He was kinda disappointed he did't get his 1st choice because normaly he would call Shuh Jen like he did when he got his IB results. We had to find out from the snail mail about his offer AFTER he knew about it online and told Felicia.
Funny thing is that before the offer was made, he was unsure, and was asking doctors and dentists about their careers and asked me if he could or should write in to change his application choice to place Dentistry as 1st choice and Medicine as 2nd. We say he should leave it alone and not confuse the system and see and accept "come what may"
Then the 1st offer letter came, and when Shuh Jen and i sensed that he wasnt happy with the offer, I wrote him a father to son to affirm and encourage him. This was what I wrote:
John,
Daddy was elated this morning when the postman came and delivered the NUS letter offering you a place in Dentistry after you finish your National Service.
I am proud of you, and I called you immediately and you told me you knew about it from the web but have not told us and you did not sound too enthusiastic. Maybe you were busy or had a bad hair day. That is the reason why I am writing this to you.
I called mummy and told her and she too was elated and proud of you and asked me how did you sound, and I told her either you were in the office and can't express yourself and sounded normal. Not excited but your normal self. She said it is harder to get into dentistry than medicine, and hence the extra manual dexterity tests that they make all applicants go through. Maybe she is a dentist and she is biased. But during her time, she had 4As perfect scores and they offered her dentistry instead of medicine and she was also disappointed. She appealed and daddy even helped her draft the appeal letter to the minister and we now know that PAP was gender biased against girls in medical profession because some chose to become housewives and tai tais after their investment in training and bond. And so she took up dentistry because yeh yeh would never have spend the money to let her study medicine abroad.
But through the years, we all know that it worked out for the better because she has more regular hours compared to a GP like Dr Neo Eng Kiong, or a specialist like our opposite neighbor who has to go in and out of the hospital at all hours of the day and night. Ngeh Ngeh also bought her a Mazda 323 so that she don't have to live in the hall and drive to school. It is hard work, tough course, but she survived and graduated, even managed to take a trip to USA to visit daddy during her term break.
You know mummy prays every night for all of us and for the whole world and I don't know what she prays for. But I know that we are "covered" by blessings because of her unceasing prayers. And she always pray for a bigger plan and agenda for you. And we must accept whatever blessings comes our way. This may be God's will for you to be a dentist. Only you and God can decide.
We also pondered on your education and the choices you have. You know daddy always would like you to have a US education and be immersed with the experience of living abroad and studying with the best and brightest students from all over the world. I would only encourage you and want you to study in Singapore ONLY if you got into Medicine, Dentistry or Law if you choose to study in Singapore. That was my stand and still my stand. Although you have the additional privilege of studying these courses abroad if you want to because mummy and daddy has planned for it, and have the means to let you do it.
We have pondered on a few other issues and options about mummy's clinic and when mummy told me that our neighbor Julie Yim's daughter who interned at her clinic 4 yrs ago is now graduating from dental school at NUS, I asked her if she would take her in, make her a partner after her bond and hand the business to her to plan her succession and retirement. Mummy has toiled and worked hard all her life and now needs to work less, travel more and enjoy her life. Maybe just praying full time, of golfing. She also asked daddy if she should invest and buy a clinic space after all these years of rental. These are decisions we have to make to hatch our investments and hard earned money against inflation. If you are going to be a dentist and take over her clinic, and her thousands of clients, I guess the decision becomes simpler. You don't have to start from scratch too. And patients usually trust mother and son team, rather than a dentist and locum team. Then she can retire, bit by bit and work when she get sick of traveling with daddy. And with your business acumen, you may not even need to be a dentist forever, but a supplier of dental equipment and supplies and new technologies, or even own a chain of dental clinics like Q&M, or like Drs William Chong and Iris Chong (daddy's NJCmate) , who were both dentists and now own Pacific Healthcare, a listed company. Or a specialist after post graduate training in the USA.
Then you have your girlfriend Feli to consider. We are sure she will be offered a place in NUS or SMU. Have she got news yet? If you stay and study in Singapore, you don't have to go through the hardship and trauma of separation like what mummy and daddy went through to pursue our university education. It is not about the test of true love, but it is just silly and impractical because 2 different person from 2 different families grow at different pace in a radically different environment. In our days there was no Internet, no msn, no video conference, IDD was US$3 per minute and US$1 = S$2.3. So daddy found a way to keep in touch by joining HP as an intern and lengthen my studies, so I get paid more than working in the cafeteria or computer center and get to call Singapore daily free for unlimited time.
It is now your call. Your decision, and one of those decisions you have to make for yourself because it is your life. Michelle chose her, resisted being a doctor (maybe she is smart and don't want the dog's life). Daddy and mummy will support any choices you make.
You can choose NUS Dentistry or SMU Law since those are the 2 offers you have.
Your SATs results will be out today and you can choose to apply to US for other courses you wish.
You will still have a chance to live and study abroad, given that you will probably be able to do further specialization in oral surgery or implants or whatever new technologies evolved in the US.
But fundamentally you need to choose and give up the other. It is not fair, as I know many Singaporeans will want to accept both SMU and NUS and sit on it until they reach the water. This will deprive someone else a place that they may covet or means a lifelong career or opportunity for them. You are lucky to have been given 2 of the most prestigious courses from the local universities. Think through carefully, check your interest, your calling, talk to teachers, friends, and then pray about it and decide.
We are behind you all the way.
God bless you
Daddy
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