Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is prior experience a must when applying for residency?

No, prior experience is not required to apply! Nevertheless, we do encourage interested individuals to consider doing a mopex posting with us, either at SNEC or at our satellite institutions - for the prospective residents, this allows them to experience firsthand what the day-to-day life of a consulting ophthalmologist might be like and see if the quirks of our specialty are for them or not. For us, it allows us to gauge team fit and build connections which may form the beginnings of lifetime mentoring relationships.

2. Is surgical aptitude a selection criteria when assessing residency candidates?

Ophthalmology is a microsurgical specialty, and surgery forms a large (and rewarding) portion of the general ophthalmologist's clinical practice. Most certainly, having good hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills will help on the journey of acquiring the surgical skills that we expect an ophthalmologist to be proficient in.

That being said, we do not actively screen for these qualities at residency selection, and our faculty are of the opinion that many, if not most things can be taught during training; also practice goes a long way towards skill acquisition. Moreover, despite being a surgical specialty, there do exist non-surgical career options within our specialty, where ophthalmologists of certain subspecialties may sometimes choose to do less or no surgery at all, for example medical retina, medical glaucoma, or neuro-ophthalmology.

If you are interested and wondering whether microsurgery is for you, come visit our booth at the SingHealth careers day and try some of the microsurgical exercises and games! (Again, we do not use this as residency selection criteria, but provide these as a fun way for interested parties to explore what ophthalmology might be like).

3. How can I increase my chances of being selected for residency?

Are you wondering if ophthalmology is for you? Come join us for a mopex posting and see what it is like to manage patients with general ophthalmic conditions in clinic and common acute presentations in an emergency setting. A research project is another good way to explore our specialty and the robust academic opportunities it offers, particularly for those who are considering the clinician scientist pathway. Both of these options are also great ways to get to know the faculty and to meet excellent mentors.

Still interested? Do get in touch, email us today trainingandeducation@snec.com.sg! We would love to chat further, get to know you, and provide opportunities for you to explore our specialty.

4. What are the employment prospects like post-residency?

While it would not be appropriate to comment on the intricacies of workforce planning within an FAQ, generations of our residents have gone on to build fulfilling careers within SNEC, or elsewhere. As Singapore's ageing population grows older, we expect the ophthalmology disease burden will only increase, so ophthalmologists are unlikely to be out of a job anytime soon!