NUHS Residency Open House

As a medical student, I did not manage to do any Medicine postings in NUH. However, I have long heard about the excellent teaching culture and strong emphasis on teamwork here. That is why I applied to do my Medicine posting in NUH. So far, I'm one and a half months into my first HO posting and my experience in NUH has lived up to those expectations. Transitioning from a student to a doctor was tough, but the seniors I have met here have eased me into working life through meticulous guidance and mentorship. Being surrounded by dedicated nursing and allied health colleagues, I feel that I am truly a well-valued member of the healthcare team, contributing to patient care.

Medicine is a never-ending learning journey. In NUH, there are plenty of teachings where both important theoretical knowledge and practical on-the-ground tips are taught. In addition, senior doctors go the extra mile to go through clinical decision-making behind the cases we see in the wards. These efforts have kept learning enjoyable and impactful, while still enabling us to fulfil the work demands of being a HO.

I am extremely grateful to have been a part of the Internal Medicine Residency and now Neurology Senior Residency in NUHS. NUHS Residency has been nothing short of an amazing experience.

IM Residency provided me with the ideal breadth and depth of exposure in order to prepare me to be a holistic and confident internist. The Neurology Residency programme delves into General Neurology, Stroke and Vascular Neurology and many other subspecialties – including Epilepsy, Neuromuscular Disorders, Headache, Movement Disorders, Neurocognition, Inflammatory and Demyelinating Disorders. Whilst the training can be challenging, the training environment has been extremely encouraging. Department heads, programme directors and faculty have not only been teachers, but mentors who go the extra mile to support my personal development and growth as a resident.

The residency programme has given me opportunities to develop in areas of clinical excellence, leadership, academia and medical education. I have had the chance to attend healthcare simulation instructor courses, pitch for research grants, participate in a leadership development programme and pursue a Master of Clinical Investigation (MCI).

Undoubtedly, NUHS Residency is truly a special place. I could not be more thankful for where I am training. This is a community that I can proudly call home, and the people I work with – family.

​I joined Preventive Medicine Residency after National Service, having spent most of my time there doing epidemiology and unexpectedly finding a certain satisfaction in dealing with ‘big picture’ issues. There were just four of us in my batch; and the programme was unconventional in that despite the training framework, each of us charted our paths. For example, given my interests, I ended up having more rotations within the Ministry of Health, handling projects such as controlling our first Zika outbreak, developing communicable disease policies, and setting up the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. The others delved into areas like Occupational Medicine, academia and health administration. Such diversity was characteristic – it meant that a single discussion topic would yield a range of perspectives, and teaching sessions doubled up as platforms for cross-learning and, at times, intense debate! I found this mix of tailored training and candid interactions most helpful in honing skills that would make all the difference in doing public health work well. Perhaps more so than other residencies, most of us – including myself – went through trying to figure out where our training would take us. Yet on hindsight, this self-discovery was a key part of the whole experience.

​NUH was one of my top choices to do a PGY1 Medicine posting after a great experience as a student intern during my final year in medical school. NUHS Residency offers PGY1 trainees the opportunity to be exposed to not only General Medicine postings, but also sub-specialty postings, which adds both breadth and depth into the rigor of our training. The seniors and faculty have also invested much time and effort into organising various teaching activities to supplement our learning experience in NUH. This strong culture of teaching and support also extends into the daily ward-work. The seniors are willing to guide juniors and no one is left alone to handle responsibilities beyond his/her capability. This creates a safe and secure environment where we can hone our clinical acumen to become better doctors. I would certainly recommend NUHS Residency for anyone interested in exploring Internal Medicine as a future career!

​To ensure family physicians-to-be possess a breadth of clinical knowledge and skillsets, the NUHS Family Medicine (FM) Residency Programme puts its residents through a myriad of rotations within tertiary and primary care, including postings with NUHS’ partners in private practice. These rotations culminate in the M.Med FM examination which is one of the toughest in this country, if not the universe. We have had residents struggle and fall by the wayside. True to Family Medicine’s mantra of treating the person and not the disease, NUHS FM faculty are not entirely caught up in academic and clinical excellence. They perpetually ensure that the social and emotional well-being of residents are looked into and taken care of. They constantly help to recalibrate residents’ compasses when we get too caught up in fulfilling clinical and academic demands and lose sight of why we joined the residency programme to begin with. This is a programme with heart and that is what I will always remember it for, long after I forget my ten differentials of cough or the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule.

Pioneer batch of NUHS FM residents and core faculty (2011)

R1 and R2s (2012)