Ashley Liew - To Study for Doctorate in Sherman College.
Ashley Liew entered the Class of 2012 SOSS in 2007 doing his degree at Singapore Management University.He is one of those pursuing something related to sports in the future just like my former student by the name of Mohd Ihsan . Ihsan was a National Schools 800m and 1500m champion in Under 14 and Under 17 category, in the past, respectively. Ihsan is doing a doctorate course in Sports Science. I believe that a sports man should also learn to excel in not just sports but in academic as well.
Having said that, Ashley Liew has been doing great in training. He is able to maintain well in studies and have decided to further his passion in running and sports to finally be beneficial to the society greatly by doing doctorate in Chiropractic in world renowned Sherman College. The interview that SOSS had is in this blog post below.
Flexifitness wishes Ashley Liew all the best in the coming Gold Coast Marathon 2012 on July 1st.
Note : Ashley Liew is entering the Sherman College of Chiropractic, Doctor of Chiropractic, in January 2013
Hi
Ashley! Thanks for agreeing to this interview! We hear you'll be
pursuing a Doctor of Chiropractic in the USA now that you have graduated
from SOSS. Could you tell us more about this programme?
Hi, and thanks for this opportunity!
It
is a 3.5 year (14-quarter) course at Sherman College of Chiropractic in
South Carolina, USA. Chiropractic care deals with identifying and
adjusting misalignments of the spine, known as vertebral subluxations.
Subluxations interfere with the ability of nerves to transmit signals
between brain and body cells, thus impairing one’s health potential. The
programme involves extensive study into the science and philosophy
around chiropractic, encompassing fields such as anatomy, psychology,
and business practice.
I am looking forward to this
enriching experience, which would equip me with the skills and knowledge
to become a professional chiropractor when I practice in Singapore.
Much of the experience will be hands-on, such as through the serving of
an internship. I was also attracted to the small class sizes there,
which ensure effective learning and participation, just like at SOSS!
What
made you decide to further your studies in Chiropractic? How do you
think your education at SOSS will benefit you when you're on this
programme?
I had actually never heard of
chiropractic before 2010. It was only on attending a symposium organised
by my bicycle sponsor that I was introduced to this all-natural and
drug-free approach to health maintenance. Regular chiropractic care has
since kept me in the best physical shape, and is no doubt a major reason
for my progression in athletics and triathlon.
My
decision to follow the footsteps of my chiropractor was motivated by two
values inculcated while at SOSS: caring for the community and daring to
be different.
Firstly, the SMU ethic of caring for others
inspired me to do likewise as a chiropractor. It was my community
services stint in 2007 that jumpstarted me to volunteer actively and to
be the current Secretary of the VWO called Student Volunteer Corps. It
was also after hearing about the 2010 Political Science Study Mission to
China that I became inspired by students who genuinely sought to make a
difference to the less fortunate. It was also through class discussions
about effecting tangible policy and action on real people that
convinced me to be a part of it. I have seen how chiropractic has
improved the well-being of friends and strangers who have been treated
for their discomfort. Being part of such a preventive (not just
reactive) health approach for the betterment of the community would be
very satisfying for me.
Secondly, the holistic
perspectives received at SOss dared me to be different. Over the years
we have seen many graduates, and even some faculty members, who have
followed the unconventional path. Their most important impetus would
probably be passion; as long as they enjoyed what they were pursuing, no
one should tell them otherwise. My turning point came at my Social
Sciences Capstone Seminar, when Jim Rogers was invited to speak. It was
profound knowing that despite his legendary investing successes, he
fully advocated anything his children were going to be passionate in; if
they excelled at something (even gardening!), they could be successful.
I
clearly have no passion for gardening, but since joining SMU, my
passion for endurance sports has transformed me from average to one of
the best Singaporean athletes. I knew I wanted to continue being an
athlete in the long-term, as I am now only realizing my current
potential. I then realized my passion for athletics and helping others
(through chiropractic) would be complementary; I could continue to train
hard while not being bounded by the rigidity of a desk-job. My next
path may be a leap into the unknown, but I am not the type to ponder
“What if…?”
Chiropractic is a completely different field from what you've studied at SOSS. Was that an issue at all in your application?
While
this is somewhat true, some of the SOSS modules will complement what I
will be learning in chiropractic. We are required to do one (or two) GE
Science modules as part of our holistic curriculum, so the study of the
some subjects like biology will come in handy. Having also taken two
psychology modules, the learned insights would definitely benefit my
interaction with future patients.
In addition, the biggest
pre-requisite component was… Social Science (cue a huge sigh of
relief)! Last but not least, I must thank our “Computer as an Analysis
Tool” for helping me fulfill the computer literacy requirement.
In
any case, I have met the “substantially meets” admission standard,
which allows applicants with a Bachelor degree and a minimum cumulative
GPA. Dealing with science would also not be a culture shock, as I was
also in Science stream during Secondary School and Junior College.
While
the application issue did not pose too big a barrier, I did have to
consider others. Studying abroad for so long, far away from family and
friends is a big sacrifice I have to make. The thought of starting my
first day of working life only in my 30’s also scared me a little,
thinking about the opportunity cost.
However, I embrace
endurance sports as a metaphor for life: perceived barriers can be
overcome with passion and determination. With that positive mindset,
hopefully, I can become a successful practitioner and athlete in the
long-run.
Tell us more about your SOSS experience. You took a semester off to train for your races. How did that flexibility work for you?
I love SOSS.
SMU
is already a small environment where you get to see familiar faces in
the concourse everyday and even more so within the tight-knit SOSS
community. The classroom atmosphere is lively as everyone candidly
discusses views in a tension-free setup. Passionate professors
constantly fostered 2-way interaction on a broad range of issues such as
politics, social structure, and psychology. The education opened up my
perspectives and taught me to analyse what we interpret amidst a world
flooded with digital information. I was honoured to give back to SOSS by
running annually for their SMU RunAbout relay team, as well as
participating in the Social Sciences Conference 2012.
I
did take a semester off to concentrate on training and racing in 2011.
This partly explains why my graduation ceremony is not together with my
peers, but I have no regrets about it. People from other varsities were
shocked to find out that SMU (Office of Student Life and SOSS Admin) not
only were aware about my “leave of absence”, but fully supported my
time-off. It was actually then Dean of Students Professor Low Aik Meng
who told me there was no rush to start working, and suggested I enjoy my
time longer in SMU.
In addition to the support received,
the flexibility of planning my own class timetable is like no other. I
usually run twice a day every day, so it is important I schedule runs
around classes, or even the other way round!
Any advice for your juniors in SOSS, or for those thinking of joining the SOSS family?
For
the juniors, simply enjoy your experience in SOSS; how it turns out is
really up to you. There may be tough times, like rushing that RMSS
report, or finalising your presentation at the last-minute. When that
happens, take a deep breath, acknowledge what you need to do
systematically, and do what you can.
Sometimes I could not
finish my readings pre-class due to time spent training or racing
(oops!), but when it was time to get serious with studying I put my
undivided focus into it. There are ways of avoiding unnecessary stress;
one of them is being time-efficient by not spending so much time on
Facebook… like you are probably doing now! :)
For the
potential applicants, what are you waiting for? The SOSS experience is
fun, intimate, and like no other. Hopefully it would take you to places
you once thought impossible, as it did for me.
