Agreed, how many in a batch of current graduates will achieve that now honestly, back then it was easier to make it big, although they worked even worse hours than now. Now I think graduates will fill up the RP posts done by foreigners, work in the many new upcoming polyclinics or flood the private GP market

Just wondering if there are any doctors who have actually got into residency programme, but subsequently decided to quit before their training is completed?
And if there any penalties for these doctors?

Think it says somewhere on the residency websites you cant apply for another programme for 1 year.

Anyone here feels that it is increasingly easy to get sued nowadays being a doctor?

Hi, would like to seek some advice here (may sound like a silly question)
I am currently a PGY4 (Singaporean who graduated from UK in 2015, but returned to Singapore in 2016 as MO). have done mainly medical postings (in different subspecialities) since I returned to Singapore across all 3 clusters. I am interested in IM/fam Med (as in I am happy to do either), also currently doing GDFM and working on my PACES (MRCP- passed part 1/2)

I failed with my residency application in 2017 (IM) and 2018 (last year- FM). I would like to ask
- are older applicants at a disadvantage when it comes to residency. (from what I see, IM/FM residents across all 3 clusters tend to be PGY 1-3)

- Would it be better for me to stick to 1 cluster for my future mopex postings? (I was thinking of moving around all 3 clusters for mopex so that I can apply to all 3 clusters for residency (and also hopefully apply for SR or AC jobs in all 3 clusters in the future- in the context of IM residency), but now on hindsight not sure it would be better to stay in 1 cluster all the way?

- What is the future of doctors who dont get into residency? (i.e how is the market demand for GPs, RPs in polyclinics or restructured instituitions/hospitals)

I will probably try again this year and maybe next year (since my MOHH bond finish in 2021), before concluding that perhaps no one wants me and GP is my only option.

Hoping for some genuine advice.

Thanks

If you pass your paces I see no reason why they will reject you for IM residency.

What you doing is right. Now focus on rotating at one SI, make sure pd knows you. Get good reviews.

Guest
 

Hi I'm currently a Year 3 med student studying in Australia. I'd like to come back to Singapore for my HO/MO for family reasons, despite the initial problems I may face readjusting to the faster pace of life etc. Not a big concern for me, as family is family, after all.

However I'm really concerned whether doing so would be shooting myself in the foot in the long run. I'd like to try out for a surgical specialty as I think I'm quite inclined towards procedural techniques, but I understand it may be very hard to secure a training spot in Sg.

Also I've heard horror stories of specialists exiting residency w/o an Associate Consultant position---aka they are stuck as over-qualified registrars in the local hospitals. Sounds quite shitty to me.

Could anyone kindly enlighten me on:
1) How competitive are surgical residencies in Sg? (How many slots available, or how may competing per slot)
2) Is the specialist market really so saturated that even specialists cannot secure AC jobs?

Thanks!

What's the intern situation currently in your state? Might not even be possible to stay in Australia these days tbh unless you get the rural contract.

Surgery is very competitive but not sure of the numbers as its not that transparent. But definitely have to rotate few years as an MO and network a lot. If you can find the document last time they used to post who matched what specialty, that can give you an idea of how many spots are there. Once you get it, life of a surgeon will probably be worse than most 1st world systems (barring us probably). This is probably going to get worse with bigger med school intake. With the current glut of regs waiting to be ACs it is likely they are scaling down residency spots also.

I think if you come back you kinda have to either continuously swim uphill to achieve your dreams, or open your mind to things like gp.

i think we need to be realistic. the chances of you staying in Australia is very slim. As such you have no choice but to come back to Singapore.

While it is crazily competitive to get into surgical residencies in Singapore, you have no choice but to fight it out, as it is impossible to stay in Australia in this climate.

Currently there is no AC jobs, and we need to waitlist for very long. But since you are coming back, this remains the only route you can take.

Guest
 

Hi All,
Thanks for the input! Yup I'm fully aware of the Australia internship crisis, so most probably coming back to Sg, which is what I want.

I went to look up the MOHH residency postings and there are about 22 being posted to General Surgery residency for 2018. I can see that that's a very competitive group, not to say the least of even smaller intake groups like for Ophth/ENT (~3-5 each?) Sigh

Nonetheless you only lose if you don't try, and I'm prepared to slog it out in Sg for my HO/MO years. Can or cannot get residency, that's in the future. However I still have some questions which I hope somebody in the know may shed some light on:

1) Generally in which PGY year would it be recommended to apply for residency?
---I understand it takes time to have sufficient MOPEX rotations and to build up some portfolio for research, but I was wondering how long is the norm before you gain sufficient experience to compete?

