How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What do u mean by fake news ? The pay rise is definitely real as my boss mentioned it last year , im not sure about the % quoted though . It sounds too good to be true , hard to believe can get 10 %

Yea. Mentioned last year and was supposed to happen last year.

No more liao la.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The fact that you have 33 days AL suggest you are very senior, as we all know ops starts off with 24 days AL when you 1st sign. Hence, your reference point for benefits may not be so applicable for the juniors in their late 20s/early 30s

Would like to share about my own experience, having left the system last year post mmed

I have negotiated with 3-4 GP groups last year before eventually decided on one. Most offer 44hr/week. Eventually that works out to be 5 days 2 nights and you get both weekends off. Or 5 days, sat morning and 1 night). Permutations of hours very flexible in general. (Esp for some groups like one care)
- some clinics open from 8-3, 6-9pm. So if you don't work nights that day, you end at 3. (Which isn't too bad I feel)

Essentially none of my GP friends working for groups work more than 1 sat morning on weekend. (Not quite sure what you mean by every weekend burnt), and most do not work more than 1 night, which I feel is also acceptable. (Of course I appreciate everyone is different and have different priorities)

Leave wise, all groups I spoke to offer 21 days for a start with increment based on year of service, most groups also have exam/Train leave and CCL as well. MC is 14 days, hl 60 days (same as ops). So far no issues with taking MC for me. But I accept there is no FCL, however really the al is 3 days less for starters compared to ops

Paywise, most offer some form of bonus +/- aws and it ranges from 200-230k, ard 10% higher than ops 1st year mmeder. And there is yearly increment in private too (unlike myths spreading in this thread). I just received my increment after 1 year of service.

Eventually I opted for a CBD clinic 5.5 days 8-5, no nights)
- I know I got alt sat off during my ops days, but really the load is lower outside and less stressful
- 50% health screening/work permit checks, so essentially well patients with NO illness. Those with illness are self-limiting (urti/ge, or simple chronics not extending beyond htn/hld/DM)

I agree cme points have to keep up yourself, but usually not an issue if you attend cfps talks/skill courses (fpsc).

I did join a chain group, so far haven't got pressured too much into profits/losses for clinic yet (1 year in) and definitely less admin/other responsibilities (like teaching/arrows that I kena during ops days)

Guess if you are senior enough (like yourself), your hod (junior) also don't dare to arrow you. Lol

Thanks for sharing . This was a really useful post , may i check how u get the offers / interviews , google job listings ?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

bro/sis can share which group? how much the increment.
From my knowledge the pay raise suggested is fake news. corroborated and no such thing.
Also feeling like my career opportunities in ops limited now, hq a lot of people and a lot of ppl in front of me in pecking order. How to progress?
Thanks for sharing about outside so many like me and lurkers have a better idea of what it is like on the ground.

How to progress?
Answer: you need fcfp (public really need to go all the way with qualifications)

Originally Posted by Unregistered

How to progress?
Answer: you need fcfp (public really need to go all the way with qualifications)

problem is, even with fcfp not sure if got jobs around or must keep waiting.
Too many people ahead and a lot all taking fcfp.
even deputy / head saturated also already.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

problem is, even with fcfp not sure if got jobs around or must keep waiting.
Too many people ahead and a lot all taking fcfp.
even deputy / head saturated also already.

Time to lie flat

Originally Posted by Unregistered

problem is, even with fcfp not sure if got jobs around or must keep waiting.
Too many people ahead and a lot all taking fcfp.
even deputy / head saturated also already.

What progress u want or talking about.
Clinical job is ac, full c and SC
3 ranks nia.
U become hospital specialist also this 3 clinical ranks
Hod job? Hq job?
If u desire admin duties, it's even easier to get in polyclinic than hospital fyi

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What progress u want or talking about.
Clinical job is ac, full c and SC
3 ranks nia.
U become hospital specialist also this 3 clinical ranks
Hod job? Hq job?
If u desire admin duties, it's even easier to get in polyclinic than hospital fyi

But in FM, AC to c and c to sc is not guaranteed or time based. Depends on performance and positions available unlike other specialties. (Never heard of any specialist not getting senior consultant as long as they stay long enough, compared to FM in ops, I think my cluster only got ard 7-8 sc and 7-8 c to be honest) - mainly the ops heads (my deputy head is fcfp, but she only ac)

Originally Posted by Unregistered

But in FM, AC to c and c to sc is not guaranteed or time based. Depends on performance and positions available unlike other specialties. (Never heard of any specialist not getting senior consultant as long as they stay long enough, compared to FM in ops, I think my cluster only got ard 7-8 sc and 7-8 c to be honest) - mainly the ops heads (my deputy head is fcfp, but she only ac)

Exactly. AC maybe can just wait, but after that how?
new polyclinics take time to build.
every poly 1 head 1-2 deputy head.
so many people waiting for these spots.
Education research also got people there already.
1 PD 2 APD.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Exactly. AC maybe can just wait, but after that how?
new polyclinics take time to build.
every poly 1 head 1-2 deputy head.
so many people waiting for these spots.
Education research also got people there already.
1 PD 2 APD.

Though fm is abt serving public?
If want to be head, then go pte

U can call yourself
Consultant, medical director cum chief executive

Originally Posted by Unregistered

But in FM, AC to c and c to sc is not guaranteed or time based. Depends on performance and positions available unlike other specialties. (Never heard of any specialist not getting senior consultant as long as they stay long enough, compared to FM in ops, I think my cluster only got ard 7-8 sc and 7-8 c to be honest) - mainly the ops heads (my deputy head is fcfp, but she only ac)

And u think promotion in hospital is guaranteed?
Survivor basis la
The pple who get into specialities and work hard enuff to exit generally also perform well enough to get promoted.
C to SC need a lot of hard work lei.
U all quite junior so u all dunno
Promotion to s.c need peer recognition.
Your hod cannot promote u becuase he say so.
Need other s.c from other department to endorse u also.
It's like getting tenure in universities.
C who don't get, leave for private lo.
That's why u think SC very easy to get.
But it's not.

Ops not a lot of senior becuase prior to 2015, not a lot of m.med anyway
And staying in ops wasn't very rewarding before they modernise the promotion
Becoming head isn't the only way to get c fyi.
Ops still need clinicians to run.
Nowadays with fcfp, unless u major screw up, u will get c
Some faster , some slower but will get as long as got effort
SC harder cos need peer endorsement

Ten more years u gonna see more and more cons and senior cons in ops