#13 [Be an Intern] Internship at W Eye Clinic

Have you wondered what it's like to watch a surgery in action? Well, I have! In fact, I've always been fascinated by medical (Korean) dramas such as Good Doctor, Doctor Stranger, and most recently Descendants of the Sun! :D

And a biology student for as long as I could remember, I have always wondered how studies in biology are applied in real life situation. Therefore, being an intern at a clinic have always been something I wanted to do when I turned 18. And as such, I was extremely excited when I was given the opportunity to intern with Dr Gerard Nah at W Eye Clinic for a week (on 7-11 March 2016), as part of the '180 things I want to do at 18' project. There're lots of things that I've learnt throughout the internship journey, but I guess to keep it concise (else I'll be writing pages and pages) I shall summarise everything in this post! :D 

First and foremost, the aim of the internship programme was'to understand more about the job scope of being an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon), Aviation Medicine Physician, as well as, the workings of a medical practice.

So to understand more about the workings of a medical practice, especially in the field of eye medicine, I shadowed, observed the clinic staff as they assisted patients with vision tests and clinic investigations for the eye. These investigations include the eye topography test used to measure the curvature of the cornea, eye pressure tests and the eye vision tests where a snellen chart was used. 

In addition, I've also followed through the patients' consultation sessions with Dr Nah to understand how doctors engage with patients at a personal level. But the highlight of the internship, was observing eye surgeries. During my internship period, I observed a total of 6 surgeries including the Cataract surgery, LASIK and Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking procedure. These opportunities really broadened my horizon, and allowed me to understand more about what really happens in the operating room. It's not a drama. :D

All in all, the one week internship had given me an insight on the medical field. In addition, it had also allowed me to learn more about the different eye diseases such as retinal tear, corneal repair as well as the management of these eye conditions. I will never forget this wonderful learning experience. A big thank you to Dr Nah and colleagues for your kind guidance throughout the internship journey, I'll always remember the week long internship at W Eye Clinic. :D

[W Eye Clinic]

(Beside Suntec Convention Centre, Tower 5)

3 Temasek Boulevard #01-402 S(038983)

[Telephone]: 6337 9119

[Email]: info@weyeclinic.sg

[Operating hours]:

Monday – Friday, 10am – 7pm

Saturday, 10am – 2pm 

[Website]: http://www.weyeclinic.sg/en/

[Facebook]:https://www.facebook.com/w.eye.clinic/