How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hey guys,

Just wanted to get an opinion from all you experts here.

I'm a singaporean who studied in Aus and decided to stay here after completing my internship/HOship. Initially did internal med residency for 2 years but got disillusioned with clinical medicine so decided to switch to a non-clin specialty. I'm doing path residency now (rads didn't accept me) and really enjoying it. I married an Aussie girl (she's asian) and feel pretty settled here but i still miss Sg and am considering returning to the motherland after finishing my residency. Pathology is not a bad paying specialty here and lifestyle is pretty good (8-5 everyday, no calls as a resident). Just wondering if there are anyone knows what the prospects are like for a pathologist in Sg and whether it would be an enjoyable specialty or at least a reasonable one. I notice not many singaporeans go into path so wondering if its a really bad specialty there.

Thanks

Hmmm? Sure or not? Australia where got internal medicine residency? It's call basic physician training or bpt lei. Who u bruffing?
Pathology is self selecting. Theres a waiting list of pple wanting to enter in Singapore fyi. Usually wait is 2 to 3 years.
If u can find a job , it pays like other non procedural speciality.

Of cse, if u possess exquisite and rare histopathology skillets maybe u can command a premium .

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hey guys,

Just wanted to get an opinion from all you experts here.

I'm a singaporean who studied in Aus and decided to stay here after completing my internship/HOship. Initially did internal med residency for 2 years but got disillusioned with clinical medicine so decided to switch to a non-clin specialty. I'm doing path residency now (rads didn't accept me) and really enjoying it. I married an Aussie girl (she's asian) and feel pretty settled here but i still miss Sg and am considering returning to the motherland after finishing my residency. Pathology is not a bad paying specialty here and lifestyle is pretty good (8-5 everyday, no calls as a resident). Just wondering if there are anyone knows what the prospects are like for a pathologist in Sg and whether it would be an enjoyable specialty or at least a reasonable one. I notice not many singaporeans go into path so wondering if its a really bad specialty there.

Thanks

Get your frcpa. There is a demand for histopathology in singapore.
Then move over
Not a lot of people wanna do pathology

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hmmm? Sure or not? Australia where got internal medicine residency? It's call basic physician training or bpt lei. Who u bruffing?
Pathology is self selecting. Theres a waiting list of pple wanting to enter in Singapore fyi. Usually wait is 2 to 3 years.
If u can find a job , it pays like other non procedural speciality.

Of cse, if u possess exquisite and rare histopathology skillets maybe u can command a premium .

Yes i am sure....why singaporeans always so sceptical. I say internal med cos i thought people wouldn't understand if I said bpt. did internship, then 3 years of bpt (i passed the written exam but haven't sat clinicals) and now doing pathology. and fyi its not that difficult to stay on in australia post medical school like many people believe. Just had to do a year in rural victoria but made it back to the city right after to do my bpt. thanks for your response anyways

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Yes i am sure....why singaporeans always so sceptical. I say internal med cos i thought people wouldn't understand if I said bpt. did internship, then 3 years of bpt (i passed the written exam but haven't sat clinicals) and now doing pathology. and fyi its not that difficult to stay on in australia post medical school like many people believe. Just had to do a year in rural victoria but made it back to the city right after to do my bpt. thanks for your response anyways

I agree there are definitely a few cynical posters on this forum and truth to be told I am confused about the purpose of their posts. Maybe it is a source of entertainment for them. Regardless, it is always better to ask someone you may know rather than rely on anonymous posters for life changing decisions. I, too, am a Singaporean who is currently completing their residency overseas, so I can't be of much help to you.

is paeds the hardest specialty to enter?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

is paeds the hardest specialty to enter?

Ophthalmology, Plastic Surgery, Dermatology are the toughest.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I agree there are definitely a few cynical posters on this forum and truth to be told I am confused about the purpose of their posts. Maybe it is a source of entertainment for them. Regardless, it is always better to ask someone you may know rather than rely on anonymous posters for life changing decisions. I, too, am a Singaporean who is currently completing their residency overseas, so I can't be of much help to you.

What cynicism? It is reality.

Medicine is not made out to be what it is.

And I cannot understand why anyone would really want to go back to SG if they have the chance to migrate to Oz?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What cynicism? It is reality.

Medicine is not made out to be what it is.

And I cannot understand why anyone would really want to go back to SG if they have the chance to migrate to Oz?

Many reasons what.
Family, the food, the simple fact that you can walk to your kopitiam and have a kopi breakfast set.
Australia is not this magical lala land. It has it's nice bits and parts , but there's some things I cannot accept, eg u need to maintain your lawn or else u get fined!
There's some invisible racism as well. Most people will talk about insults hurling bogans, but corporate wise there's a ceiling to your progression, some older auzzies will view your competency with suspicion etc.
I reckon it will get better in 1 or 2 generations.
Plus, tax kills. Haha. 350k annual salary become 190k nia.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

is paeds the hardest specialty to enter?

It's a protected speciality. Number of newborn decreasing and there's only 2 paeds hospital, plus once they turn 18, become adult, so really no business.
Compared to adult and geri which is an expanding pool as pple longevity increase and migrants come in.
About 7 to 9 years ago when residency first came on, they took large numbers like 15 to 20 a year for nuh and kk Vs the 4 to 5 per year annually, so this few years they cut down on intake
Also, increasing number family physicians are m.med nowadays where the paeds exposure is good Vs last time just MBBS or dip fan med where they don't have much kids experience, so parents gradually find it ok to go to family med doctor Vs 250 per visit to a paediatrician.

Last few years got graduating paediatricians cannot find associate consultant position in hospital fyi.
Sibei sian one , either stay as service registrar ( doing calls , much lower salary) or going private ( where business not v good also, plus, although u are a specialist liao, u still a blur sotong )
Think twice la. Kids are cute, but their parents are not anyways

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What cynicism? It is reality.

Medicine is not made out to be what it is.

And I cannot understand why anyone would really want to go back to SG if they have the chance to migrate to Oz?

Having lived abroad for almost 15 years now, I can assure you that the grass is not always greener on the other side. The tax really kills. An annual income of $400k becomes $220k after tax. Furthermore, there is capital gains tax on investments.