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Emergency Medicine

​​NHG Emergency Medicine Residency Programme

Resident's Talk

"Emergency Medicine gives me a unique opportunity to administer impactful treatment for patients in their hour of need, as well as the opportunity to grow under nurturing and inspiring faculty members.”

Dr Geoffrey Ng
NHG EM RESIDENCY GRADUATE

​Why NHG Emergency Medicine Residency Programme is the right choice for me?

The Emergency Department in Tan Tock Seng Hospital is the largest and one of the busiest in Singapore. We have the biggest short-stay ward, Emergency Diagnosis and Treatment Centre (EDTC), and fever screening area. This provides an excellent opportunity for you to hone your capabilities as an Emergency Physician with ample training material.

Our proximity to National Centre for Infectious Diseases also means that we will be the first to be called into action in the event of any infectious disease outbreak as we had in all three epidemics – SARS, H1N1 and Covid-19. You will have valuable emergency response experience that few departments can provide.

Our training partners in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and KK Women's & Children's Hospital are also renowned departments, known for their high quality of training, specialisation and wide range of pathologies encountered.

Being part of a busy department means hard work. While we value tenacity and perseverance in our residents, we are cognizant that residents must not get bogged down with service, and the faculty on shift will ensure that teaching and learning is optimized. We work together as a team to deal with emergencies, and you will receive help and support not only from faculty members and doctors, but also from our nurses and allied health colleagues.

Am I eligible for the programme and how do I apply?

For general queries on residency application and eligibility, please refer to this page for more information.

What are the exams that I have to take?

 

 

The Primary Master of Medicine (MMed) (Emergency Medicine) Part A should be completed between year 1 and 3 of residency. In addition, the MMed Part B and C should be completed by the beginning of year 4.

From the fifth year of residency, you will sit for exit examination comprising of MCQ, clinical viva and critical appraisal components. In addition, you are required to complete a set of administration and teaching portfolios during your Senior Residency years (R4-R5). We will prepare you to tackle these hurdles and we are committed to help you succeed in these exams.

Will there be a consultant job for me?

There is a great need for more consultant Emergency Physicians nationally as patient attendances continue to climb yearly and with the opening of more hospitals. In addition, new dimensions of care are always emerging in Emergency Medicine, such as observation medicine, emergency ultrasound and critical care in Emergency Medicine, hence there is always fresh demand for aspiring Emergency Physicians.

Are there opportunities for research?

There is a huge opportunity for research in the field of Emergency Medicine and academic medicine. We have achieved international recognition for many of our staffs’ publications and several of our Emergency Physicians have been awarded the prestigious fellowships in clinician leadership in research. Each incoming resident will have a cadre of senior doctors to mentor him/her in his/her research projects.

What sub-specialization opportunities are available?    

At the end of residency, you may choose to do a subspecialise in one of the sub-specialisation of Emergency Medicine, these include but are not limited to the following:

  1. Trauma
  2. Toxicology
  3. Emergency Geriatrics
  4. Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine
  5. Disaster Medicine
  6. Observation Medicine
  7. Emergency Cardiology and Critical Care 
  8. Emergency Ultrasound      
  9. Infectious Diseases 

Besides these subspecialisations, many of our Emergency Physicians are also experts in non-clinical disciplines, which will certainly challenge anyone’s academic and intellectual energies. These include:

  1. Medical Education
  2. Medical Information Technology
  3. Data Science
  4. Healthcare Quality
  5. Medical Law

What are the programme's selection criteria for residency application?

We look for the following qualities in our potential applicants:

1. Clinical competence
- Clinical experience in relevant postings
- Good performance and feedback in prior postings

2. Interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team (including nursing and allied health professionals)
- Ability to communicate well with patients and NOK in challenging circumstances

3. Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
- Involvement in research and/or innovative projects

4. Professionalism
- Conscientiousness in completing administrative tasks (example: timely submission of forms/logs/reports, punctuality etc)
- Ability to uphold ethical principles, even in challenging circumstances

5. Personal attributes
- Commitment to completion of the 5-year EM residency program (example of demonstration of commitment includes attempting Master of Medicine in Emergency Medicine Part A, doing relevant clinical rotations)
- Leadership
- Grit and diligence