Hear From Our Residents

Dr Janice Soo Jie’Er

Emergency Medicine Resident, Year 2021

NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Alumnus

"This is a supportive and nurturing environment."

Emergency medicine sometimes feels like navigators in this healthcare system map. The diagnosis or initial impression gives some destination to drive towards. Then, we decide the route and mode of transport that would be efficient and safe. Passengers range from an unborn fetus to a nursing home elderly with dementia; from an incarcerated drug user to a child suffering from abuse. The duration may vary from fifteen minutes P3 consultation to four hours P1 resuscitation. There is great satisfaction from this portion of patient journey. It is a roller coaster of emotions and a rainbow collection of precious moments.”

After being in SingHealth Emergency Medicine Residency Programme for the past 3 years, I would also add to above: perspectives and gratitude. I have gained a deeper and broader perspective from different rotations, training with other SIs and of course, sharing from seniors/alumnus. I am thankful for the mentors, senior doctors, batch mates, juniors, nurses and admins who continue to grow and nurture me to where I am today.

Dr Chan Kim Yang Jonathan

Emergency Medicine Resident, Year 2019

University of Monash School of Medicine Alumnus

"I could go on and on about the myriad of interesting cases we see every day in the Emergency Department, but what truly keeps me is the camaraderie."

Emergency medicine isn’t a walk in the park, and I remember all too clearly the initial sensation of drowning after being thrown into the deep end in the first few days of my first posting. But here’s the thing: you’re not swimming alone.

Each ring of the VHF, each siren of the ambulances becomes a cry that rallies the entire department. There is a blurring of the traditional consultant-medical officer relationship, the flattening of an age-old hierarchy we are taught to assume from medical school. Only in the emergency department do you see consultants, wise and experienced, drawing bloods and performing procedures on their own. Alongside you and never above you, no one in the department shies away from the difficult tasks, and you can’t help but feel safe in the guiding hands of these seasoned doctors.

I believe that there is never really an easy day in the emergency department, as we are constantly battling with the ever-increasing number of patients. Yet the knowledge of the unwavering support from the entire faculty and seniors are the strong anchors that steady us and cut through the fatigue. In the Emergency Department, we win together, lose together, and learn together. What strikes me about SingHealth Emergency Medicine Residency Programme is that it’s more than training, but a crash-course in human connection, highlighting the profound strength of every single individual in the team and the real definition of the true heart of medicine – not titles and accolades, but the willingness to jump in, side-by-side, and to fight for every single patient.

Truly, we are standing on the shoulders of giants.

Dr Lim Wen-Yang Shawn

Emergency Medicine Resident, Year 2017

NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Alumnus

"Clinical Faculty are heavily invested in our learning and protected training time is taken seriously, to ensure a balance is struck between service and training."

I have had an incredible learning experience in the Emergency Medicine Residency Programme thus far. Clinical Faculty are heavily invested in our learning and protected training time is taken seriously, to ensure a balance is struck between service and training. The opportunity to rotate through many various disciplines has also provided me with a good foundation and the confidence to manage a wide variety of medical conditions and clinical presentations.

Dr Goh En Qi Daniel

Emergency Medicine Resident, Year 2015

NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Alumnus

"All that is really worth the doing is what we do for others. In the dynamic and unpredictable environment of Emergency Medicine, I found myself drawn to the care of patients across ages and social groups. Opportunities to make direct and immediate impact resonated deeply, and joining a structured Emergency Medicine residency programme was a natural next step."

With Singapore’s largest healthcare cluster, I discovered that there was an unrivalled range of opportunities to hone my skills and expand my medical knowledge. The incredible postings across CGH, KKH, SKH and SGH made SingHealth’s programme a clear first choice in Singapore despite its competitive selection process.

“Here, I’ll apply traction, and you can manipulate the bones into place,” Dr. Faraz Zarisfi, the consultant on shift, said with a reassuring smile. “It’s not easy, but we’ll take good care of you,” he added, seeing the look of fear in the patient’s eyes. I nodded as well, trying to absorb the words. My patient was an elderly lady, her face contorted with pain, having fallen and broken her wrist. My heart pounded as I slowly manipulated the wrist, feeling the satisfying click as the bones slipped back into alignment. As Dr. Faraz placed the ultrasound probe onto the wrist to verify the alignment by the bedside, the patient burst into tears of relief. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “Thank you for fixing my wrist”.

In Emergency Medicine, the skills we hold are critical to saving lives and relieving pain. Yet, the true essence of our training wasn’t just about mastering medical procedures or diagnosing illnesses, but also becoming compassionate and resilient physicians in crowded Emergency Departments that form the crucibles of our learning. Years on, assisting new doctors with the same mixture of fear and excitement I once had, Dr. Faraz’s words echoed in my mind, “It’s not easy, but we’ll take good care of you.”