How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Thanks again for the insightful response! Wish we could pin this for others who may have similar questions.

One more question: Heard SG Drs work 80-100 hrs/wk. Can't be true in a polyclinic setting, right? What if I have to apply to MOHH for an MO job? Would that mean I'd have to go through MOPEX with rotas of 80-100 hrs/wk (with allowances/stipend), at least until I secure a polyclinic placement?

You can apply for an MO position with MOHH but that essentially means you have wasted the past 4 years in the UK (FY2+ 3 years of GP training).

Because anyone who completes FY1(or the equivalent of HO year) and returns to SG will get paid the same as you.

So practically you have wasted your 4 years.

Those of your peers who went back to SG after FY1 are probably on their way to full reg now, but you are just joining as a baby MO under conditional reg

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You can apply for an MO position with MOHH but that essentially means you have wasted the past 4 years in the UK (FY2+ 3 years of GP training).

Because anyone who completes FY1(or the equivalent of HO year) and returns to SG will get paid the same as you.

So practically you have wasted your 4 years.

Those of your peers who went back to SG after FY1 are probably on their way to full reg now, but you are just joining as a baby MO under conditional reg

Rubbish.

He has knowledge and experience of a mrcgp and cct
How would that be wasted?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Thanks again for the insightful response! Wish we could pin this for others who may have similar questions.

One more question: Heard SG Drs work 80-100 hrs/wk. Can't be true in a polyclinic setting, right? What if I have to apply to MOHH for an MO job? Would that mean I'd have to go through MOPEX with rotas of 80-100 hrs/wk (with allowances/stipend), at least until I secure a polyclinic placement?

Depends on your rotation
The problem is juniors have to come pre round so U can present to seniors when they turn at at 8am
Depends on how zai you are, U can come how late.

I'm a complete noob and struggle in my gen med posting
So I go in v early at 530 to 6 am to clerk patient and get my story correct
But by 9 or 10am usually finish rounding liao. Then go lim kopi
Finish changes can chill.
Usually lunch onwards quite slack de ma
430pm do exit and whatever minimal changes
Try to leave by 530pm.

To me, the hardest part is getting to work early every day and stressed over the previous day admits
Weekend burnt with calls and rounding
But overall the work stress is lower just not much of hours outside of work

Polyclinic different challenge.
Patient load and congitive load v high.
Your 8 hours in office U are always seeing patients
Complex demanding ones. Go home brain fried.
Admittedly now after a bit laojiao not as bad and not everyday brain fried

When I was a trainee, we rotate to gp land for a while.
Work there is a breeze compared to ops man
Go home still got energy and mental strength left to study and go exercise

Life's good in GP land. Was a full time locum before when I earned more but I realise one thing. My networth only goes up exponentially with our (me and hubby) property investments. Earning a Dr's salary is good only for leveraging and getting loans with banks for property investments. Only used to save S$30k a year from salary, now less probably less from salary but same if count in stock returns.

But property is where the real money is. We just sold our freehold condo to buy a freehold terrace at S$600k below valuation. Better still, today just found out neighbouring sold for much higher. If we sell at their buying psf, already made S$1 mil plus and we haven't even exercise our option yet.

Banks loan u higher if u can showfunds which is what we r doing. Though not supposed to use the showfunds towards payment of the property but the bankers all close one eye.

So while u guys earn a stable high salary, use it well to leverage on property loans.

With Population White Paper of 6.9 mil by 2030 and limited land, freehold landed property will outperform. Sg already attracting record number of millionaires.

We previously had another freehold terrace which we sold to a Pinoy New citizen and now r selling our condo to a China PR HDB upgrader. So this is one great plus about having rich foreigners become PRs and NC.

Used to oppose PAP's foreign worker policy but now I see it's benefits.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Life's good in GP land. Was a full time locum before when I earned more but I realise one thing. My networth only goes up exponentially with our (me and hubby) property investments. Earning a Dr's salary is good only for leveraging and getting loans with banks for property investments. Only used to save S$30k a year from salary, now less probably less from salary but same if count in stock returns.

But property is where the real money is. We just sold our freehold condo to buy a freehold terrace at S$600k below valuation. Better still, today just found out neighbouring sold for much higher. If we sell at their buying psf, already made S$1 mil plus and we haven't even exercise our option yet.

Banks loan u higher if u can showfunds which is what we r doing. Though not supposed to use the showfunds towards payment of the property but the bankers all close one eye.

So while u guys earn a stable high salary, use it well to leverage on property loans.

With Population White Paper of 6.9 mil by 2030 and limited land, freehold landed property will outperform. Sg already attracting record number of millionaires.

We previously had another freehold terrace which we sold to a Pinoy New citizen and now r selling our condo to a China PR HDB upgrader. So this is one great plus about having rich foreigners become PRs and NC.

Used to oppose PAP's foreign worker policy but now I see it's benefits.

