Hand Surgery Residency Programme

The NUHS Hand Surgery Residency Programme is unique in Singapore as it is a stand-alone specialty. Together with Finland, we currently have the only Hand Surgery specific training programme in the world.  As such, we pride ourselves as independent pioneers in this field.

We  work  as  a  close-knit  team  and  will  provide  a  comprehensive programme to equip you to finish your residency as a well-trained surgeon in all aspects of hand surgery.

Some features that makes NUHS programme unique among the other programmes include:

1. We  have  the  “Father”  of  hand, reconstructive and microsurgery, Emeritus Professor Robert Pho still actively involved in training at all levels.
   
2. We are the most established hand surgery department in Singapore with the largest group of hand surgeons working together.
   
3. The  collective  expertise  of  the  faculty  represents  the  widest  breadth  and depth of hand and reconstructive microsurgery in Singapore including but not limited to upper extremity trauma management, congenital hand surgery, upper and lower extremity soft tissue reconstruction and resurfacing, brachial plexus  and  peripheral  nerve  surgery,  minimally  invasive  upper  extremity surgery, sports injuries and complex wrist reconstruction as well as upper extremity musculoskeletal oncologic surgery.
   
4. We have the largest dedicated hand centre in Asia housing outpatient clinics, procedure rooms and occupational therapy department all under one roof.
   
5. But  most  importantly,  it  is  the  PEOPLE  and  the  unique  ethos  that  makes us unique. We share our joy, sorrow, challenges and success and we work together  to  thrive  for  excellence  in  patient  care  and  the  specialty  of  hand surgery.

"Hand Surgery is a niche specialty that not only deals with hand and wrist conditions; it encompasses a wide range from reconstruction of complex limb wounds, brachial plexus injuries, and also goes beyond to help improve the quality of life for those who suffer from debilitating spasticity, stroke and tetraplegia.

I am fortunate to be the first batch of residents under the integrated national programme. We are able to gain exposure to the specialty in different institutions and learn the different ways of doing things from mentors of different backgrounds and philosophies.

It has been an exciting journey, being able to see, treat, operate, and witness how our patients improve, and how the very little details matter i.e. how we make the incision, how we design our flap, and how we place the suture.

There are times when we feel tired from a busy call, or dejected from not able to do more (e.g. reattaching a mangled finger), but at the end of the day, it all 'comes to a balance' when we have patients who are thankful for the work we do, or those who actually have an excellent outcome, and this can be immensely satisfying.

I am also thankful to have a very supportive faculty who does timely check-ins on our welfare and training progress. In Hand Surgery, there is so much to learn, so much to do; it's a never-ending learning journey!"

Programme Director
Dr Soumen Das De
[email protected]

Associate Programme Director
Dr Kang Yong Chiang
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Associate Programme Director
Dr Mala Satkunanantham
[email protected]

Programme Coordinator
Ms Faith Tan
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