SingHealth Ophthalmology Residency Programme

Ophthalmology is the field of medicine that deals with the anatomy, functions and diseases of the eye. Being both a medical and surgical discipline, it not only allows the clinician to identify the eye problem but also to operate on the eye.

The complexity of the human eye and the myriad of tests and subspecialties needed to manage such a small organ is what makes ophthalmology an intriguing profession for aspiring eye doctors.

We are looking for young, confident and dynamic residents to join us. If you have good dexterity and a keen interest to learn, ophthalmology may be for you.

Our Subspecialty Areas

Why Join SingHealth Ophthalmology Residency Programme

Unparalleled Exposure at SNEC
SNEC’s large volume of clinic patients and surgical cases, spanning ten ophthalmic subspecialties, offer residents unparalleled training opportunities. SNEC is also equipped with every ophthalmic investigation modality available, so residents can follow through the management of the patients and develop a deeper understanding of conditions with real-time feedback from senior staff.

The Best of Both Worlds
Ophthalmology is one of the few specialties which encompass both a medical and surgical discipline. With sophisticated and excellent facilities and nine operating theatres to manage routine and emergency cases, ophthalmic residents will have no shortage of clinical and surgical opportunities.

Abundant Research Opportunities
The Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) is located within SNEC, so residents have many opportunities to participate in research work. We also have collaborations with a multitude of external agencies, including A-star, Biopolis, Genomic Institute of Singapore to enhance your research skills.

Access to World-Class Resources
SNEC is a fully equipped, fully staffed quaternary ophthalmic training centre with strong relationships with many leading ophthalmic centres around the world. This has enabled our residents to undergo fellowship training at these centres of excellence.

The Curriculum
A robust five-year programme, the Ophthalmology Residency Programme at SingHealth covers all aspects of general ophthalmology and ophthalmic subspecialties.

Year 1 provides you with the foundation in ophthalmic training and a wide spectrum of ophthalmic investigations. You will be expected to perform general ophthalmology in Year 2 and Year 3, with concurrent subspecialty rotations.

You will also learn to perform extracapsular cataract surgery (ECCE), which is invaluable to future surgical management of trauma and complementary to modern cataract surgery.

Sample Rotation Chart

Clinician-Scientist Track
The Clinician-Scientist (CS) ophthalmology resident shares the same Year 1 curriculum with all other residents, to ensure CS Residents gain the necessary clinical exposure for CS work.

A CS mentor will be assigned from Year 1 to guide the CS Resident. As a CS Resident, you will need to complete at least a Masters in Clinical Investigation and will spend an additional year to complete the Residency Programme.

Career Prospects
SNEC offers local subspecialty fellowships for our residents and provide doctors with opportunities for overseas training in diverse clinical, research, education and administrative areas.

Our clinicians are also exposed to HMDP training to enhance their clinical skills and to help them stay ahead of the latest in ophthalmic technology.

As we continue to expand, there will be demand for ophthalmic services to the newer regional hospitals and more career opportunities for our ophthalmologists.

Programme Director
Assoc Prof Shamira Perera, Senior Consultant, Glaucoma Department; Associate Professor, SingHealth Duke-NUS Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme.

If you are interested to know more about our residency programme or to arrange for an elective/observership in SNEC, please contact us via email: [email protected]

Alternatively, you may reach us at:
20 College Rd
Level 6, AMRI
Singapore 169856

Application for Residency
All applicants interested in pursuing residency training in Singapore will need to go through the Ministry of Health Holdings (MOHH) for application and eligibility screening.

Please refer to the MOHH website for more information.

SNEC Facility Tour Video for Ophthalmology Residents and Fellows