Singapore medical society of the united kingdom
Past Events (Pre-2023)
DEntal Career pathways Talk
Date: 19 February 2022
SMSUK’s very first Dental Career Pathways Talk took place online over Zoom on the 19th of February 2022. We were really fortunate to have been able to invite 4 experienced dentists, namely Dr T.C Phua, Dr Cheng Hoiting, Dr Joy Feng as well as Dr Foo Yongpei speak about their personal dental career paths that they took post-graduation at our event. It was a really informative session that explored the topics of returning to Singapore to work as a General Dental Practitioner, as well as the Dental Foundation and Core Training Programmes and Vocational Training Programme that dental students have the option of taking after completing their 5-year undergraduate Dentistry course. This gave our students, whether they are in their pre-clinical or preclinical years, a better understanding and exposure to the various options that will be available to them after graduating dental school. After attending this event, we hope that our members were able to take away some valuable tips and advice that will eventually allow them to make a more well-informed decision as they approach the end of their 5-years in dental school. Here’s wishing our members all the best in their endeavours to becoming amazing future dentists!
SMSUK Weekend trip / EUROPE Rediscover
Date: 5th February-6th February 2022
Taking a break after exams and long study sessions, SMSUK members travelled all over the UK and Europe in small groups to explore new places, sights, and food. Around 20 different groups from more than 16 different universities visited cities from Dublin and Inverness to Berlin and Amsterdam. Groups competed in a bingo challenge, creating TikTok videos, taking selfies with historical buildings and artisan crafts, and trying out new restaurants. On Saturday night, the travel groups came together for an online bonding session with speed dating and Games Night. Amongst their small groups, everyone had extreme fun guessing their favourite movies and childhood nursery rhymes with emojis, solving catchy phrases with rebus puzzles, and making difficult yoga poses. The night ended off with Jeopardy filled with general knowledge pub quiz questions, riddles, jokes, and brainteasers. We were very excited with the amount of interaction between the groups on social media and the engagement at Games Night. Hope to see you soon at our next events!
WIDER UK Trip’21
Date: 20th November 2021
The Wider UK Trip marks the first day-outing SMSUK has had since the pandemic. Held in Glasgow, one of the world’s friendliest cities, 40 members gathered to visit sights such as the Necropolis, Glasgow Cathedral and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The trip was filled with laughter and ran smoothly, especially with the perfect sunny weather that made Glasgow exceptionally picturesque. It was heartening for many to finally meet in person after various online SMSUK events, with chatter filling the room upon arrival at La Vita for lunch. The trip ended with a taste of home at a Chinese restaurant and members singing their hearts out at karaoke. We hope this event served as a well-deserved getaway and we look forward to seeing you again at our next social!
DINSICAL’21
Date: 23 October 2021
On the 23rd of October, 57 members of SMSUK from all around the United Kingdom gathered in London for the first in-person event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were there to watch Wicked the Musical - the much-famed tale of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch; the backstory to the Wizard of Oz. The performance did not disappoint, with many enthralled by tunes like “Defying Gravity” and “For Good”. After which, we headed to Lime Orange, a Korean restaurant just round the corner, for a delicious set meal (we were thankful that the entire restaurant had been booked out as it was boisterous!) We thank all participants for their company and time look forward to welcoming you to more in-person events in the future.
Research Talk series
Date: 20 October - 6 November 2021
The research talk series was held over Zoom across a few weekends this term. During the talks, our speakers Dr Krishanth Ganesan and Marcus Chong shared their insights into getting involved in research as a medical student. They discussed topics such as the different aspects of research you can get involved in, gave specific advice on how to appraise RCTs and write letters to the editor, as well as helped to clarify the importance of research skills as a part of a doctor’s toolkit. We hope that this event has been useful for all our attendees in providing them a guide for research and publishing as a medical student, and we are excited to see you soon at our next event!
Working in the UK Talk
Date: 9 October 2021
With speakers from diverse backgrounds and experiences, the Working in the UK talk this year brought together a myriad of unique insight and advice into life as a doctor in the NHS. We had the pleasure of inviting Dr Anne Chua, who spoke about her experience of the revised Foundation Year Programme, Mr Jeffrey Lim, who shed light on the pros and cons of working in the UK and Singapore, Dr Michelle Chua, who shared her reasons for moving to the UK to train and work as a GP, and Dr Daryl Teo, who touched on the medical pathway and specialist training. Following our speakers’ wonderful presentations, we had a dynamic and engaging panel Q&A session where participants raised their doubts ranging from career progression to race issues facing the UK. We hope this event has been as informative to our members as it was to us and we will see you very soon in our Dinsical event!
