How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi All,

This is the most informative forum I've come across. I am looking for Pathologist jobs in Spore. I've seen people talk about clinical specialties in this forum but can anyone shed light on the state of Pathology in Spore? I am doing a fellowship now and will start job next academic year.

thanks

Hi. Starting salary for associate consultant pathologist was about 12k for me. on top of that , there is housing allowance , usually 1.7 to 1.9k. Pathology used to be very unpopular, but now we have had to turn away applicants for residency.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi. Starting salary for associate consultant pathologist was about 12k for me. on top of that , there is housing allowance , usually 1.7 to 1.9k. Pathology used to be very unpopular, but now we have had to turn away applicants for residency.

Thank you so much for the info. I am offered associate consultant job, salary has not been discussed yet. Good to know the ballpark.

How is work/life balance in Singapore? I've heard that the hours are brutal. What is the usual case-load you get per day?

Hi
Im new to Singapore
Working in Polyclinic jurong area
Can anyone know any locum slots available over gp clinics?

i've lived in Singapore since 1978. what unregistered guest (Consultant post in Singapore) and unregistered guest (Working in Singapore as a doctor - the real deal!) said are true.
If u come, better ENSURE your accomodation is within walking distance of your work place. Frequent breakdowns along the North East MRT line (the last CEO resigned being unable to fix the problem) and lack and timing of certain bus services means if you stay far away u could come in late for work due to no fault of your own. Singapore is short of hospitals and staff and wards are often overflowing (as was mentioned in the Straits Times). i heard from patients who talked to local doctors some were recruited from Burma and hastily thrown into the system after just 6 months training. A lot of third world country staff like Filipinos and Burmese are recruited into the hospitals because the locals dont like the jobs. so you can be certain that you will work 12 hours daily or more. DO NOT BELIEVE ANY ROSY STORIES PAINTED BY THE OFFICIAL MEDIA. The paper tax on a motorcycle here is S$6500 or more. Cycling is very dangerous and the roads are overflowing with cars. no cycling paths were ever planned for so many years. they trying to rectify this by planning cycling corridors (like in the gardens) which is still very inadequate.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

i've lived in Singapore since 1978. what unregistered guest (Consultant post in Singapore) and unregistered guest (Working in Singapore as a doctor - the real deal!) said are true.
If u come, better ENSURE your accomodation is within walking distance of your work place. Frequent breakdowns along the North East MRT line (the last CEO resigned being unable to fix the problem) and lack and timing of certain bus services means if you stay far away u could come in late for work due to no fault of your own. Singapore is short of hospitals and staff and wards are often overflowing (as was mentioned in the Straits Times). i heard from patients who talked to local doctors some were recruited from Burma and hastily thrown into the system after just 6 months training. A lot of third world country staff like Filipinos and Burmese are recruited into the hospitals because the locals dont like the jobs. so you can be certain that you will work 12 hours daily or more. DO NOT BELIEVE ANY ROSY STORIES PAINTED BY THE OFFICIAL MEDIA. The paper tax on a motorcycle here is S$6500 or more. Cycling is very dangerous and the roads are overflowing with cars. no cycling paths were ever planned for so many years. they trying to rectify this by planning cycling corridors (like in the gardens) which is still very inadequate.

Yeah, Sg is soooooo bad. I am sure life is waaaaaay better for you back in your home country. Maybe you will be happier back there instead of bitching about Sg here.

Well, if you guys don't like Singapore, you are always free to leave, after all, it is not even your own country.

Surely you can find a place where you are satisfied with in cities such as London or Sydney or KL or Mumbai.

Let us look at the Singaporean side of the scoreboard once again:

One of the highest lifespan in the world
One of the most modern countries, if not the most modern
One of the cleanest country, if not the cleanest
Low crime rate
3rd highest per capita GDP (by PPP)
Probably the cleanest country I have been to
People are generally polite, nice and well-mannered.
Low unemployment

Take care foreign-trained doctors! Try not to fly out of Changi Airport as well (Best airport in the world) or on SIA (Best airline in the world) as well!

I am sure the work-life balance in Sydney or Mumbai or Manila is better. After all, you might not even have a job in work in, so the balance is tilted overwhelmingly towards 'life' until your savings run out.

You don't have to worry about the metro breaking down once every six months or a year, because you won't have a metro near your residence or workplace anyway. You probably won't even have direct buses as well.

Enjoy the slums in Manila or Mumbai. Or enjoy the low wages (after high tax deductions), high cost of living (say good bye to 3-8 sgd meals everywhere), alcoholic/drugs-taking culture, high unemployment, high crime rates, and fewer opportunities in backwards cities London, Paris, Sydney or New York.

Bon voyage docs!

[jellyisnotafruit]

Times have changed! Does anyone know what it's like pay- and work-wise for trainee doctors under the new residency system? Specifically I'm thinking of applying for the family medicine residency in my final year of medical school. I'm studying in a UK medical school but want to come back to Singapore for family reasons so it's a tough decision.

I am a Singaporean but am planning to study in an overseas medical college that is NOT recognized in either schedules of the MRA in the SMC. And the overseas medical college could not provide housemanship after I graduate. (and I am unable to do housemanship in Singapore because the college is not recognized by schedules by the SMC)

Is there any other way I can get housemanship? (I don't mind going elsewhere) Are there places in the world where they accept new MBBS graduates that need housemanship experience?

FYI my college is listed in IMED but just not in the schedules of SMC (rather strict as they only accept certain top schools)

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I am a Singaporean but am planning to study in an overseas medical college that is NOT recognized in either schedules of the MRA in the SMC. And the overseas medical college could not provide housemanship after I graduate. (and I am unable to do housemanship in Singapore because the college is not recognized by schedules by the SMC)

Is there any other way I can get housemanship? (I don't mind going elsewhere) Are there places in the world where they accept new MBBS graduates that need housemanship experience?

FYI my college is listed in IMED but just not in the schedules of SMC (rather strict as they only accept certain top schools)

study something proper la... wads the point of taking a med degree in some unknown overseas school, then u cant even come back to start work in sg. even worse, that school dun even offer u housemanship, have to find yet another place.

if u settle for this lousy alternative u may regret it in future

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I am a Singaporean but am planning to study in an overseas medical college that is NOT recognized in either schedules of the MRA in the SMC. And the overseas medical college could not provide housemanship after I graduate. (and I am unable to do housemanship in Singapore because the college is not recognized by schedules by the SMC)

Is there any other way I can get housemanship? (I don't mind going elsewhere) Are there places in the world where they accept new MBBS graduates that need housemanship experience?

FYI my college is listed in IMED but just not in the schedules of SMC (rather strict as they only accept certain top schools)

You better get into a SMC-recognised school unless you don't want to return to Singapore post-graduation. The doctor shortage in Singapore is ending soon amidst the glut of junior doctors hired in the past 5+ years