Residency Programme
The Foreword
Established in July 2011, the NUHS Ophthalmology Residency Program is a postgraduate specialist training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International (ACGME-I). Broad-based and rigorous, the program builds on our decades-long tradition of clinical excellence, commitment to world-class research, and dedicated mentorship to junior doctors in training.
Our goal is to nurture well-rounded ophthalmologists, global in outlook and skills, passionate about learning and generating knowledge, who will serve as role models for their colleagues and advocates for patients and society.
Dr Nicole CHAN Shu Wen
Chief Resident
2022-2023
Chief Resident's Address
Dear friends,
I’m Nicole, the current Chief Resident for the National University Hospital Department of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology residency is a 5-year programme, and we have a full-service eye department offering a complete range of ophthalmic subspecialties for both adults and children that provides you good clinical exposure to the whole spectrum of cases. As one of Singapore’s major Ophthalmology tertiary referral centres, we receive referrals from neighbouring countries for the management of more complex conditions. In addition, our department collaborates actively with other subspecialties like Otolaryngology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, to deliver comprehensive care for our patients.
As we are part of an academic health system, there is a strong culture of education within the department, for both undergraduate and post-graduate programmes, as well as an emphasis on research and innovation. Our faculty members engage and mentor juniors in research work as early as in medical school. NUH Ophthalmology is also actively involved in organising community eye screenings and talks to educate the public on eye diseases, and provides ample opportunities for doctors to give back to the community in aspects apart from clinical work.
Application for Ophthalmology residency is competitive and it can sometimes be difficult to decide which institution you should apply to. One of the aspects I appreciate most about our department is the nurturing culture, friendliness and camaraderie. In residency and beyond, there will always be days when you feel discouraged, stressed and fatigued. Having a department that cares for you, colleagues who go out of their way to help you, and bosses who support your interests outside of medicine, will go a long way. We welcome you to rotate through our department, where we hope you will not only be exposed to the range of ophthalmic disease, but also have a nurturing and supportive environment that will help you reach your full potential!
NUHS Ophthalmology Residency Program
The NUHS Ophthalmology Residency Program is a five-year program that provides residents with a broad experience in ophthalmology. The program provides an excellent balance of clinical training, structured education, and research opportunities. We emphasize mentored management of the patient by the resident, including all aspects of preoperative evaluation and preparation, operative procedures and postoperative and follow-up care.
Residents will gradually assume increasing responsibility for the patient's care as they progress through the residency commensurate with their skills and abilities. The program aims to achieve these goals though didactic lectures courses, conferences, tutorials and mentored operative and research experience.
Upon successful completion of the training, the resident will become a competent General Ophthalmologist after passing the qualifying examination. We ensure that the training incorporates the six core competency areas as defined by the ACGME-I: Patient care, Medical knowledge, Medical knowledge, Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Professionalism and Systems-Based Practice.
Outstanding Features
Our department is proud of our strong teaching culture with structured didactic and interactive teaching integrated into daily clinical practice. We have a dedicated faculty committed to nurturing our residents to develop their maximal potential. Residents progress through graded clinical and surgical responsibilities as they attain competence in various areas. Feedback is provided at each assessment and stage of training to help them learn more effectively. We also have a structured pre-surgical wet lab program that leads to an early introduction to surgery as attainment of competency permits. We value the importance of translational research and our residents will enjoy opportunities to perform research with leading clinician-scientists and scholars in the field.
Program Structure
Residency will commence after successful completion of internship or transitional year and takes place in 3 phases:
Year 1: Basic Training in Ophthalmology
- The aims in this phase are a firm grounding basic ophthalmic sciences, clinical examination skills, basic surgical skills, emergency ophthalmology and common ophthalmic conditions.
Year 2: Subspecialty Rotations
- Residents in this year will rotate through major ophthalmic subspecialties of Neuro-Ophthalmology, Oculoplastic, Paediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus.
Year 3: Subspecialty Rotations
- Moving onto Year 3, residents will rotate to Glaucoma, Vitreo-Retina, Cornea and External eye disease.
Year 4 & 5: Senior Residency
- Senior residents in these 2 years are preparing for the exit assessment and eventual practice as specialists in ophthalmology. They will assist the consultants in the conduct of the general ophthalmology clinics. In addition, they will rotate through the major ophthalmic specialties for increased experience and training. During this period, they will have opportunity to develop teaching skills by assisting in the supervision of junior residents.
For more information, please refer to the link as follows: nuhs.edu.sg/nuhsresidency/ & physician.mohh.com.sg/residency/