MUSE’21
Date: 28 August 2021
Medics Unifying Supporting Educating (MUSE) 2021 saw itself taking place online on ZOOM on the 28th of August 2021. It was an insightful afternoon session where 3 of our very own SMSUK Alumni, Dr Brian Chua, Dr Daniel Ang and Dr Shu Wei took us through the intricacies of the Singaporean medical system at the HO and MO level. They helped to explain the various roles and responsibilities of a House Officer and other details like the Singaporean electronic health system, surviving rounds and managing work stresses. The session also touched on clinical aspects like different medical terminology and also on dealing with on calls and how it differs from the UK perspective. Overall the session was highly informative and we hope our participants managed to learn from our alumni to better meander the challenging years of HO and MO. We wish all returning HOs and MOs the best as they embark on their first steps into their future careers!
Pre-university talks
Date: 5th Aug 2021
On the 5th of August, SMSUK held our annual Pre-University Talks for prospective students from over 10 institutions to give them an insight on how to apply to universities in the UK for medicine or dentistry, and how life would be like there. We then split into break-out rooms to allow students to ask our members questions, matched with speakers from their current schools. We would like to thank all our members who volunteered to help in this talk and we hope that this event was useful to the participants who attended. We also wish any prospective students all the best in their future endeavours!
Med(UK)ated’21
Date: 16th-18th Aug 2021
SMSUK’s Med(UK)ated OCamp 2021 lasted 3 days and was held over zoom. The purpose of OCamp is to integrate freshers into the SMSUK community whilst having fun and bonding with fellow freshers and seniors. This year, despite it being hindered by online constraints, freshers still had the opportunity to get to know one another through games such as Online Scavenger Hunt and Extreme Zoom-In as well as activities such as making a cheer, mascot and tiktok. During OCamp, the positive atmosphere and feeling of community was apparent due to our participants’ enthusiasm and open-mindedness!
We are lucky to have had 16 passionate OGLs as well as a passionate committee who worked tirelessly to ensure the freshers felt welcome and comfortable both during the zoom call and after. It was our pleasure to organise this event for our incoming freshers heading to the UK and we wish them all the best on their exciting journey and warmly welcome them to our wonderful SMSUK community.
FMA - PDT - DD
(Freshers Meet Alumni - Pre-Departure Talk - Dental Dinner)
Date: 13th Aug 2021
This year saw the second edition of SMSUK’s combined Freshers, Members and Alumni Gathering coupled with our Pre-departure Talk and Dental Dinner titled “FMA-PDT-DD 2021”. With 3 concurrent events held in a single Zoom meeting, this event brought together many participants and speakers from various backgrounds. The event began with our University Breakout Rooms which proved to be a big hit last year. It gave the opportunity for current school members to interact with their freshers and give them an idea of what it’s like studying at their respective institutions. Following this, we held our speed dating segment where participants had the chance to break the ice or reignite the flames of friendship with other members of our society. Lastly, our president, Timothy, gave his address before we broke off into our main events.
We were joined by 5 enthusiastic speakers for our Pre-Departure Talk on August the 13th. These speakers shared what studying Medicine/ Dentistry in the UK had been like for them, as well as tips and tricks for making the move over and how to get involved (tip: join societies and put yourself out there). Our participants were involved and interactive, asking many important questions along the way (eg: do you need a rice cooker? What about a car?). Some other useful information, such as links to the Pre-Departure Booklet and University Information Booklet, were also shared. We had a great time hosting the event and are thankful to all speakers and participants for spending their time with us!
Attendees at the 2021 edition of SMSUK’s annual Freshers, Members, and Alumni (FMA) gathering were treated to an impressive panel of fresh medical graduates and experienced specialists, chaired by Daniel, our Alumni Director, as they tackled burning questions posed by the audience surrounding key issues to do with medical practice in Singapore and the UK. We had the privilege of hearing in great depth from Drs Grace Tan, Jefferey Lim, Roger Ang, Jolenda Ang, and Brian Chong, all UK grads who have embarked on different paths in their careers, on topics including differences in working and living culture, opportunities for career progression, and the impact of COVID-19 on each panelist’s clinical practice. The panelists also provided the audience with invaluable advice and tips on getting the most out of training during our clinical and subsequent foundation years. We then rounded off the evening with an interactive Question-and-Answer session where audience members posed more subjective, nuanced questions to our panelists; naturally, their equally subjective and nuanced answers provided profound insight into what lies ahead for the current generation of medical students.
