Basic & Advanced Surgical Training

Basic Surgical Training (BST) leading to the local M Med (Surg) fellowship is not specifically provided by the Department, except as a series of lectures and demonstrations to candidates for the M Med once a year. Fellowship candidates who pass through our Department are appointed a mentor / supervisor who will guide and oversee his progress while in the Department. Paediatric Surgery is a recognised elective surgical post for a 6-month duration.

A surgeon who has obtained the M Med programme in General Surgery (Singapore), or an equivalent post-graduate qualification recognised by the Singapore Medical Council, and who intends to pursue a career in paediatric surgery may apply to join the Department as a Registrar. Similarly, he is assigned a senior staff member as a mentor every 6 months.

To obtain full acceptance, he would have to obtain the Advanced Surgical Training (AST) Fellowship in Paediatric Surgery, the Fellowship of the Academy of Medicine Singapore (FAMS) in Paediatric Surgery. The training period for this Fellowship is normally 3 to 4 years after entry into the AST Programme. The training may include a period of time spent in a recognised paediatric surgical unit outside Singapore. AST positions and examination regulations are run by the Academy of Medicine, Singapore. Our Department is represented in the Advanced Specialist Training Committee.

A surgeon from abroad may seek employment or advanced surgical training in our Department, and applications are welcome. He will be accorded the same benefits and training as our local Fellows, and may be eligible to take the AST if his basic Fellowship is recognised by the Singapore Medical Council.

Training Contents

• Paediatric intensive care, 3 months
• Advanced paediatric resuscitation course
• Gastrointestinal endoscopy
• Basic laser surgery
• Basic laparoscopic training
• Paediatric gastrointestinal surgery
• Paediatric hepatobiliary surgery
• Paediatric thoracic surgery
• Paediatric urology
• Neonatal surgery
• Paediatric oncology surgery
• Reconstructive surgery for congenital malformations
• Paediatric head and neck surgery
• Paediatric trauma surgery

Other Requirements

By the end of the training programme, the Advanced Surgical Trainee should have:

• Completed one research project, the findings of which should be presented and published
• Presented at least 3 papers at paediatric surgery conferences, at least one of which should be at an international level
• Published at least one paper as a first author in a peer-reviewed paediatric surgery journal