2) If I can't get into residency, could I follow the MO route to become a RP? What's the pay like and how long would it take to get there? I guess as long as I can engage in interesting casework in hospitals, this may still be an attractive option.

3) With all the push for generalists, will there even be enough slots for the public system to absorb and promote doctors? If private GP is already saturated, worst case is may end up as MO for a decade.

You will probably try every opportunity I guess after you have done a mopex in that specialty. Yeah I think that's the worry once there are too many gps in the private sector. Should be lots of jobs for RPs once Singaporeans replace those 3rd world temp reg doctors, just that you will probably work registrar hours with no career progression. But good to keep an open mind, can't be too fixated on surgery unfortunately. Maybe try to score a rural internship in Australia, still good work life balance and pay if you can stay on

rural isnt that bad i think. so keep your options open. do rural before coming back.

Isn't the whole point of the RP track to funnel the excess glut of MOs into a generalist path?

Ng Teng Fong vs Changi
 

Hi guys,
Which hospital is better for a RP in radiology (Ng Teng Fong or Changi guys), info on the pro and cons of each would be of immense help.... I am particlulary interested in work culture and general workload in each...

thank you

Kind of but RPs normally just work in 1 dept. That will be the case for an IM RP.

Hi, I am currently a HO, UK grad (returned sep last year). Just curious, are we allowed to apply for 2 different residency programmes in 1 cycle (eg IM + FM/ IM and paeds)?

Will the programme directors know that we have applied to other residency programmes as well and will that jeopardize our chances?

Any responses to the above? Feel free to PM me too if you prefer.

Thanks in advance.

In the old days, as long as you have a diplomate of from American board of dermatology, and a letter of good standing, hosps will welcome you with open arms.

But since 2015, there are excess of residents, and local Hosp has difficulty finding jobs for their own residents. As such , it is much harder to get a job. No that foreign grads are discriminated, just that local residents get priorities.

As you come from a foreign nation, you will be conditionally registered, meaning you will need some form of supervision for the first 3years.

But frankly the pay in Singapore isn't that high. Looking at 150-200k sgd as an associate consultant. Heard in the USA can easily get 400-500k usd.

Hey mate! My skin is dry. Especially the face area. But I have an oily nose. What would you recommend?

Thanks very much for the response. I really appreciate it.

I do not think that I will be competing with the local residents, as I would have already completed my residency prior to obtaining the FAAD.

I am still unfamiliar with the associateship positions, as this does not really apply here in the US. Now, please pardon my simple questions:

1. How many years does it typically take for an associate consultant to be promoted to a consultant?
2. What is the difference in salary between an associate consultant compared to a consultant?
3. How would the associateship position affect my salary if I were an owner of my own private practice?
4. Would I have to remain in an academic setting for the 3 years while under supervision, or am I allowed to join a group practice but just be practising alongside other dermatologists?

In the US, it is easy to gross 800k in business income, but I would have to deduct overhead expenses (approximately 40-45%) and another 35% (federal & state) income tax. A business income of 800k would yield a take home of 280k after deductions.

I assume the 150-200k would be a salary without any additional overhead expenses? I used a simple Singapore income tax calculator and found that a 200k salary would yield $180k after personal income taxes.

Thank you again.

Hey buddy, my apologies but I won't be able to make any specific recommendations without a proper assessment.

My general advice is to avoid products with fragrances (double check the ingredient list), and pricier products do not always correlate to a "safer" or more effective product.

Cheers.

Pgy2
 

Hi! I'm a local grad, currently PGY2.

I'm currently interested in applying for GDFM, may i ask if it is difficult to enter and also if it's difficult to pass the final exam?

Also, does anyone know what it's like to break the MOHH bond and join the major healthcare groups - what's the process, pay and remuneration like?

Thank you!!!

GDFM just easy to enter. 2 years of part time course. Exam is average to slightly hard. Historical pass rates range from 50-75%. Usually candidate will take one to two weeks of leave prior to final osce. Just read thru all the clinical practice guidelines. Practice with friends.

