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Originally Posted by Unregistered
I think the previous poster meant competing with the chief residents of the dermatology programmes for associate consultant positions. I believe he/she was talking about how there are too many residents these days and few AC positions, and having to compete with those fresh out of residency. Not being a citizen might be a disadvantage, as well having less/no connections. Have you managed to find any dermatology AC openings?
As to your previous question, Dermatology part of internal medicine in Singapore.
I am not sure how long it takes to get from AC to C, but if you spent a few years as an attending you would probably get a consultant position rather than AC.
On the mohh and specialist accreditation board website it states it is about 2-3 years to get full registration depending on your citizenship status. I believe until then you can only stay in an academic setting ie public hospitals rather than working in a private practice. It is possible by then you would be a consultant.
I do not think being an AC would be a good thing in private practice if you were to own one, as there are a lot of very senior doctors who leave public practice to private, and hold titles like senior consultant, have professorships etc, were previous head of depts, and have a strong reputation. Patients are likely to shop around and choose the most senior and reputable ones, so you might not get much business being a fresh AC. There is probably little cosmetic work in the public hospital setting.
I am not really sure why you would want to work here to be honest? Derm is one of the hardest to get in the US and highly paid with good work-life balance. It will be difficult to practise privately compared to the US as it is a small market and probably fighting with many big names. Maybe at least spend a few years as an attending?
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Thank you again for your response. The plan would be to work for a few years after graduation, before deciding if the move to SG would be suitable. The move is mainly due to personal reasons, and I have entertained the idea of raising my children in SG.
Despite working for a few years after graduation, I believe that given that my credentials are foreign, I would still have to work under a limited license for 2-3 years. I am still a little confused as to how one gets promoted from an AC to Consultant. Is this a title that is given out by the local society (DSS in this case) or
MOH? Are there any specific criteria for promotion? Do they limit the total number of Consultant positions, such that an existing Consultant would have to retire before an AC can be promoted?
From my limited experience speaking to Singaporeans, it seems like many did not know the difference between a "Dermatologist" and a "GP/FM with a diploma in Dermatology", which is unfortunate given the significant difference in training. However, it makes me wonder if many patients really do shop around for the senior consultants or HOD. If the "GP/FM with diploma in Dermatology" can thrive (IDS Clinic, Niks Maple Clinic), it begs me to wonder if the word of mouth recommendation remains more valuable than these academic titles.