At this year’s Dental Dinner, we were fortunate to have three experienced dentists join us as guest speakers to share their thoughts and advice on three big questions that we dental students may have on our minds. Number one, what is it like transitioning from being a Dental student in the UK to working in Singapore? Number two, should I specialise? And finally, number three, what is it like working in Singapore, and what are the licensing requirements? The session was incredibly informative and it helped to address worries or concerns that dental students have about what to do and anticipate after graduation. The success of the Dental Dinner would not have been possible if not for our three guest speakers who were so kind as to volunteer their time to speak at our event, and share their wisdom and expertise with our fellow dental students.
On behalf of the entire planning committee, we hope everyone had an enjoyable and fruitful session at this year’s FMA-PDT-DD 21. We eagerly look forward to seeing your faces again at our future events!
Surviving your first on-call
Date: 7th Aug 2021
The second pandemic edition of our Surviving your First On Call Workshop was held on the 7th of August, geared towards clinical years with the objective of equipping them with the skills they needed to survive being on call as a House Officer. It consisted of multiple scenarios run by our speakers, Dr Kiki Teo, Dr Brian Chua, Dr Yew Jie Lin and Dr Ron Ng which were based off common situations we might experience as HO’s and their own experience. We thank the speakers for volunteering their Saturday afternoon to come and teach us, as well as all the participants who came down. We hope that this workshop proved useful as a guide for what to do on call and also as revision for the other clinical years. We wish all the returning HO’s/ FY1’s all the best as they start their medical careers!
Language Classes (Chinese and malay)
Date: 10 July - 31 July 2021
This year’s Language classes were held on Zoom every week from the 10th of July till the 31st of July, covering basic conversational skills and some clinical vocabulary in both Chinese and Malay. We were very lucky to have Dr Yip Mann Yin, Dr Tan Eek Chaw and Dr Teoh Yew Han as our speakers for this event, bringing with them some of their clinical experience and providing us with some practice in the form of roleplays during their lessons. We thank all the speakers and attendees for their time and effort in making these lessons a success, and we hope that these classes provided a useful starting point in developing your clinical communication skills!
PEG Information session
Date: 10 July 2021
The annual Pre-Employment Grant Information Talk was held on ZOOM on the 10th of July 2021. We were fortunate to have 4 amazing speakers come talk to us about their journey applying for the PEG as well as go through in detail their interview and motivations for doing so. The event was also well received with many people attending to hear the discussion and ask questions.
Several issues were discussed including interview tips, pros and cons of the PEG itself and reasons for choosing between FY1 in the UK or HO in Singapore. Overall I believe the event was insightful and useful for medical students interested in applying for the PEG. I personally felt I learnt a lot of new information despite attending the PEG talk in previous years especially since COVID19 changed the application and interview process. Hopefully the event was useful for those that attended and all the best to those intending to apply for the PEG!
SingHealth general surgery Talks
Date: 12 June -27 June 2021
In collaboration with SMSV and SingHealth, the Surgical lecture series was aimed at raising awareness of General Surgery under the ambit of SingHealth's outreach programme. The series of lectures covered various topics, such as surgical emergencies, complications in the OR and the journey to specialising back in Singapore. These lectures were hosted by Dr Guo Yu Xin, Dr Prasad, Dr Terence Lee and Dr Wilson Yang, and had over 60 attendees from both societies. We thank all the attendees and speakers for their time, and for the valuable insights into the General Surgery OR and the path towards specialising in Singapore. We look forward to seeing you again at our future events!
GR: Shaping the future of Gps in Singapore
Date: 17 Apr 2021
Under SMSUK’s new ‘Grassroots Events’ initiative, members have the opportunity to organise events in partnership with the SMSUK committee. We kicked off our Grassroots Events with a talk on ‘Shaping the Future of General Practice in Singapore’, organised by SMSUK member Cornelius Tan and in collaboration with SMSANZ and SMSI. Over 50 members from all three societies attended the virtual event and heard from Professor Doris Young, Dr. Wong Tien Hua and Dr. Ruth Lim, three prominent figures in the GP scene in Singapore. Thank you to all the attendees and speakers for their time! We hope the session was useful especially for those considering practising as a GP in Singapore. Keep an eye out for more similar events in the future!
annual dinner
The Annual Dinner is SMSUK's most attended event. We celebrated our 25th year in service this year. It will be an evening where you and your medical/dental friends from all over the UK can come together for a formal dinner to network, catch up and reflect on the past year. For our graduating members, this will hopefully be an event that will bring a smile to your faces and motivate you as you approach your final exams! Our Alumni Members are also invited to this memorable event, making it an even more special occasion.
annual medical conference
The theme for the 2018 MMI UK x SMSUK x AMSA Medical Conference was “White Coats, What Next, and Where To?”. The one-day conference began with a career-focused morning symposium and a panel discussion on working abroad. The packed afternoon lineup consisted of a poster presentation competition and 9 workshops that encompassed CV construction, surgical skills, and postgraduate/intercalation training options. To our delegates, we hope your day was enriching and helped you make better-informed decisions about your future careers!
