Opthalmology Residency Programme

Beware of Scam Calls

NUHS Institutions will NEVER ask you to transfer money or disclose bank details over a call.
If in doubt, call the 24/7 ScamShield helpline at 1799, or visit the ScamShield website at www.scamshield.gov.sg.

2026/01/12

NUHS Ophthalmology Residency Programme

Objectives

The NUHS Ophthalmology Residency Programme is a five-year programme that provides residents with broad experience in Ophthalmology. The programme provides an excellent balance of clinical training, structured education, and research opportunities. We emphasise mentored management of the patient by the resident, including all aspects of pre-operative evaluation and preparation, operative procedures as well as post-operative and follow-up care.

Rotations

Residents will gradually assume increasing responsibility for the patient’s care as they progress through the residency commensurate with their skills and abilities. The programme aims to achieve these goals though didactic lectures courses, conferences, tutorials and mentored operative and research experience.

Upon successful completion of the training, residents will become competent general Ophthalmologists after passing the qualifying examination. We ensure that training incorporates the six core competency areas as defined by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education International (ACGME-I) of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism and systems-based practice.

Programme Highlights

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 team 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 have a structured pre-surgical wet lab programme 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.
Our goal is to train well-rounded Ophthalmologists, global in outlook and skills, generators of knowledge, passionate about learning and their profession, role models for their colleagues and advocates for patients and society.

For more information on the NUHS Ophthalmology Residency programme, please download the brochure below -

Our Faculty

Dr Katherine Lun, Core Faculty, Ophthalmology Residency Programme, NUHS

Dr Katherine WX Lun
Programme Director, Ophthalmology Residency Programme, NUHS

View Profile

Dr Lai Yien
Associate Programme Director, Ophthalmology Residency Programme, NUHS

View Profile

Dr Caroline Chee Ka Lin, Core Faculty, Ophthalmology Residency Programme, NUHS

A/Prof Caroline Chee
Core Faculty,
Ophthalmology Residency Programme, NUHS

View Profile

Dr Charmaine Chai, Core Faculty, Ophthalmology Residency Programme, NUHS

Dr Charmaine Chai
Core Faculty,
Ophthalmology Residency Programme, NUHS

View Profile

Dr Dawn Lim
Core Faculty,
Ophthalmology Residency Programme, NUHS

View Profile

Testimonials From our Opthalmology Resident

Dr Tong Weihan

Dr Tong Weihan, NUHS Ophthalmology Residency programme, 2020 Cohort

"Prior to working at NUH, I heard of the strong teaching culture and looked forward to working here. After a posting in Ophthalmology, my interest was piqued. Under the tutelage of my senior colleagues, I gained invaluable skills and experience in clinical practice. The more I learnt, the more I was captivated by the sheer amount of knowledge needed to understand the organ that grants us the gift of sight. I also witnessed the deleterious effects of vision loss on a person's quality of life, and the extraordinary changes an Ophthalmologist could create by restoring their sight. I hoped that one day, I would also be able to do the same for my patients.

For the NUHS Ophthalmology Residency Programme, the training is structured with passionate teachers in the department, among both consultants and fellow residents. A resident gets general Ophthalmology exposure early on, followed by sub-specialty exposure as one progresses in training. The clinical cases seen here are diverse and complex, each with great learning value. Many patients often require management by Ophthalmologists of different sub-specialties and in certain cases, multi-disciplinary management with colleagues from other specialties are required in order to provide the best patient care. Apart from diverse clinical exposure, there is also a strong culture of research in NUHS. This pushes clinicians to strive for clinical excellence, to provide the best care for our patients by practising evidence-based medicine.

Surgery is another key component of the programme, with direct supervision and guidance, encouraging your progression to become an independent surgeon. There are ample opportunities to hone your surgical skills with early exposure to cataract phacoemulsification surgery starting as early as year one of residency. This important hallmark of the programme undoubtedly contributes to earlier acquisition of surgical skills for residents to become competent Ophthalmic surgeons in the future.

It is said, and true, that learning never ends, not even for the most eminent among us. During residency here, learning and training will become an enjoyable part and parcel of your daily life, honing you to become a competent Ophthalmologist."

Selection Criteria for Residency Application

Base Criteria

Clinical Competence - The ability to apply medical knowledge, skills and judgment to deliver safe and effective patient care.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills - The ability to communicate effectively with patients, families and healthcare teams.

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement - The ability to evaluate one's own patient care practices and identify areas for improvement.

Professionalism - The commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities in an ethical and sensitive manner.

Personal Attributes - Qualities that aligned with NUHS TRICEP values of Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Compassion, Excellence and Patient-Centredness, that support professional practice and patient-focused care.

Optional Criteria

a) Research experience

b) Prior Clinical Postings/Electives in Ophthalmology

c) Performance in Interview

d) Normal stereopsis (tested during orthoptics station during interview)

e) Passed FRCOPHTH Part 1

f) Prior Microsurgical Wetlab Exposure

Applicants who meet the base and/or optional criteria are eligible to apply for residency training; however, fulfillment of these criteria does not guarantee a match.

Programme Director
Dr Katherine Lun
[email protected]

Associate Programme Director
Dr Lai Yien
[email protected]

Programme Coordinator
Ms Chin Yilin
[email protected]