Dr June Goh-Rin: The "chinchai" powerhouse of medicine, advocacy and art

Dr June Goh-Rin is gracious to a fault. When the team had to postpone this shoot, she was happy to open up her house to us three days later, despite the fact that she would be flying out to India in six hours for an extended family holiday.

I thank her when we meet, adding that few people would be this accommodating. She looks embarrassed and says that she’s just chinchai, using the colloquial slang meaning “anything goes” to explain her “just-soldier-on” attitude in life. It’s a trait that has held her in good stead, especially as she juggles numerous roles as an anaesthesiologist, mother, wife, philanthropist, advocate, and patron of the arts, all while being a fixture on Singapore’s social scene, a mainstay on many of the city’s best dressed lists, and an avid traveller.

“Sleep deprivation,” she answers with a big guffaw, when asked how she juggles all these responsibilities. As a senior consultant at the Singapore General Hospital and adjunct assistant professor at the Duke-NUS Medical school, Dr Goh-Rin’s days can be slightly unpredictable. The former director of Neuroanaesthesia and Neurocritical Care starts her day at 8am, and it can end as early as 3pm, or as late as 6am the next day if she’s called into a complicated surgery.

However, the unpredictable hours are something that Dr Goh-Rin, who is in her 50s, takes in her stride, especially as becoming a doctor was a calling. She made the decision at the age of five, when she had to go to the hospital after being stung by a scorpion hiding in a towel.

“My parents actually discouraged me from doing medicine, because this was in the late 1980s when HIV was emerging [and not much was known about it],” she says. “They kept asking me, ‘Can’t you choose something safer? This is an incurable disease.’ I was not discouraged, however. I just went ahead. I think that when you choose a career, you must have an affinity, passion and comfort level, and for some reason, I am very comfortable in the medical and hospital environment.”

Dr Goh-Rin didn’t just have to contend with her parents’ discontent: At that time, the National University of Singapore had a 30 per cent quota for female students, citing that it was not worth the investment given that many women would quit when they get married and have children.

Thankfully, this law was revoked in 2003, thanks to the tireless efforts of women’s groups such as the 185-member-strong Association of Women Doctors Singapore (AWDS), of which Dr Goh-Rin has been a member for almost 20 years. In 2021, there were 201 men and 196 women opting for a first degree in medicine.

“I was told that at the interview, I had to say things like, ‘I am going to pursue this profession wholeheartedly. Marriage and kids will not be in the way’,” she says with a shrug.

Was this the reason she decided to join AWDS? She mulls over the question, but refuses to say yes, arguably the easier, more PR-friendly answer. Instead, she attributes her participation to the more practical reason that she had more time on her hands. She had graduated, no longer had to juggle studies and work, her two kids were slightly older, and she had a fantastic support system in the form of family members, friends and helpers.

Despite the fact that she married 30 years ago into a household where none of the women worked, Dr Goh-Rin says that her in-laws were very supportive of her career.

“My in-laws are extremely enlightened, and they’ve always been very encouraging. In fact, two weeks before our registry, my mother-in-law spoke to me and said, ‘We won’t pressure you in any way, or get in the way of your career’,” she shares.

Empowering women through her work with AWDS, SCWO and SHE

Set up in 1998 by Dr Kanwaljit Soin, an orthopaedic surgeon and tireless champion for women’s rights, AWDS was established to support the growing network of female doctors, and shine a spotlight on female medical issues.

Dr Goh-Rin sits on the board of AWDS, and wholeheartedly supports its three-pronged mission, which is: “To allow us [female doctors] to network and support one another; to mentor younger women doctors through challenges, such as choosing a subspeciality, raising a family or simply through the rigours of the profession; and public education.”

The last part is something that she is especially passionate about. During her tenure as president from 2010 to 2012, she regularly organised dialogues for the public, in order to bring to light issues that women faced. One notable dialogue was “I Wish We Could Talk About This”, a series of discussions for mothers and daughters about oft-taboo topics such as eating disorders, financial independence, as well as sex and sexual diseases.

