Chui Foong (Kelly) Ong

Medical Student (2020)

Chui Foong (Kelly) Ong is a third year medical student, gaining her research experience with the Department of Surgery at Western Health.  She graduated with her Bachelor of Science majoring in Anatomy and Pathology at the University of Melbourne in2017.  At present, she is doing her clinical placement at Western Health for the past 2 years.

Currently, she is working under the guidance of Associate Professor Justin Yeung, Dr Richard Gartrell and Ms Irene Deftereos.  Her projects largely focus on the influence of body composition profile on surgical outcomes.  This valuable opportunity has allowed her to acquire the skill and expertise in analysing body composition measurements with computed tomography (CT) images.  These projects aim to identify prognostic factors for patients to evaluate the outcomes of their surgery.

The Department of Surgery is very warm and welcoming, ensuring there is guidance at every step.  Team meetings are a safe and encouraging environment for everyone to share their research progress and provide assistance if needed.  She also has the opportunity to work with Associate Professor Justin Yeung, who is an exceptional supervisor and mentor, passionate in surgical education for medical students.  It is a collaborative process where weekly meetings are arranged to work on her research progress and constructive feedback and advice are provided.  She also receives extensive support and good communication with Richard and Irene, whom she works closely with. They are very willing to teach and share their knowledge.

In this early phase of her research journey, the department has been such an encouraging and supportive environment to develop her research skills and she felt valued as part of the team.  It is a pleasure to work in such an amazing community at the Department of Surgery at Western Health.