{"id":2314,"date":"2025-03-08T06:20:54","date_gmt":"2025-03-08T06:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webdesigninsg.com\/nif\/alumnus\/?p=2314"},"modified":"2025-07-22T10:18:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T02:18:56","slug":"the-first-lady-of-singapore-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/2025\/03\/08\/the-first-lady-of-singapore-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"The First Lady of Singapore Medicine"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Born in 1895, Dr Lee Choo Neo was the daughter of businessman Mr Lee Hoon Leong and his second wife Mdm Mak Hup Sin. She was also the half-sister of Mr Lee Chin Koon, making her the aunt of Singapore\u2019s first prime minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew (HonLLD \u201913) and the great-aunt of its third, Mr Lee Hsien Loong.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Raised in a forward-thinking Straits Chinese household, Dr Lee attended the Singapore Chinese Girls\u2019 School and Raffles Girls\u2019 School at a time when entrenched social norms largely expected women to manage domestic responsibilities. A trailblazer throughout her life, she became the first Straits Chinese girl in Singapore to obtain her Senior Cambridge Certificate in 1911. She then set her sights on a medical career \u2014 an audacious decision that was encouraged by her father but drew scepticism from many quarters. Undeterred, she enrolled at the King Edward VII Medical School (the precursor to today\u2019s National University of Singapore).\u00a0<\/span>

While a student at the Medical School in 1913, she contributed an article to London\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0Queen<\/em>\u00a0magazine, detailing the circumscribed life of the Straits-born Chinese girl and noting that the \u201cmonotony is intolerable\u201d and that \u201cno English girl would ever dream of\u2026being kept so out of contact with the world.\u201d Still, she was also optimistic in her observations, declaring that a \u201cperceptible change\u201d had taken hold in Singapore society in recent years, with parents increasingly aware of the \u201cbenefits derived from the little liberty and education which they allow their daughters.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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CHAMPIONING WOMEN\u2019S HEALTHCARE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

In 1919, Dr Lee made history again when she qualified to become Singapore\u2019s first female medical practitioner. To put her accomplishment in perspective, only five other women would graduate from the Medical School in the decade that followed.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Following her graduation, Dr Lee worked at the Kandang Kerbau Hospital and General Hospital in the 1920s, where she was Lady Assistant Surgeon in charge of the Native Female Ward. In the following decade, she established her own medical practice, focusing on maternal and child health. At a time when specialised care for women was scarce, she offered essential support, ensuring expectant mothers and infants had access to competent, empathetic treatment. Archives from various historical records highlight her resolve to improve healthcare standards, as well as her determination to uplift the wider community.<\/span>

She balanced these professional commitments alongside her personal life, marrying Mr Teo Koon Lim in 1922, and continuing her medical work while navigating the responsibilities of family life and rearing three adopted children. This dual role was a rarity for a woman of her generation, reflecting both her resilience and adaptability.<\/span>

During the Japanese invasion of Singapore in World War II, Dr Lee and her family were spared the fate of many Singaporeans due to the kindness of their former neighbour, Nachang Tsutada, son of Japanese dentist Kenri Tsutada.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Source: Google Arts & Culture. Dr Lee\u2019s clinic and residence, circa 1930s. Collection of Mrs Vera Teo.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Source: Google Arts & Culture. Wedding photograph of Teo Koon Lim and Lee Choo Neo, 1922. Collection of Mrs Vera Teo.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Now a lieutenant in the Japanese army, Nachang offered protection to the family and enabled Dr Lee to obtain a special pass that let her continue to run her car, a necessity for her medical work. Indeed, during the war, her clinic at Bras Basah Road helped to serve many war casualties.<\/p>

An advocate for social welfare and reform throughout her life,Dr Lee was a founding member of the Chinese Ladies\u2019 Association of Malaya (renamed the Chinese Women\u2019s Association in 1960) in 1915, where she supported health and educational initiatives for women and served as honorary secretary for many years. She was also one of three women appointed to the Chinese Marriage Committee in 1925, the findings of which helped to presage the passing of the Women\u2019s Charter that outlawed polygamy in 1961.\u00a0

In her spare time, Dr Lee\u2019s interests were diverse: she was an avid tennis player and reader, accomplished in embroidery and crochet, painted in oils, and played both piano and the violin. She was also interested in Malay drama, writing, acting and co-directing the comedy\u00a0Mustapha<\/em>, which was presented at the Victoria Theatre in 1912.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Until her passing in 1947, Dr Lee remained a revered figure within Singapore\u2019s medical community. Her final resting place at Bukit Brown Cemetery stands as a poignant reminder of her trailblazing legacy. Each year, visitors and historians gather to honour her contributions, reflecting on how one individual\u2019s passion and persistence can reshape societal expectations and create new pathways for others. For her achievements, she was inducted into the Singapore Women\u2019s Hall of Fame in 2014.<\/span>
<\/span>
As International Women\u2019s Day encourages us to celebrate women\u2019s achievements worldwide, Dr Lee\u2019s story underscores the transformative power of education, courage, and an unwavering belief in a more equitable future. In commemorating 120 years of NUS history, we also celebrate the profound influence of one of its earliest and most remarkable graduates \u2014 a visionary who shattered barriers to forge a brighter path for those who followed in her footsteps.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Sources:<\/b><\/span><\/p>

Chinese Women\u2019s Association : 100 fabulous years. (2015). Editions Didier Millet.<\/b><\/p>

Goy, P. (2015, April 9). New book features Mr Lee Kuan Yew\u2019s pioneering aunt. The Straits Times.<\/b><\/p>

GREAT PERANAKANS FIFTY REMARKABLE LIVES<\/a>. (n.d.).\u00a0<\/b><\/p>

Highlights of 110 years of distinction and dedication. (2015, January-March). The AlumNUS.<\/b><\/p>

Kenri Tsutada: Legacy of a Japanese Dentist in Singapore<\/a>. (2024, December 7). The Long and Winding Road.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>

Lee Choo Neo – Singapore Women\u2019s Hall of Fame<\/a>. (2021, March 11). Singapore Women\u2019s Hall of Fame.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Main Photo Source: Singapore Women\u2019s Hall of Fame<\/a><\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As NUS commemorates its 120th anniversary in 2025, we shine a spotlight on pioneering female physician Dr Lee Choo Neo, whose indomitable spirit continues to inspire generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leadership","category-nus120"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2314"}],"version-history":[{"count":43,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8747,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2314\/revisions\/8747"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}