There was also one five years ago about Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a prophylactic double mastectomy, and lessons to be learnt for women in a similar situation.

“We decided to organise a public forum featuring a panel of experts, including a breast surgeon, a breast cancer survivor, a geneticist, and a gynaecologist. This multidisciplinary team would provide comprehensive information on screening, risk factors, and the potential benefits of genetic testing. Our goal was to address potential questions and concerns women might have after reading about Angelina Jolie’s experience, especially those with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.”

Somehow, working with and helping women has been a recurring theme in Dr Goh-Rin’s journey: She has been on the board of SCWO since 2012, and was its president from 2016 to 2020. During that time, she also took on the mantle of president of the Asean Confederation of Women’s Organisations (ACWO).

Dr Goh-Rin’s initial reaction was to say no when Laura Hwang, veteran lawyer and former SCWO president, approached her about joining the SCWO board 12 years ago. “I could see such a huge time commitment there; it was not like AWDS, which was small, friendly, and did not run services, but instead did ad hoc projects.

“Laura was so reassuring. She talked about how wonderful it is to be there, meet other women, and have the opportunity to give back. Plus, it’s a chance to voice our opinions on women’s issues at a national level. The organisation works with different ministries, so we take an interest in and provide input, even on the national budget.”

SCWO is the umbrella council for all the women’s organisations in Singapore, with more than 60 member organisations, representing 600,000 women in Singapore. To achieve its mission of “Equal Space, Equal Voice and Equal Worth” for women, SCWO embarks on research and advocacy programmes to close the gender data gap, and also provides services such as the Star Shelter for victims of abuse.

Before her tenure as president, Dr Goh-Rin was also co-chair of Star Shelter; the role required her to understand the widespread effects of domestic violence in Singapore.

“You see how it affects the whole family – some [women] have babies, toddlers. It’s more than just the woman being impacted, it’s the children, the whole family life, and they all go through so much trauma and grief,” she says.

Her understanding of the issue’s complexity shaped her decisions to organise conferences and symposiums to raise awareness for the cause. She shares: “We worked with the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and other government organisations to give them feedback, and highlight the issues these women were facing. It was quite powerful to actually do something for these women.”

During that period, she was also asked to chair the Asean arm of the organisation, thus giving her the opportunity to learn about the issues that women from other Asian countries faced, and inculcate best practices in Singapore.

When asked about milestone achievements during her tenure, she pauses slightly. The two that stand out involve tackling the issues of women and ageing, as well as better representation of women on boards. In fact, she is currently the chair of the task force on ageing in women for the SCWO, and was previously on the Council for Board Diversity. When she first joined the organisation, only 10 per cent of listed boards featured female members. “Can you believe it?” she asks with incredulity. “We have some of the most highly trained, highly educated women, and yet when it comes to SGX-listed boards, we had10 per cent female representation or less. Some cities are better than us.

“When you look at the statistics, being on this committee gives you a broader view – not just Singapore, but worldwide. It’s good to see Singapore making strides to address these inequalities. The Council for Board Diversity, which former President Halimah Yacob supported, was a positive step forward. They were asking for 20 per cent by 2020.”

It’s a testament to the hard work of SCWO, as well as other organisations including the Council for Board Diversity and regulators such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo), that today, women hold about 22.7 per cent of board seats in the top 100 listed companies on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) as of June 2023. This is up from around 15 per cent in 2018, says the Council for Board Diversity. Women’s representation is highest on statutory boards, making up over 32 per cent of board seats.

“It’s still a work in progress, but to truly advocate for change, you need the numbers to back it up, to show the government and the public,” she says.

Today, Dr Goh-Rin also sits on the board of SG Her Empowerment (SHE). Asked by founder and lawyer Stefanie Yuen-Thio to join the board, she explains: “There are a few key areas we focus on. One issue that always bothered me – it really needed to be addressed – is how our younger generation is constantly exposed online.”