MED(UK)ATED ORIENTATION
SMSUK’s annual Orientation Camp, “MED(UK)ATED” is the highlight of SMSUK’s summer event calendar. MED(UK)ATED features three fun-filled days of group bonding activities, such as ice breakers, flag designing, choreographing group cheers, day and night games, island-wide Amazing Race, and war games. Senior students and alumni from various UK universities will also be sharing anecdotes of life abroad and bond with their would-be juniors.
PRE-departure fair
The British Council hosts the annual Pre-Departure Fair for incoming freshers. This multi-society event features over 50 student societies and organisations. SMSUK will be present to field questions from prospective UK medical students, introduce prospective members to the society, and promote our summer freshers’ events. This event is usually a wonderful opportunity to engage the wider student body and kickstart our event calendar for the year.
jc talks
Over the summer holidays, SMSUK will head down to various schools all over Singapore to hold the annual JC talks and set up information booths. The JC talks aim to provide essential information to potential medical and dentistry students about the application process so that they can make a more informed decision about studying overseas. During the talk, we will address the factors to consider when choosing a school, and give practical advice about various stages of the application such as admission tests, writing a solid personal statement and acing the interview. Alumni will also be sharing their personal experiences of studying overseas as well as helpful tips and tricks.
freshers, members & alumni dinner
The annual Freshers, Members and Alumni Dinner is a free event with a panel of speakers who have graduated from the UK and are currently practicing in Singapore. The speakers from range across different years and sectors of medicine, and will discuss their experiences, Singapore's needs and how overseas medical students and young doctors can best adapt back to the Singapore healthcare scene. For the freshers, this is also an opportunity to meet your university representative to ask all your pressing questions, as well as other freshers that you will spend the next few years of your life with.
nuhs residency open house
nhg residency open house
singhealth residency open house
educational classes
This summer, we have put together a clinical workshop and a lecture series. The workshop, titled "Surviving Your 1st On Call", provides participants with opportunities for practicing clinical skills such as venepuncture and ABG under simulated clinical situations. This is targeted to upcoming Y4-Y6 Clinical students. The lecture series, titled "Understanding Local Patterns and Management of Disease", provides students with an insight on local diseases (Dengue, TB, HIV) in Singapore. This is free and opened to all upcoming Y2-Y6 students.
Additionally, with the help of Viriya Community Services, we also organised a four-lessons series of Hokkien Classes. The curriculum is geared towards health-related topics and practice conversations are mostly dialogues with the elderly.
muse
Medics Unifying Supporting Educating (MUSE) is organised by our alumni from the different healthcare clusters who will run a fun-filled, interactive half-day workshop on common on-call scenarios, clerking new patients, using hospital computer systems and much more. Participants will be equipped with the essential skills to thrive and excel as House Officers in Singapore.
dental dinner
The annual Dental Dinner serves as a networking platform for all our dental members to forge new friendships, share knowledge gems, and catch up with old friends. In 2018, we were fortunate to have Dr Tham Sai Soo grace the event. Dr Tham is the assistant director of Youth Preventive Services for Singapore’s Health Promotion Board, and she kindly shared her working experiences as a senior dentist.
weekend trip
2019 marked the first time SMSUK embarked on a weekend getaway outside the United Kingdom, and Malta seemed the perfect destination for members to kick back, relax and enjoy the Mediterranean sun. This would be a memorable weekend of unique experiences and treasured friendships.
day trip
In 2018, the Wider UK Day Trip was to Britain’s first national park - Peak District. Highlights include the hike up Stanage Edge, Mayfield Alpaca Farm, and ending the day with a well-deserved pizza feast at Allen Court. This is a great opportunity for members to travel out from their respective universities for a quick trip to explore a part of UK with their friends.
dinsical
In 2018, SMSUK members gathered in London to catch up over a showing of the highly acclaimed musical CHICAGO at the Phoenix Theatre. As Velma and her gang would say - “They had it coming!” and we sure did! Dinsical is a great night to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.