Education and Training Opportunities

The University Orthopaedic Hand & Reconstructive Microsurgery Cluster (UOHC)  is responsible for the training of both undergraduate medical students, basic and advanced surgical trainees. Our cluster is at the forefront of advanced surgical techniques and we have the largest number of Singaporean patients who have undergone thoracoscopic "keyhole" scoliosis surgery, hip surface replacement, advanced cartilage repair using autologous cartilage implantation or mesenchymal stem cells, and artificial spinal disc replacement. This has attracted regional and international fellows who are seeking subspeciality training in their respective areas of interest to train with us and we have had a long and successful history of having trained international surgeons in the areas of Spine, Joint Replacements, Paediatric Orthopaedics, Microsurgery, Trauma and Sports. We have also recently started a well-subscribed musculoskeletal oncology fellowship for international fellows with the aim of improving care in this area in the region.

Fellowship programmes

Workshops and courses

We also frequently conduct workshops and courses to impart advanced surgical techniques to both local and international surgeons and some of these recent courses include:

1. The Division of Spinal Surgery successfully completed a course on Artificial Disc Replacement for cervical and lumbar disc disease
2. The Division of Adult Reconstruction conducted Singapore's first cadaveric Hip Surface Replacement Course in the NUH STAR laboratory
   
3. Adolescent Spinal deformity Course conducted by the Division of Spinal Surgery
   
4. Asia's first International Cartilage Repair Society Surgical Skills Course
5. Photos of past courses

The department is also active in the continuing medical education (CME) of our Family Physician partners and we frequently conduct CME lectures and updates for them. We recently completed the 6th in a series of cadaveric workshops for local GPs on office procedures and suturing and also recently hosted a GP Symposium entitled "Non-operative management of Osteoarthritis".

Finally, we also conduct frequent public symposiums on various topics related to bones and joints to empower our community with the knowledge to lead an active and healthy life.

This course covers the design rationale, preoperative planning, and technical principles of primary total knee arthroplasty. It also introduces participants to the use of computer navigation in knee arthroplasty. It consists of interactive lectures, slide presentations, small group discussions and practical workshop sessions using sawbones.

The course is directed at trainee medical officers, registrars and fellows, and participation is limited to 15 individuals to maintain an effective faculty-student ratio. Participants are given the opportunity to practise both standard and navigated total knee arthroplasty.

The course is held twice a year, in May and in November. The Course Director is Dr Lingaraj Krishna, who is also the Associate Programme Director of the NUHS Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programme.

 

 

 

 

Orthopaedic Tumour Weekends - 21 to 22 May

Professor Kumta giving a lecture on Pitfalls in Bone Tumour Management

 

Musculoskeletal Oncology is highly specialised and rapidly evolving branch of orthopaedic surgery. The R W H Pho Lectureship is held every year to honour the lifetime contributions of Emeritus Professor Robert W H Pho to the field of Musculoskeletal Oncology and Reconstructive Microsurgery.

This year, the Division of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, hosted Professor Shekhar Madhukar Kumta, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, as the RWH Pho lecturer for 2011. Professor Kumta is an eminent personality in the field of musculoskeletal oncology with a special interest in allograft and biological reconstruction of large bone defects, giant cell tumours and the use of computer navigation in limb construction surgery, Professor Kumta also shared his research symposium held in the department.

 

Professor Kumta and the Musculoskeletal Oncology Division at Pulau Ubin

 

Signing of departmental guest book by Professor Kumta 

 

The lectureship was not all work and no play. The exchange of ideas continued more informally over a cycling trip at Pulau Ubin on Sunday afternoon, and the day ended with a sumptuous seafood dinner at the Ubin Jetty hosted by Associate Professor Suresh Nathan.

The 2011 R W H Pho lectureship was a highly successful event and formed a platform for exchange of knowledge and translational research in the challenging, highly specialised and rapidly evolving field of musculoskeletal oncology. This event also witnessed the formation of new friendships and collaborative work between the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.