Breaking bond is a personal decision. You can contact any of the medical chain.

But at pgy2 I don't recommend. Firstly insufficient experience, secondly bond quantum is too big. You probably have close to 600k of bond. Anyway for all round development, should try to do some Ed, rotate thru some paeds, some generic im, derm ent eye Ortho will be a plus.

You will have to work 55hrs per week to get around 15k. 55 hours doesn't include lunch time. Nights are burnt, weekends you have to work. 15k Minus taxes of 1k plus left with 13plus k. Minus bond repayment of 8k per month, so net is just 5k you are actually better off with mohh (after you add in the mohh bonus)

Thank you so much for your reply!

Appreciate your advice, I suppose breaking bond after PGY4 (left with ~300k of bond) have a better bond quantum?
Is the bond repayment of 8k/month fixed or standard for the medical chains; or can it be negotiable e.g. with GDFM/M.Med/MRCP?
When nights are burnt, do you mean working till like 9+pm? Do private medical chain GPs do shift work e.g. morning + noon shift today, noon + night shift tomorrow?

What is the MOHH Bonus like - is it performance based? Do MOs get yearly annual increment while rotating through MOPEX?

Thank you so much!!!

How much bonus you get in private gp chains?

Why do some posts require a moderator’s approval, and others do not?

Hi current mo under mopex. Mohh bonus is not too bad really. It's divided into following compnents
A)corporate (given in July and Jan) - on average 1.1 month in Jan and 0.6 in July
B) Aws in December 1month
C) individual performance bonus. Ranges from 0.2-3.9 months
- I got 1.9 months in my 1st year (meet expectations for both my mopex posting)
- got 2.4 months in my 2nd year (meet expectations for 1 posting, exceed expectations for the other)

So total bonus I got for my 2nd year is around 5 months, around 4.5 for my 1st year

I think this is higher than private gp chains, although their monthly pay is probably way higher
I am only getting around 5.3k after 2 years with mohh as mo. (I completed NS, hence started at 4.9k)

Hi, I am a current pgy 3, grad from UK. I been through a few medical postings, I am still undecided regarding doing IM/FM as a career. If I do IM, I will probably want to do something general like GM.

I was wondering if it is possible for one to get dual accreditation in IM(gm)/fm. I am thinking at this point, doing IM residency and then doing gdfm, mmed fm via the programme b(college) road. (Which doesn't require fm residency)

My thinking is that everyone can be converted to a gp at any age/time, however you can't convert a gp to a specialist.

Was wondering if anyone has done that before and can give any advice regarding the possibility of dual accreditation ?

Actually despite all the doom and gloom mentioned throughout this thread, I think doctor pay in general still not too bad. Even become RP can still earn 7-8k, job reasonably secure. Looking at the other threads I. This forum, it seems that the employment market is really bad at present...

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?

Just curious, are there any GPs currently that are previously qualified specialist? (I.e doctors who quit being a specialist and decide to be gp instead)?

plenty. know of some public health physicians who get disillusioned and change to gp work.

Are TTSH and KTPH good hospitals to apply to for general medicine as a PGY2 returning from the UK? What about teaching opportunity and networking in preparation for residency? Will greatly appreciate any advice.

Can I ask as a private gp, what sort of medical knowledge you will really need? Since technically, gp can see all sort of cases involving the specialities of IM, GS, paeds, Ortho, obs/gynae, ENT, eye derm etc.

If you are a specialist and decide to convert to gp, or if you are a mo wanting to be gp, how do you gain all these knowledge? (Given that you can't possibly do posting in everything)

mbbs knowledge good enough. then plus some common sense and basic people skills, and you are set.

Are TTSH and KTPH good hospitals to apply to for general medicine as a PGY2 returning from the UK? What about teaching opportunity and networking in preparation for residency? Will greatly appreciate any advice.

Are you on peg? Ttsh should be good, not sure about ktph. Probably look at the residency you are interested in and see where the programme director works. Nevertheless have to do well at mopex, get some pubs etc

Yes I'm a PEG returning to singapore. Not sure if that's a wise decision I made few years back. Thanks for the reply! I hope I get TTSH as my primary hospital haha

The government/moh has been saying that they want/need more family physicians, but yet many people on this forum have been saying that the gp market is very saturated. So just wondering what is the true situation?