Part of its work in fighting for gender equality includes a centre called Shecares@SCWO, which helps women tackle online abuse. A hotline and text-line connects victims to specialists who can guide them on their next steps; they also have access to trauma-informed counselling and pro bono legal advice.

“There’s no single agency focused on handling cyberbullying. Have you heard similar stories? Friends with teenage daughters being bullied online, and they don’t know what to do? Well, now we have a one-stop solution for that.”

She adds: “That’s why having collaboration between different groups is so important. That, I think, is the strength of SCWO as an umbrella organisation – it can bring together the diverse talents, interests, and strengths of other organisations, and empower them to make a difference.”

Standing on the shoulders of giants

Dr Goh-Rin’s participation in these programmes is also marked by a desire to learn from incredible women.

“It’s amazing working with so many passionate women in these different associations. With the AWDS, I collaborated with fellow doctors. Then, on the SCWO board, I was surrounded by incredible women – presidents of organisations like PPIS (the Singapore Muslim Women’s Association), NTUC, PA Win, Aware… It was a bit intimidating at first, being from such a specialised medical background, but also incredibly exciting to interact with all these inspiring leaders.”

When asked if she ever feels imposter syndrome, her answer is demonstrative of her “chinchai-ness”. “Definitely. Even with the amazing women at SCWO, I sometimes wonder if I have their same strength or leadership skills. But maybe that comes from my medical background, so I just focus on getting the job done. And I try not to let those thoughts get to me.

“I tend to see things in a positive light, focusing on what I can learn from others. Instead of comparing myself and feeling inadequate, I appreciate their strengths and think, ‘Wow, she's amazing at this! How can I develop that skill too?’” She adds: “Ultimately, these experiences with strong women leaders inspired me to join these organisations. We need people who will take action on these issues, not just quietly accept them.”

A lover of the arts

Apart from her work as a doctor, an advocate, and her involvement with charitable organisations like Dover Park Hospital, Dr Goh-Rin is an art lover and collector.

She began her collection 30 years ago when decorating her home, drawn to South-east Asian and Chinese artworks, along with vintage Chinese furniture. Her passion is evident – she serves as the chair of the fundraising committee for the Yong Siew Toh Music Conservatory Board, and was formerly on the fundraising board of the National Gallery of Singapore. Both of her children also share her artistic interests.

Her 20-year-old son is going to study architecture, and her 26-year-old daughter, who also paints miniature ceramics, is going to pursue a masters degree in South-east Asian art and ceramics.

She says: “I support Asian artists because art played an important role in our lives when the kids were young. I’d often take them to the Asian Civilisations Museum – the interactive displays really captured their imaginations.”

Known for her impeccable style, Dr Goh- Rin has an eye for fashion. For this shoot, she brought out a timeless 25-year-old Jil Sander suit, modernised with Bottega Veneta drop earrings. Another passion is her vintage jewellery collection, started 20 years ago before prices skyrocketed due to online bidding and the rise of the Chinese buyer.

“My jewellery collection began during our time in the UK [where she used to work]. Weekends were for farmers’ markets and flea markets. That habit of exploring markets continued when we travelled to Europe, where I hunted for vintage jewellery at flea markets and auction houses – back when things weren’t all online,” she says.

Whether in medicine, advocacy, art, or in life, Dr Goh-Rin does not hesitate in pursuing her passions wholeheartedly. Her resilience and positivity are embodied in her life’s philosophy: “I tend to go with the path of least resistance. I never bang my head against the wall – if one door opens, I just go through it.”

Dr Goh-Rin will be discussing women’s health issues for the upcoming Her World original docuseries “How To Build A Singaporean Woman”, which highlights the social, systemic and cultural issues that women in Singapore face.

PHOTOGRAPHY Clement Goh & Athirah Annissa
ART DIRECTION Adeline Eng
HAIR & MAKEUP Madiha Shaikh
LOCATION Dr June Goh-Rin's home