GHAN         

Secretary:  Dr Evelyn YAP (Resigned 18/5/2021)

Treasurer:  Dr Lap Kwong HAN      

Trustee: Dr Chin Hian LIM (Resigned 18/5/2021)      

Trustee: Vacant

MAJOR EVENTS

On behalf of ACMA/SA and Foundation, at the request of Management Committee, Dr Frank CHIU wrote and invited Lieutenant Governor Hieu Van LE to be the ACMA/SA Foundation Patron on 19/10/2007 which he accepted. He and his wife Mrs. Lan LE were invited to ACMA/SA Gala Dinner on 10/11/2007 at Chauteau Moteur where he made an acceptance speech. FOCOSA also organized a Congratulatory Dinner for him at Teo Chow Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown Adelaide. Lieutenant Governor Hieu Van LE later became the Governor of South Australia in 2014. In 1917, Dr Jane ZHANG, President of ACMA/SA at the time, wrote to His Excellency and invited him to extend his patronage to include ACMA/SA as well as ACMA/SA Foundation which he accepted in his reply on 11/4/2017 for the remaining term of his office.     

FUND RAISING EFFORT- LOTTERY 1999

A major lottery was organized with Revenue SA by ACMA/SA to be drawn on 27/10/1999. 

The intention was to raise money by organizing a raffle to sell a Mitsubishi motor car (value of $34,612) as a first prize , Voucher of C M William (value of $500) as a second prize and one dozen mixed bottles of wine (value $200) as a third prize.

The lottery was to be drawn on 27/10/1999 in Ming Chinese Restaurant but was postponed to Imperial Peking Restaurant on 04/02/2000. ACMA/SA Committee Members had to purchase $2000 tickets before the lottery could be drawn.  Only a small profit was made from the lottery sale and profits were donated to CANTEEN and a visiting hematologist, Dr Chuangfan LIU, who was doing research on new bone marrow transplant at the IMVS/Royal Adelaide Hospital. Additional donations were later made by ACMA/SA management committee to CANTEEN and the Chinese hematologist, Dr Chuangfan LIU.

ACMA/SA FOUNDATION CHARITY GALA DINNER

At ACMA/SA Foundation Committee Meeting on 26/8/2000, it was decided to hold a yearly Charity Gala Dinner toward the end of each year with the aim of raising funds.  Great efforts were made to secure sponsorship from various corporate entities. There were three categories of sponsorships: 1. Platinum $8000      2.  Gold $4000      3.  Silver $2000

 Dr.  Frank Chiu was asked to write to Ms Ann Middleton, a famous Jewelry Shop owner in Burnside Village, and Mr. Victor Zhang, a famous Chinese brush painter for support with very good respond.

 They displayed their goods for sale and auction and profit were donated to ACMA/SA Foundation. Since then every year in November, there has been Annual Foundation Charity Gala Dinner with various sponsors and donors supporting these efforts.

