This Distinguished Professorship pays tribute to SNEC’s founding Medical Director, the late Professor Arthur Lim and his legacy. It upholds the SNEC’s strong belief that teaching and education are integral to the continued strive for excellence in the specialty and must remain fundamental as we foster the next generation of ophthalmologists and eye care professionals across the spectrum of eye care delivery, in Singapore and across the region. In the world of ophthalmology, few names resonate as strongly as that of Prof Tina Wong. Earlier this year, Prof Wong was conferred the SNEC Professorship in Clinical Education in Ophthalmology. Her career is an example of how passion, dedication and mentorship support can lead to remarkable achievements and inspire future generations of doctors. 

Prof Wong’s path to ophthalmology was far from linear. Initially, as a house officer, she found herself unsure of her exact direction. After considering several surgical subspecialties, she stumbled upon ophthalmology somewhat serendipitously.

 

“During my time as a House Officer there was a patient who had an RTA on the ward that needed an ophthalmological assessment. I had to call the Eye Senior House Officer. He was very enthusiastic, and I could see that he had a passion for ophthalmology and explained to me the signs in my patient. After that encounter, and whenever I had an opportunity, I would go down to the Eye A&E, and he would be there to show me what I felt, were fascinating signs in the eyes through the slit lamp. It was during that period of time that I really built up the interest in ophthalmology, and it was my eventual calling in medicine in the end,” she recounts.

Mentorship played a crucial role throughout Prof Wong’s career. When it came to pursuing a PhD, the same ophthalmologist suggested seeking out renowned glaucoma clinician scientist Professor Sir Peng Tee Khaw at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Reflecting on Prof Khaw’s influence, she says, “Prof Khaw was significant key opinion leader in the world of ophthalmology and glaucoma, and he remains highly influential today. He has transformed many aspects of surgical management in glaucoma to greatly improve surgical outcomes. He is a very patient, kind and wise man who gives everyone he encounters, be it colleagues or patients, the same amount of his undivided attention. He was, and still is my mentor whom I am grateful to have had time learning from and can call a friend.

 

This network of supportive mentors has not only helped Prof Wong navigate the challenges of her early career but also instilled in her a deep sense of the importance of mentorship.

 

“Having this position to teach as well as to be able to impart your enthusiasm on a topic to somebody else and make them interested and inspired makes you feel good inside,” she muses.

Another significant turning point in Prof Wong’s career came when she was unable to secure a clinician scientist position in the UK due to changes in government policies to get newly appointed consultants to radically focus on reducing national waiting lists. This dilemma in her professional career turned into a life changing opportunity when she was advised by her mentor, Prof Khaw to consider moving to Singapore to take up a position as a clinician scientist in glaucoma. This personally significant move proved to be a defining moment in her career, leading her to SNEC where the rest is history.

 

“You have to take opportunities that life presents to you, it could well be the thing that changes the course of your life.” she says.

Recognition and the Future