Literature
Tricia Tan
Patient History
“Patient history” is a medical term describing the method by which doctors gather information about a patient’s past and present conditions. Yet, how much of a patient’s history do doctors really know, and how much agency do we have in determining our own histories?
Patient History is a whimsical exploration of the typically grim world of sickness and death. Woven from pop culture, fairytales, and East-meets-West childhood memories of growing up in Singapore, these fantasies are cotton candy sweet—osteoporosis becomes Singapore’s signature Chili Crab, a fistula transfigures into fairy, and organs are commemorated as a theme park.
Tricia Tan is a Golden Point award-winning poet and doctor. Out of wards, she is an Orygen Global Youth Mental Health Advocacy Fellow and the founder of the mindline.sg Youth Mental Health Fellowship.