Dr Sim is an Emergency Physician from Singapore at Changi General Hospital. She completed a Clinical Fellowship at The Alfred Emergency & Trauma Centre in 2019-2020.

“I am an accredited Emergency Physician and have been working at the Emergency Department at Changi General Hospital (Singapore) as a consultant since 2012. My department is one of the busiest EDs in Singapore with an annual attendance of around 150,000 patients. There is a large and varied patient load, with a fraction being major trauma patients.

“A colleague did an attachment at The Alfred several years ago and was very positive about the experience. I was thus encouraged to fill out an application and was privileged to join The Alfred Emergency Department in 2019-2020 as a fellow. The one-year stint served as extra work experience in a Level 1 trauma centre.

“I learnt a great deal in my year in Melbourne. It was eye-opening to immerse myself in a totally different healthcare system and appreciate the similarities and differences compared to what I was used to. For example, I began to appreciate the effects of geography and distance on the provision of prehospital care (Singapore being a comparatively small country).

“The trauma system at The Alfred is well run. I had the opportunity to attend department M&Ms and radiology rounds and was impressed by the dedicated teams and involvement of ancillary personnel. Resource allocation to tasks was organised and trauma callouts were smoothly run with all team members knowing their roles and responsibilities.  The simulation-based trauma team training session that I attended was excellent. I attended the research course that was offered and had the opportunity to speak to some of the research personnel at the National Trauma Research Institute. Being able to capture data and analyse outcomes and performance is truly a cornerstone in producing good quality evidence and improving the quality of trauma care, and I felt that the interface between research and clinical practice was smoothly accomplished here.

“Now back in Singapore, I am working on projects for education of ED nursing and junior doctors, facilitating in trauma team simulation training, as well as making improvements in the resources and workflows used by the Trauma team. My year in Australia has challenged me to think about how things should be done and to be more open to new ideas and concepts. I am currently enrolled in an online course for Masters in Trauma Science as I would like to continue advancing my knowledge and skills.”

Although international Fellowships are currently paused due to COVID-19, if you are currently in Australia or would like more information on future opportunities, please email etc@alfred.org.au.