Originally Posted by Unregistered

Thanks for the advices, I think I will just stick it out in Medicine.

Is being a lawyer really that competitive in Singapore?

I do not really like harsh competition, that is why initially I chose to study Medicine in the UK. It wasn’t really difficult to get in, and there really isn’t an honours system, the MBBS degree was just a pass/fail.

Psychiatry training is actually quite chill, though the salary as a psychiatry trainee is pretty bad (around £3,200/month after PAYE and NI deductions)

Typically, my work rota is from 9am-4pm on most days, with the exception of 12 hour night shifts which thankfully only occurs 2-3 times a month.

We also frequently have quality improvement time off (days that we don’t have to go to the hospital, basically just submitting review reports online at home). Annual paid leave is around 35 days a year.

There really isn’t a fierce competition culture in psychiatry, postgraduate exam resits are allowed and won’t jeopardise your career prospects (although it might prolong your training duration).

MOHH is actively recruiting for psychiatrists, there’s a senior of mine (Indian UK-trained Psychiatrist) who got a job offer at IMH Singapore.

He told me that the basic pay package of a newly-qualified psychiatrist is around $12000/month excluding clinical teaching allowance and bonus. Though of course, the working hours are significantly lesser than doctors working in other specialties.

Most Singaporean psychiatrists do eventually leave for private practice, where the pay is largely variable.