If you enjoy solving disease-related problems, then Pathology may just be the career for you. As a pathologist, you will examine tissue and cytology samples to diagnose a disease and guide treatment. As a pathologist, you do not usually meet your patients - but you are an important part of the patient's medical team.
Resident's Talk
NHG-AHPL Pathology from NHG Residency on Vimeo.
Training the next generation of pathologists
The NHG Pathology Residency Program designed by the Department of Pathology at Tan Tock Seng Hospital provides training in all aspects of anatomic pathology, preparing aspiring pathologists for a career in academic medicine and community practice.
NHG is the first institution in Singapore to successfully embark on a residency program modeled after the ACGME-I framework in 2010 and the program received its accreditation by ACGME-I in November 2010. Anatomic pathology rotations are integrated throughout the three-year basic curriculum leading to the national board examinations or its equivalent. This is followed by a two- year advanced training / subspecialty fellowship leading to certification by the Singapore Accreditation Board as an independent specialist
Modules to be Covered and Duration
In the basic curriculum, the core rotations include:
- Surgical pathology with integrated subspecialties such as breast, renal, neuropathology, haematopathology, gastrointestinal pathology, soft tissue pathology etc. You will spend at least 12 months on this rotation;
- Cytopathology, which is integrated with surgical pathology rotation. You will be exposed to at least three months of training;
- Gynaecological/paediatric pathology for a combined period of at least four months during the basic curriculum;
- Dermatopathology for one month;
- Autopsy and forensic pathology for at least six months.
Example of Rotation for Pathology Residents, R1 to R2:
GSP stands for General Surgical Pathology
Training Experience
Your training will be augmented with departmental teaching sessions and conferences, in addition to daily individualized learning opportunities with a consultant. Look forward to:
- daily multi-headed microscope and/or didactic sessions in surgical pathology including specialty areas;
- weekly surgical pathology case presentations of interesting cases;
- weekly and monthly clinico-pathology conferences with physicians from other disciplines, e.g. breast radiology-pathology conferences, renal clinical-pathology conferences, neuropathology tumour boards etc.;
- sponsorship for attendance of pathology-related scientific meetings.
Throughout the training program, you get to assume graduated responsibility for the management of cases under close supervision by senior residents and attending faculty members.
You will be posted to other institutions such as KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKWCH), Health Sciences Authority (HSA), National University Hospital (NUH) and the National Skin Centre (NSC) to acquire breadth of exposure to the various subspecialties in addition to experiencing the diversity of how different laboratories function. The pathologists in these participating sites are leading experts, researchers and teachers in their areas of subspecialties
Curriculum outcomes and objectives
The program is designated to produce pathologists who are:
- professional, competent and capable of practising independently at a consultant level;
- able to work as part of a team in the delivery of appropriate aspects of healthcare services and interact well with all personnel involved the delivery of care;
- experienced in performing research with tissue materials;
- able to manage a laboratory well in terms of laboratory safety, audit and overseeing accreditation with various professional bodies such as College of American Pathologists;
- able to motivate themselves in acquiring new knowledge pertaining to the field of anatomic pathology.
Faculty Members
Name
|
Designation and Department
|
Program Director:
|
|
Dr Chuah Khoon Leong
|
Senior Consultant, Department of Pathology, TTSH
|
Dr Chuah graduated from the School of Medicine, National University of Singapore in 1991, and subsequently completed his post-graduate training in anatomic pathology at the Singapore General Hospital in 1999. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA), the American Society of Clinical Pathologists and the Academy of Medicine (Singapore). Following his clinical training, he was awarded a scholarship under the Ministry of Health’s Health Manpower Development Program to understudy Professor Thomas Colby and Professor Kevin Leslie at the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, USA in pulmonary pathology from 2001-2002. His other areas of interest include soft tissue and bone pathology and haematopathology.
He is a member of several professional societies including the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Pulmonary Pathology Society (USA) and British Division of the International Academy of Pathology. He currently has over 50 scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals, and is an editorial board member of Pathology (RCPA journal) and Singapore Medical Journal.
Dr Chuah also oversees the department’s accreditation with the College of American Pathologists and is a technical assessor for the Singapore Accreditation Council Laboratory Accreditation Scheme.
Dr Chuah is a senior clinical lecturer in the Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, as well as the Program Director of the NHG-AHPL Pathology Residency Program. In addition, he has been an examiner with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia since 2005 and is an active member of the Joint Committee for Specialist Training (Histopathology Section). He takes a personal interest in teaching and is actively involved in tutoring both anatomic pathology residents and undergraduate students. His passion for nurturing has benefited generations of young pathologists who remain inspired to excel in this field.
|
Core Faculty:
|
|
Dr Clarence Teo
|
Consultant, Department of Pathology, TTSH
|
Faculty:
|
|
Dr Yap Wai Ming
|
Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Pathology, TTSH
|
Dr Giron Danilo Medina
|
Senior Consultant, Department of Pathology, TTSH
|
Dr Cora Chau
|
Senior Consultant, Department of Pathology, TTSH
|
Dr Lee Hwei Yee
|
Consultant, Department of Pathology, TTSH
|
Dr Bernard Ho
|
Consultant, Department of Pathology, TTSH
|
Dr Nandini Rao
|
Consultant, Department of Pathology, TTSH
|
Dr Ho Yong Howe
|
Associate Consultant, Department of Pathology, TTSH
|
Dr Wong Chin Fong
|
Associate Consultant, Department of Pathology, TTSH
|
For further information, please contact:
Program Director
Dr Chuah Khoon Leong
E-mail : khoon_leong_chuah@ttsh.com.sg
Core Faculty
Dr Clarence Teo
E-mail : clarence_teo@ttsh.com.sg
Program Coordinator
Ms Jessica Kong
E-mail: Jessica_Al_KONG@nhg.com.sg
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pathology the right choice for me?
There is no definite way of knowing until you have given it a try. Some indications that pathology may be a career of choice:
- like pathology as a subject
- have an appreciation of visual images
- are not adverse to forgoing direct patient contact
- have an investigative mind
We encourage you to visit our Pathology Laboratory at TTSH after contacting the program director to check out the place and meet the people working there. You will then have a better understanding of how the work we do and then you can decide whether this residency program is suitable for you.
How long will the training be?
The stipulated time is about three years of basic training leading to the national exam or equivalent followed by two years of fellowship attachment – in all, a total of five years.
You are advised to continue to pursue either the fellowship degree offered by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia or the Royal College of Pathologists (UK) as these are recognized exit exams requiring a total of five years of training in anatomic pathology.
What are the advantages of being an anatomic pathologist?
As there is a current national and worldwide shortage of pathologists, job opportunities are abundant. In addition, you will have a better control of your time (although you need to work hard) and you don’t need to do night calls!
Are there opportunities for sub-specialization?
There are about 14 sub-specialties that you can choose to have a special interest in and for which you can seek a HMDP award to go abroad to further your expertise in these areas upon successful completion of training.
Are there research opportunities?
Currently, we collaborate with our hospital clinicians and researchers from other institutions such as NUHS in various projects including molecular studies.
Download
[Click on the image above to download the Pathology residency program brochure.]