Dr Teh Wee Min

I received my undergraduate medical education in Universiti Putra Malaysia from 2002-2007. Upon obtaining my medical degree, I served in both the state hospital as well as in one of the rural clinics in Negeri Sembilan before commencing my specialist training in Ophthalmology from 2011-2015, in which two years was spent training in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. Thereafter, my next destination as an eye specialist was Kuala Pilah. Spurred on by my interest in surgical retina, I applied and was accepted into the Vitreoretinal fellowship training in 2017. During the 3-year training, I gained insights and experience in vitreoretinal surgery from my training in Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah Alor Setar, Hospital Selayang and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan. After completing my fellowship in 2020, I restarted the vitreoretinal services in Hospital Melaka, serving as the only retinal surgeon in the public sector in the state of Melaka. Currently, I am practicing full-time as the Resident Consultant Ophthalmologist and Vitreoretinal Surgeon in OasisEye Specialists, Seremban.

Service to the Community

In my 2 years in Kuala Pilah Hospital, I was involved in the starting up of the Cluster Hospital cataract services in Tampin and Jempol. This project was mooted to improve accessibility to eye care services in the two districts and to decongest the patient load in Kuala Pilah Hospital. This initiative was well-received by the public and also won recognition by the Ministry of Health not only in terms of the services rendered, but also the numerous scientific publications that were produced as a result of this Cluster Hospital concept.

Cataract Camp at Tampin Hospital, 2016

I had also participated in the KK1M cataract camps in the rural outskirts of Sarawak on a few occasions. Each visit was a real eye-opener, seeing patients who made the effort travelling by river, chartered transport or even on foot to come for their cataract surgery. This made me even more appreciative of the little things in life that we often take for granted. It was also extremely gratifying to see patients, young and old, having their sight restored after their surgery.

KK1M cataract camp, Sarawak 2015

I love to Teach!

Coming from a family with many aunts and uncles who are in the teaching profession, I caught the teaching bug as well. I have participated in numerous cataract and microsurgical workshops as a trainer, as well as being the supervisor for trainees in the ophthalmology training program. I was also involved in the teaching and being the examiner of medical students from Melaka-Manipal Medical College (MMMC) and International Medical University (IMU).

Leadership Roles

In 2017, I was selected as the sole Malaysian representative for the pioneer batch of the Asia-Pacific Vitreo-Retinal Society (APVRS)’s Leadership Development Program (LDP), a platform that recognises and nurtures potential leaders amongst retinal specialists within the Asia-Pacific region. I was also selected for the LDP by the Malaysian Society of Ophthalmology (MSO) in 2018. This year, I was elected as the Honorary Secretary of the MSO. I am also a member of the organizing committee of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Congress scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur in 2023. I relish the many roles I am currently in and hope to do a good job in all of them.

1^st APVRS LDP mentors and participants, 2017

Research and Collaboration

I have published various types of articles in peer-reviewed journals and publications over the years. As a result, I have been awarded grants to present some of my research findings in international conferences. I have also collaborated with overseas colleagues and friends from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia and India in doing research as well as writing of textbooks. It is my hope that through these scientific papers and book chapters, I am able to contribute to the medical knowledge and practice in a significant manner.

Ohana = Family

I am blessed with a very understanding wife, who happens to be an eye specialist as well. Her support and understanding have been crucial in times when I was away from my family on numerous occasions due to my training as a retinal specialist. We have a son and three daughters who are growing up far too fast. Before the Covid-19 era, we made it a point to travel at least once a year to spend some quality time together. Now, it is mainly exercise and camping activities at home to keep family together. The kids have yet to pick up racquet sports like badminton, squash and ping pong, which I try to play as often as I can, when the time and situation permit.

Languages spoken: English, Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien