How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by kippot

gp - do read up this forum and make up your mind about working in sgp.

sorry GP - go to this forum, and read up all about it about working in sgp as a dr. then decide on your own if it suits you.

paywise in australia versus sgp - we all know who pays more.

Doctors’ pay | Salary.sg - Your Salary in Singapore

but if you come from a blue blood family in sgp with a big inheiritance awaiting you, by all means go back and enjoy in sgp.

Originally Posted by kippot

sorry GP - go to this forum, and read up all about it about working in sgp as a dr. then decide on your own if it suits you.

paywise in australia versus sgp - we all know who pays more.

Doctors’ pay | Salary.sg - Your Salary in Singapore

but if you come from a blue blood family in sgp with a big inheiritance awaiting you, by all means go back and enjoy in sgp.

Thanks for the info, outdated by 6 yrs but one can assume what they may be at present.
No blue blood, wouldn't be lurking here if I was! I do appreciate the perks in oz but feel the QOL in sq is possibly better or may be its just greener grass on the other side !?

let doctors decide about the quality of life, taxes, hawker stalls, workplace relations in singapore versus australia. They will make the choice.
I just met two UK trained doctors (holding singaporean passports) when i was working in ** emergency department in outer sydney why they do not want to consider going back to sgp, and the reasons are obvious.

yes the quality of working life in sgp hospitals is excellent, as you get trained to handle verbal abuse by patients and their families! . In australia, you can talk back at abusive patients while in sgp, 'the customer is always right'. i do like to have the option of standing up for myself
Young singaporean doctors and nurses are highly valued/prized in australia, compared to those from certain nations.
In fact, a nurse recruiter here in sydney , whom i had coffee with yesterday told me that she is going to sgp on a recruiting spree to poach singaporean/malaysian nurses. Good luck to us man!!!

Hospitals in australia do not withold the passports of foreign nurses, unlike ours in singapore, true or false.

anyway there is no true or false in this and i do respect your opinioin, as you have a nice cushy job in an air con office making high figures plus being a blue blood helps. do enjoy dreaming in your ivory tower

[MDtraveler]

I'll be going to Singapore in the end of May for an interview for a Anesthesia consultant position. I'm assuming conditionally registered full consultant, so if they try to sell "associate consultant" to me, I'm running away as fast as feet can carry me.

Most of what I've read here about working conditions seems to refer to house officers (I'm used to calling them residents.) I'm curious what are the working hours and conditions for consultants.

hey buddy. just go and google 'singapore doctors salary 2007' or go to think link
Doctors’ pay | Salary.sg - Your Salary in Singapore

you were querying about junior doctors salary and working hours. they are written all over the forum.

the working hours for junior doctors in singapore , unfortunately will not pass the Australian Medical Association's safe working hours for doctors or UK's guidelines.
I suggest that u should speak to junior doctors/doctors in sg to get a clearer picture , to (tally up the facts).

if you ENJOY working late with no overtime renumeration/be allocated to do heaps to research papers with all the credit going to the head of departments/get abused by patients are not getting support from your medical administration, then singapore will suit you very well

[MDtraveler]

Thanks, Kippot, but I've read the entire thread and don't recall much talk about the working hours of consultants as a opposed to junior physicians/house officers. Perhaps I missed it. If you ask about that in the US, the difference between the working hours of attending physicians vs residents is quite substantial.

About 10 years ago, the US imposed an 80 hour per week maximum for resident physicians. 80 hours is still quite a lot. Before that, residents could easily be doing 100-120 hours a week, especially in surgery. That's what I did as an intern, and I certainly hated it and wish it on no one.

So once again, does anyone have any info on the hours worked by CONSULTANTS.

Thank you

Hello MD Traveler, there is large variations in consultants' work hours in Sigapore. I cannot say that I know the latest since I have not been in Singapore for almost 10 years. There are several factors: a) type of work, b) hospital, and c) current staffing.

Typically surgical consultants have the longest and irregular work hours (with the exception Ophthalmologists). Internal medicine docs have regular hours but clinical rounds take forever. The few Anesthesiologists I had contact with seemed quite happy with their work hours. It depends if they are more OR-based or surgical ICU-based.

With regards to hospitals, SGH was the busiest, followed by TTSH, Changi and NUH. Not sure about Khoo Teck Puat because it was not there when I left Singapore.

The third factor is hard to predict. Hopefully it is well staffed, otherwise you will be asked to work overtime to cover. I think the overtime compensation for consultants is pretty good unlike that for residents. By the way, residents are paid for calls in Singapore unlike US. Again, I cannot say I know the latest rates. You should make sure that this is clearly stated in the contract.

As a foreigner, you should get a housing allowance since you don't have CPF (this is something like 401K or TSP in US). I have heard from some people that housing allowance is works out more than the employers' portion of CPF contributions.

All the best on your job interview!

[MDtraveler]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hello MD Traveler, there is large variations in consultants' work hours in Sigapore. I cannot say that I know the latest since I have not been in Singapore for almost 10 years. There are several factors: a) type of work, b) hospital, and c) current staffing.

Typically surgical consultants have the longest and irregular work hours (with the exception Ophthalmologists). Internal medicine docs have regular hours but clinical rounds take forever. The few Anesthesiologists I had contact with seemed quite happy with their work hours. It depends if they are more OR-based or surgical ICU-based.

With regards to hospitals, SGH was the busiest, followed by TTSH, Changi and NUH. Not sure about Khoo Teck Puat because it was not there when I left Singapore.

The third factor is hard to predict. Hopefully it is well staffed, otherwise you will be asked to work overtime to cover. I think the overtime compensation for consultants is pretty good unlike that for residents. By the way, residents are paid for calls in Singapore unlike US. Again, I cannot say I know the latest rates. You should make sure that this is clearly stated in the contract.

As a foreigner, you should get a housing allowance since you don't have CPF (this is something like 401K or TSP in US). I have heard from some people that housing allowance is works out more than the employers' portion of CPF contributions.

All the best on your job interview!

Thanks a lot for all that information! It is much appreciated. I'll keep everyone posted on the interview, (though some details I'll send via PM, if anyone wants to know) and if I end up actually working in Singapore, I'll be happy to share whatever info comes my way.

[a1223550]

Not sure what your current experience is, but for UK trained, immediately post-CCST eligible for Associate Consultant, CCST + 2 years post experience eligible for Consultant in general.

The more experience post residency (US) or SPR (UK) experience you have, obviously the better position you are in to ask for a consultant post.

Good luck

[MDtraveler]

Originally Posted by a1223550

Not sure what your current experience is, but for UK trained, immediately post-CCST eligible for Associate Consultant, CCST + 2 years post experience eligible for Consultant in general.

The more experience post residency (US) or SPR (UK) experience you have, obviously the better position you are in to ask for a consultant post.

Good luck

Thanks. I've been in practice 10 years since Residency/Fellowship, though only 5 years since official board certification. If they offer an "associate" consultant position, I will politely decline.