Getting Personal with our Doctors – Dr Peter Chiu

5 years ago

Welcome Dr Peter! Our regular readers know we like to get to know our new Doctors as people and find out a little more about what makes them tick. Here goes:

Many of our patients are from the international community. Is it correct to say you were also raised as an expat?

I was born in Singapore, but due to the nature of my father’s work, my family moved to Germany when I was 3 years old. We then lived in Beijing and Hong Kong, where I attended German schools. I later went to Germany and Austria for my medical studies. So yes, I was raised as an expat for most of my life but it is nice to be back home.

What do you miss most about Germany and Austria?

Brötchen and Semmel. It is so difficult to find fresh and good German rolls outside of Germany and Austria. I miss the smell of fresh bread from the bakeries in the early mornings.

What made you want to be a Doctor?

I always like to answer this question with a little anecdote of mine: as a child, I suffered from Asthma and had to make frequent visits to my family doctor. He always made me feel better after what seemed like a simple and easy visit. He asked a few questions, showed me his stethoscope and always examined me with a big smile. It felt so easy and right then I decided, I wanted to be a doctor to help others too! Obviously the road to being a doctor was not as simple as my childhood’s perception, but I realized it is a great privilege to receive people’s trust and to give back, just like my family doctor did for the community and me. He inspired me so much with his calm, caring and professional manner that I strive to be a family doctor like him.

You speak 4 languages (German, English, Mandarin and Cantonese) – are you raising your child to also be multilingual?

My daughter is naturally exposed to multilingualism as my wife speaks English and I speak Cantonese and sing German nursery rhymes to her. The advantage of living in Singapore is that it’s such a multicultural city and most people here do speak several languages. So if my child spoke more languages, I think that would be great.

Have you discovered the German Market in Bukit Timah yet ?

Yes, we go there quite regularly for some baby food and occasionally some Löwensenf (German mustard) and Schwartau jam for me.

German bratwurst or Singaporean Chilli Crab?

That’s a difficult question! I enjoy both but I would say Singaporean Chilli Crab. However, if you find me a good Berliner Currywurst with Brötchen, I would consider making an exception!

What book are you reading at the moment?

“My Mommy” from the Peppa Pig series! My daughter’s unfailing request every night.

Germany and Austria have given the world composers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms. Are you into classical or pop music?

I love classical music and it was a dream come true for me to live in Vienna with all its concert halls and opera houses. I also listen to pop music but nowadays we have been playing a lot of “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” or “Laterne, Laterne, Sonne, Mond und Sterne”.

New Year resolutions?

I don’t usually make New Year resolutions but recently came across one resolution which I thought was pretty cool: “to be more awesome than last year”. Why not?

What do you enjoy most about being a Doctor?

I have always been a “people person” and particularly as a Family doctor, I enjoy the interactions and the relationships I build with my patients and their families. And it is always rewarding for me when I am also able to engage them further to promote their health and well-being.

Thank you Dr Peter, we welcome you to the IMC community!