SUPPORT OF MEDICAL EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL NEEDS

•  Since 1995, ACM/SA and Foundation have continued to fund four Chinese Medical Association Awards ($300.00 each) for medical students who achieve top marks in the Subjects nominated by the respective universities.  There were two awards for the University of Adelaide and two for the Flinders University. The awards for the University of Adelaide were suspended in 2006 because ACMA/SA did not agree with the medical student selection guidelines of the Adelaide University.  Three years later, when guidelines improved, Dr Frank CHIU was asked to remove the suspension and the ACMA/SA Awards to Adelaide University were increased to $500.00 each year.
• As President of ACMA/SA, Dr Frank CHIU initiated the Dr Peter GOH (deceased) Emergency Fund with the help of Mr. Gordon CHENG, ACMA’s solicitor, and the Australian Taxation Office early in 1997 for the family of Dr Peter GOH with three young children after his tragic murder. All donations were tax deductable. Three trustees were appointed including Dr Frank CHIU, Dr Margaret LIM and Dr Tat Meng CHAN. Joint effort with SEMA and the Adelaide NDGP was initiated to seek donation to the Fund.  About $40,000 was raised and the Fund was later closed in August 1997. We later received a thank you letter from Mrs. Catherine GOH.
• Donate $2,000.00 to help a Malaysian Chinese family whose son came to Adelaide for surgery to remove a large teratoma at the Women and Children Hospital and who were faced with financial hardship
• Practical and moral support to a Malaysian Chinese family of five involved in a traffic accident tragedy outside Mt Gambier by Dr Frank CHIU and Dr Chin Hian LIM .Two surviving daughters were in the intensive care unit at the Royal Adelaide Hospital for a month and then in the General Wards at the RAH and then at the Women and Children Hospital for another month.  The total cost was in access of $300,000.00.  Fortunately with legal aids, this was eventually covered by Victorian Third Party Insurance through the efforts of the Foundation and ACMA committee members.
• $ 2000.00 was donated to Queensland institute of Medical Research in the production of vaccine against nasopharyngial cancer which is more prevalent among Chinese.
• On behalf of ACMA/SA, Dr Frank Chiu, Vice-President ACMA/SA, was authorized by the Management Committee to initiate the formation of the Forum of Chinese Community Organizations in South Australia and he became the Chairman at the inaugural meeting at the Ming Chinese Restaurant on 24/2/1996 (attended by 16 community leaders including Ms Bernice PFITZNER, MLC, and Ms Claudia CREAM, Solicitor). Memorandum of Understanding forthe Members of the Forum of Chinese Community Organizations in South Australia was finalized on 17/8/1996. Monthly meetings were held. There were 15 participating Chinese organizations which later evolved to become FOCOSA (Federation of Chinese Organizations of South Australia) in 2002 and he became the Vice –Chairman and then the Chairman.
• Foundation Winter Blanket Appeal Charity Dinner
  • For the past 4 years, the Foundation has been running the Winter Blanket Appeal Charity Dinner in May, just before Winter Season.  Foundation has donated $35,000 to Sunday Mail Blanket Appeal. The intention is to continue the activity annually.

• Student Scholarship for newly arrived migrant students
  • Since 2018, in collaboration with Australian Migrant Resource Centre, Foundation awarded four $500 prizes to high achieving students of migrant background in year 12. The scholarships go to high school in disadvantaged socio-economic zones.

• 2013 ACMA/SA Foundation organized a Charity Gala Dinner at Audi Solitaire showroom in Hawthorne on 2/11/2013 for Cure for Life Foundation.  The guest speaker was Dr Charlie TEO. Dr Teo is an internationally acclaimed neurosurgeon and a pioneer in keyhole minimally invasive techniques. He has been invited to many distinguished universities in over 50 countries as visiting professor, including the Karolinska Institute, Vanderbilt, Stanford and John Hopkins Universities. Dr TEO has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals and authored 2 books on keyhole techniques in neurosurgery. He is the Founder of Cure for Life Foundation that has raised over $8 million for brain cancer research.  The ACMA/SA Foundation Charity Gala Dinner was well attended. During the evening, Dr Francis GHAN asked Dr Frank CHIU to present a cheque for $10,000.00 to Cure for Life Foundation.

OTHER RECIPIENTS OF CHARITY DONATIONS

The ACMA/SA Foundation is recognized by the Australian Taxation Office as a Charity Organization and donations to the Foundation can be deducted from the taxable income. Some of the projects funded by the Foundation include the following:

•  AMA (SA) Building Fund – $1,000.00
• Medical Benevolent Society of S.A  – $ 13,500.00
• Royal Blind Society – $1,000.00,
• Royal Flying Doctor Service – $12,000.00
• CANTEEN – $2,000.00
• TEEN Challenge – $1,500.00
• SUNRISE ORPHANAGE in Cambodia- $10,000.00
•  Sichuan Earthquake Appeal- $10,000.00 
• Eyre Peninsula Bushfire Appeal  through Australian  Red Cross – $2,000.00
• Victoria Bushfire Appeal –  $2,500.00
• Indigenous Health Scholarship in conjunction with Rotary Club -$10,000.00
• Beyond Blue Ltd in memory of Holly Threadgold -$5,000.00
• Movember  -$5,000.00
• Kids Foundation – $ 5,000.00
• Guide dogs -$ 5,000.00
• Life Line- $ 5,000.00
• Chinese Welfare Association of SA- $3,000.00
• Kangaroo Island & Hills Bush Fire Appeal (2020) SA CFS – $15,000.00
• Thailand Medical Mission – $ 1,000.00
• Daw House Hospice Foundation -$2,000.00
• Dr K Tan African Medical Mission – $5,000.00
• FOCOSA -$11,000.00
• G COX – $3,700.00
• Sky Orange – $10,000.00
• Global Development Group-  $3,000.00
• Australian Tanzanian Service Foundation- $2,000.00
• Legacy (SA Veterans)  $15,000.00
• Katherine House-  $5,000.00
• Medicins Sans Frontieres-  $2,500.00