Nothing to shout at. I saw the address of my bosses
All super big plots of land some 5000sqft detached, another 12000sqft

The thing is they still come to work leh
Really not for the money

OPS is really just a production line. High volume. But Fam Med is quite similar across many countries. More demands for higher quality care but cram it into the same short consult time. There is no allowance for more time despite the higher expectations. Plus no allowance for higher remuneration. I am glad I got out of Fam Med.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

OPS is really just a production line. High volume. But Fam Med is quite similar across many countries. More demands for higher quality care but cram it into the same short consult time. There is no allowance for more time despite the higher expectations. Plus no allowance for higher remuneration. I am glad I got out of Fam Med.

Higher remuneration have to venture into other fields like aesthetics I guess.
FM has always been volume based, eventually I feel that seeing 50-60 simple urti cases easier than 40 chronics in ops.
Most of my batch who stay in ops eventually keen to do fcfp and climb, coz it gets them out of the daily grind of seeing pts. Very few people who choose to stay do clinical alone.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Higher remuneration have to venture into other fields like aesthetics I guess.
FM has always been volume based, eventually I feel that seeing 50-60 simple urti cases easier than 40 chronics in ops.
Most of my batch who stay in ops eventually keen to do fcfp and climb, coz it gets them out of the daily grind of seeing pts. Very few people who choose to stay do clinical alone.

Seeing simple cases is easier. The strange thing is there is no appropriate increase in time allowed for complicated cases or an increase in the fees for same.
It is also ironic that all these highly qualified senior family doctors are looking at moving away from clinical work.

Goes to show how low Family Medicine has fallen or already was to begin with.

Unfortunately the reality is reform is not coming to Family Medicine. For one's own sake, it is best to find areas to specialize in.

Slightly unusual question in this forum. Have anyone attended this course before regarding AI in healthcare? (From the perspective of a gp). Thinking of how to leverage on AI in today's world, but not sure where to start.

s://nusmed.emeritus.org/ai-for-healthcare?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Interest _27-55&utm_campaign=B-365D_SG_FB_INT_NUS-AIH_SEP_24_Healthcare&utm_content=NUSMED_AIH_Graph ic_Icon_PHighlights_1200x1200px_Static_03&utm_camp aign_id=120210175439540611&utm_adset_id=1202101754 39560611&utm_placement=Facebook_Mobile_Feed&utm_ad _id=120210175671760611&utm_id=120210175439540611_v 2_s07&utm_term=120210175439560611

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Higher remuneration have to venture into other fields like aesthetics I guess.
FM has always been volume based, eventually I feel that seeing 50-60 simple urti cases easier than 40 chronics in ops.
Most of my batch who stay in ops eventually keen to do fcfp and climb, coz it gets them out of the daily grind of seeing pts. Very few people who choose to stay do clinical alone.

I'm the guy who wrote the long post on the possible routes.
I do not agree with you.

If i'm have to see 50-60 urti a day everyday for the rest of my life, i think i will go nuts.

The key to is find meaning in your work i guess. In those first few years after m.med many a times i want to quit to go private GP land, go community hospital , turn locum etc.

Now i'm still here in the polyclinic. I'm do not have FCFP and not doing some head or deputy job.
Can't say I'm loving it every day, there are good and bad days , but overall i'm not hating it. I try to engage myself in various things.
The key as one of my senior advised me, is to find your niche. She ended up doing the education track.
Right now i'm clinical 3.5 days ,0.5 days teaching and 1 day doing a unique external arrangement that is clinically quite light. Involved in SAG work and a few collaborations with hospitals as well at MOH level.

The 3.5 clinical days can be varied. I am able to run the special clinics like health and mind, memory clinic, dermatology STC, procedure etc It gives me some depth and makes the work interesting.
I saw 48 patients today in a mix chronic acute urti que. I finish at 1pm , break for lunch and start work at 2pm and finish work at exactly 4:30pm. Most are routine cases but there is a guy who had Hba1c 8.9 that i managed to get him to start on metformin after he had declined for 2 years. It took some time and counselling. End the end of it he told me he is agreeable to start because i take the time and have the patience to explain many things to him unlike all the other doctors before me.
I like to think i probably give a few more years of good life.
We are a production line only when u allow yourself to be a production worker going through the motion la.
I can also tell u many other satisfying cases i've seen but i shall not bore you here.

I also do not see patient everyday unlike a private GP. Wonca coming, someone help me pay the fees and i get to spend 2 days away from work for example. I think i shall try to do some research to present at the next wonca which is not in Singapore! so i can take paid conference leave and bring my wife for a holiday

I also teach a fair bit although i'm letting the younger m.medders take more now. Year 3 NUS students, year 4 electives, year 5 saps in addition to residents and APNs. I have a whole fridge of thank you cards from students.

I don't earn a lot la. Not surgeon money, but not faring too badly. Annual handily beat most hired GPs i think and i work 8-4:30 pm hor.