OAM Spotlight - October 2026: By Clinicians, For Clinicians: Peer Support at Every Career Stage

Published on 15 October 2026

Behind every clinician who found their footing is someone who showed them where to stand.

Building an academic career can be exciting, but it can also come with its share of uncertainties. Every journey is different. Yet there is much to gain from connecting with peers who share similar experiences. They understand the challenges. They offer a different perspective. And they remind us that we do not always have to figure everything out alone.

That is the spirit behind the Peer Support Group (PSG), an initiative by the Joint Office of Academic Medicine – Academic Programmes Management Department (JOAM-APMD). It aims to build an ecosystem for the academic career development of Clinician Researchers, Research Scientists, and Clinician-Informaticians across the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medicine Centre (AMC).

The PSG runs through two dedicated tracks: the Young Clinician Researcher (YCR) PSG and the Clinician-Informatician (CI) PSG. Both bring together clinicians navigating similar paths, creating space for candid conversations, shared experiences and practical advice at every stage of their careers.

The YCR PSG brings together doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals on their research journeys. Through its “Real Talk, Real Support” webinars and “Engage & Empower” networking sessions, members hear candid career stories, connect with mentors and fellow researchers, and take away useful resources and lessons learnt.

The CI PSG brings together clinicians with a shared interest in clinical informatics and healthcare artificial intelligence (AI). Its quarterly gatherings feature invited speakers, ranging from clinician leaders and informaticians to experts in the field, who share insights and reflections on digital health and informatics practice. Just as importantly, the sessions create space for informal conversations, new connections and the exchange of experiences among peers navigating this evolving field.

Beyond networking, both tracks exist to build expertise and support the next generation of clinicians. At a recent CI PSG quarterly gathering, this took the form of a surgeon sharing how he became a clinician-informatician.

The Cutting Edge: A Surgeon's Journey in AI and Digital Innovation

What if one of the biggest barriers in modern medicine isn't the science, but the gap between what clinicians know and what patients can understand?

For Dr Mustafa Khanbhai, Associate Consultant, Oncoplastic Breast Surgery, KKH, Surgery ACP, bridging that gap has been an important part of a journey that has taken him from surgeon to innovator and clinician-informatician. On 7 July 2026, he was invited to share his professional journey at SingHealth Academia.

Dr Mustafa Khanbhai (centre) with CI PSG co-leads Clin Asst Prof Amanda Lam (left) and Clin Asst Prof Chanda Ho (right).

The session brought together 20 clinicians from across disciplines to hear Dr Khanbhai share his experience of advancing AI innovation in the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada, the lessons he picked up along the way, and how these experiences are shaping his upcoming AI work at SingHealth.

The Many Hats of a Clinician-Informatician

Dr Khanbhai walked participants through the three hats he has worn throughout his career: Innovator, Researcher and Clinician-Informatician. Each shapes how he approaches healthcare challenges differently, yet all are guided by the same three simple questions.

"What if we did this differently? Does it actually work? And how do we make it work in the real world?”

Dr Mustafa Khanbhai opening his talk with a reflection on the three professional hats he has worn in his career.

Drawing on research that reshaped how patient feedback is heard, and on his current work bringing AI into breast surgery care, Dr Khanbhai showed how these three roles come together to turn ideas into meaningful change: asking what could be done differently, finding out whether it works, and translating it into real-world clinical practice. As he put it:

He went on to share two examples from his career. His PhD project reduced a four-day patient feedback review to 15 minutes and later led to a national manual to help UK hospitals build their own expertise. His current work in breast surgery turns routine MRI scans into models that patients can actually hold and understand. As he explained:

In the Q&A that followed, participants exchanged ideas with Dr Khanbhai, the kind of peer learning the CI PSG fosters, building shared understanding across specialties and career stages.

A lively exchange between Dr Mustafa Khanbhai and participants during the Q&A.

Dr Khanbhai closed with a broader reflection. Healthcare data remains scattered across systems that rarely speak to one another, even though patients experience their care as one continuous journey.

Dr Mustafa Khanbhai with staff and participants in a group photo at the close of the event.

Beyond the Talk: The Heart of the PSG

Data is not the only thing that can be scattered. Expertise can sit in isolated pockets too. Through the CI PSG's quarterly gatherings and the YCR webinars and networking sessions, the PSG brings together clinicians across specialties and career stages to exchange resources, offer mentorship and build shared understanding.

Ultimately, peer support is not just about having someone to turn to when challenges arise. It is about growing alongside one another, sharing what we have learnt and helping others find their way too.

Be Part of the YCR/CI PSG Communities!

Looking for a community of peers to learn from, share experiences with and grow alongside? Join the YCR PSG or CI PSG and be part of the conversation.

For more information, email academic-medicine@duke-nus.edu.sg.

Stay informed on upcoming events here: YCR | CI