LIST OF ACMA/SA PRESIDENTS (1992 – 2022)

1992 – 1993 –1994    Dr Bernard GOH               

1994 – 1995 – 1996   Dr Siew Kiong THAM

1996 –  1997 – 1998  Dr Frank T S CHIU               1

998 – 1999 –  2000   Dr Richard HEAH

2000 – 2001 – 2002    Dr Francis GHAN              

2002 – 2003 – 2004   Dr Johnny WONG

2004 – 2005 – 2006    Dr Ted MAH                     

2006 – 2007 – 2008    Dr Chin Hian LIM

2008 – 2009 – 2010   Dr Evelyn YAP                         

2010 – 2011 – 2012   Dr William TAM

2012-2013   Dr Evelyn YAP                                

2013 – 2014- 2015   Dr Lydia HUANG

 2015 – 2016 – 2017   Dr Jane ZHANG                   

2017 – 2018 – 2019     Dr Earl LAM                      

 2019 – 2020 – 2021   Dr Kien HA

2021 – 2022   A/Prof Lilian KOW

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND VISION

 ACMA/SA and Foundation celebrated 25^th Anniversary and a celebratory reception was given by the Governor Hieu van LE, AC, and his wife Ms. Lan LE in the Governor House on Wednesday 12/4/2017. Dr Bernard GOH was awarded the Inaugural ACMA President’s Award as the Founding President of ACMA/SA Inc.  From a humble beginning, ACMA/SA Foundation has developed into a significant funding entity in South Australia.  Since its inception, it has donated more than $300,000 to various charitable organizations. This achievement is a result of continuous dedication, hard work and sacrifice of the current and past Presidents and various Trustees as well as Committee Members, members, general public and various commercial corporate bodies.  Great thanks go to regular sponsors including the following:  BMW Motor Pty Ltd, Chateau Moteur Pty Ltd, Four-Z Travel, Benson Radiology, Thredgold Jewelers , Avant Mutual, Clinpath Laboratories, Morgan Stanley, Dewings, Piper Alderman,  Du Pleissis Auctioneers and others.  South Australian community as a whole has benefitted greatly from ACMA/SA and Foundation.  However, continuing support will ensure its continuing success. ACMA/SA and Foundation will continue to cooperate closely, grow together and improve its performance.

ACMA/SA currently has about 150 members, with one-third of its members being general practitioners, another third being specialists and the remaining third being resident medical officers and medical students. The Young ACMA was formed to cater specifically for the younger members as well as medical students and has aims to foster strong bond among the young doctors across all fields of medicine, as well as to encourage professional and social relationships with young and senior ACMA members and to organize education and social events.

 At a recent ACMA/SA Committee Meeting, desire for new blood to join Foundation Committee and discussion about term of office for Foundation Committee Trustees was raised. Please give us feedback on how to improve our performances. We encourage the next generation of ACMA/SA members to come forward and contribute to ACMA/SA and Foundation.

{ Edited by Dr Frank T S CHIU, OAM, MBBS, FRACP, FCCP, JP.  With inputs from Dr Bernard GOH, Dr Siew Kiong THAM, Dr Lap Kwong HAN, Dr Francis GHAN, Dr Johnny WONG, Dr Chin Hian LIM, Dr Evelyn YAP and Dr Jane ZHANG.   (21/5/2021) }