Hi, I realised that after the official opening of Heartland Physio around 2 weeks ago, I have not formally introduced my clinic to you all. This is Heartland Physio, and every single word in this clinic’s name means a lot to me. Let me share with you what Heartland Physio means to me. This blog will also serve as an important reminder to me in future rough times, on where I come from and where I am heading towards, so that I could press on.
Why Heartland
This name is contentious. At least 4 clinics in Singapore are named Heartland, 2 medical clinics and 2 physio clinics. In fact, a few friends had gently reminded me of the popularity of this clinic name so that my practice wouldn’t be disadvantaged, for that I am grateful. I was fully aware that this clinic name will not rank advantageously on search engines, but why do I insist on using it?
I always like the idea that our heart or mind is like a piece of farmland, a piece of land for us to cultivate. Learning and sharing knowledge, helping each other, practising patience and perseverance, etc. – are just like tending to the farmland in our heart. What we grow is what we reap, and through our hard work, our farmland will become fertile and bountiful – a life with purpose, empathy and laughter. There may be times of flood or drought – that our harvests, or our hopes, are all wiped out. However, this piece of land in our heart is not constant. So long as we regularly tend to it with our heart and soul, it is still and always a beautiful place, probably one of the most beautiful places in the world. In Chinese, this whole concept is described in 2 words – 心田. The direct and closest English translation I could think of is Heartland. This name is close to my heart, and therefore I stick to this name.
Why Physio
My A-level result was not enough to put me into medical school. So what’s next? I had a choice of dentistry and physiotherapy, and obviously I had chosen the latter. Why? I knew I would be bored by just looking at the mouth all the time. I like to see more and learn the whole body, so physiotherapy that is.
Anatomy is my favourite subject in physio school, literally learning the whole body. Musculoskeletal physiotherapy is my favourite speciality, as this is the speciality which helps me understand how different body parts link to and work with each other. It is satisfying to find out which part of the link doesn’t work when pain arises, help the patient understand it, and both of us work together to sort out the solution, restore the link and see him/her returning to function again. So being a physio is a win-win, job satisfaction for me, recovery for my patients.
Why Heartland Physio
It is actually asking why running this private clinic. My first degree was from Hong Kong, and I could see that in order to practice my favourite speciality wholeheartedly, private practice is the way. To search for, explain and sort out the links takes time, and such is a luxury in public healthcare institutions. I started my journey by practising in public institutions to gain enough exposure to as many conditions and red flags as possible. This journey also brought me to many different places, including public health studies, MOH, elderly care and sports physiotherapy. All the learning curves were steep and unexpected, but I am more than grateful for all these experiences as I am now much more equipped to be a private physio. After moving around different institutions and even countries, here I am to do what I started out to do, to run my private clinic so that I can spend time sorting out and solving patients’ pain and disabilities holistically.
Thanks for listening
This blog is more like a personal diary for self-encouragement, and I am grateful for your listening ear to my sharing. I will return your kindness by trying to be a good listener to your sharing, no matter as a patient or as a friend. I hope your heartland will be nice and beautiful too.