How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I literally just saw a patient yesterday who was started on Tamsulosin by someone else.
But he’s a poor blur uncle.
After listening to the pharmacist rant on about the side effects, all he remembered was that the drug “can make my eye red and swollen” and so he collected but did not start the medication at all. He’s not well educated.

Imagine having a computer system / algorithm spit out all these random words at you.
Even if it quotes a very low probability of this side effect, the layman will not be able to understand it and make an appropriate decision.
Is 0.1% very high? Is floppy iris syndrome going to hit everyone?

As I said, not sure if you are a doctor.
If you are a patient, it’s understandable that you would make such grand statements.
Because you only see things from an individual perspective.
As doctors who has seen thousands of patients, some probably more, we have seen the whole spectrum.

Not disputing the role of doctors. But just saying that physicians are no more then mid range blue collar.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

And btw non-procedural doctors refer to a very huge group…

Imagine rheumatology patients self selecting their choice of DMARDs and self titrating their dose of steroids, choosing to do their monitoring labs at their whim and fancy

Imagine ID / TB patients self selecting their type of HIV / TB drugs from an online store.

Imagine cardio patients self selecting their type of SAPT / DAPT / anticoagulant

Even complex chronic FP patients who are taking 10-12 meds picking and choosing which to eat, adding random meds without understanding the interactions of the drug with other drugs or their 10 other conditions.

All hell will break loose. And by hell I mean the mortuary.
I am all for innovation, but there is something about the therapeutic relationship between a healer and a patient that cannot be replaced by a machine.
It can be through a machine such as remote video consultation, but surely it cannot be reduced to just an algorithm or an online shop like Lazada / Shopee.

AI. Artificial intelligence. It is coming. Certain medications should still be put on prescription only. Depends on the toxicity and potential for harm. But many more medications can be put on the over the counter list than there is now.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

AI. Artificial intelligence. It is coming. Certain medications should still be put on prescription only. Depends on the toxicity and potential for harm. But many more medications can be put on the over the counter list than there is now.

There's no such thing as safe medications, even if they are already available OTC. For instance, even "benign" OTC medications like ibuprofen can cause GI bleeds or acute kidney injury if used inappropriately. And before you say such side effects are rare, come spend a day to shadow in gastroenterology or nephrology clinic and see for yourself.

If it comes to the point where all medications can be purchased OTC, this will create an even larger health gap between the rich and the poor. I can 100% assure you that our rich population will continue to pay to see us doctors, while the poor may try to self medicate in order to save a bit of money, but in the long run harm their own health.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

And btw non-procedural doctors refer to a very huge group…

Imagine rheumatology patients self selecting their choice of DMARDs and self titrating their dose of steroids, choosing to do their monitoring labs at their whim and fancy

Imagine ID / TB patients self selecting their type of HIV / TB drugs from an online store.

Imagine cardio patients self selecting their type of SAPT / DAPT / anticoagulant

Even complex chronic FP patients who are taking 10-12 meds picking and choosing which to eat, adding random meds without understanding the interactions of the drug with other drugs or their 10 other conditions.

All hell will break loose. And by hell I mean the mortuary.
I am all for innovation, but there is something about the therapeutic relationship between a healer and a patient that cannot be replaced by a machine.
It can be through a machine such as remote video consultation, but surely it cannot be reduced to just an algorithm or an online shop like Lazada / Shopee.

Exactly. I would love to see my patients shopping for cyclophosphamide or rituximab on their own.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Not disputing the role of doctors. But just saying that physicians are no more then mid range blue collar.

Maybe so. But can you give me examples of which occupations would qualify as white collar?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Maybe so. But can you give me examples of which occupations would qualify as white collar?

I think project managers in tech companies like SEA/Shopee/Google/Microsoft etc.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Very tempting 😏

Got link on video or pic lol

Originally Posted by Unregistered

AI. Artificial intelligence. It is coming. Certain medications should still be put on prescription only. Depends on the toxicity and potential for harm. But many more medications can be put on the over the counter list than there is now.

Honestly, the AI guidelines mention that it is the doctor that will use AI and be responsible for the AI. AI cannot function independently

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Not disputing the role of doctors. But just saying that physicians are no more then mid range blue collar.

Go one whole long story just to say that doctors are “mid range blue collar”.
I don’t really care what people call me, or what you think.
As long as I do my part and do my job right.
There’s no need for me to impress people like you who clearly have an inferiority complex, needing to boost your own self esteem by going around different forums to shoot down other professions.

You clearly have a very rudimentary understanding of AI in healthcare, if any at all.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

AI. Artificial intelligence. It is coming. Certain medications should still be put on prescription only. Depends on the toxicity and potential for harm. But many more medications can be put on the over the counter list than there is now.

Very… very… rudimentary understanding of AI in healthcare.