NHG Woodlands Health Engagement Lunch

Take a look inside Singapore’s newest hospital: Woodlands Health Campus

As we progress through our Pharm journey in NUS, I’m sure many of us have already started planning for the future. If you’re anything like me, then questions like “What should I do after getting my degree?” or Where should I work?” have definitely been flooding your mind. 

Thankfully, NUSPS gives fellow students like us plenty of chances to explore the different career pathways of Pharmacy — to help us find what we are interested in. On 26 February 2025, NUSPS EXCO members and their vice-directors were given the opportunity to join an engagement lunch with pharmacists and human resource (HR) professionals working at National Healthcare Group. The lunch was held at Singapore’s newest hospital, Woodlands Health Campus, and participants were given a guided tour around the hospital afterwards. 

The event started with bento boxes for lunch. During the lunch, participants could interact and engage in fruitful conversations with NHG pharmacists, to learn more about what their work is like. After a while, representatives from NHG stepped forward to give enlightening presentations about the career of a pharmacist; they also shared what NHG was looking for in those interested in working with them. To put things simply, NHG prioritises those who are eager to grow and learn.

Yummy cupcakes for participants to enjoy while listening to the presentations

After lunch, participants were split into two groups to take turns exploring the hospital’s inpatient and outpatient pharmacy. They got to learn about the different medication distribution systems in the pharmacy, as well as how medicines are packed and stored.

A glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of an outpatient pharmacy

What makes the tour even more special is that since Woodlands Health Campus is a relatively new hospital, many of the equipment in their pharmacy are more advanced than those in other hospitals.

This equipment makes stock-taking and dispensing medications a lot more convenient and efficient. 

<—— Pills packed in individual blisters

Surprisingly, there are many differences between an outpatient and inpatient pharmacy.

For example, many pills in the inpatient pharmacy are packed in unit-doses to make dispensing to patients on a day-to-day basis easier.

Tubes that transfer preparations to the wards from the inpatient pharmacy ——>

Overall, the NHG Woodlands Health Engagement Lunch offered pharmacy students a valuable opportunity to discover how real-world pharmacy operations function — from interacting with professionals to touring state-of-the-art facilities. If you’re interested in exploring various hospital pharmacies in Singapore, make sure to keep a lookout for attachment opportunities posted on the NUSPS telegram channel!

Written by: Isabel