How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

It’s not worth it.. the long slog of residency training to AC. Why waste your youth studying for exams and burning midnight shifts at hospital, while your more enterprising friends are already earning their pot of gold in aesthetics outside?

Your aesthetic friends probably have their own clinics, by the time you become a full-fledged consultant.

Some truth in that statement, especially property market has really shot through the roof in the last few years.
If you become AC this year, doubt your salary can afford a 3 bed condo new launch nowadays (as single)
But if you left for GP land pre COVID, your GP salary back then might be able to get you a 3 bedder new launch then. And you probably already pocketed a handsome profit and moved up the property ladder

Getting a high salary EARLY in the career is important. Not point waiting for late game till your are 40s/50s

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Is it easy to go private ? Based on MOH statistics, seemed like most specialists are in public hospitals.

Definitely some risk involved in going to private so it deters people. Also, public sector C and SC are compensated quite well so the incentive to go slog it out in private isn’t that big

Originally Posted by Unregistered

It’s not worth it.. the long slog of residency training to AC. Why waste your youth studying for exams and burning midnight shifts at hospital, while your more enterprising friends are already earning their pot of gold in aesthetics outside?

Your aesthetic friends probably have their own clinics, by the time you become a full-fledged consultant.

do u have any clue what aesthetic doctors make and what the progression is like career wise?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

do u have any clue what aesthetic doctors make and what the progression is like career wise?

The word aesthetic and doctor shouldnt be put in the same sentence.

There is zero progression on the doctor side of things.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I mean tbh once you meet the KPI you get paid around 60-70k annually so it’s not too bad. And there’s time allocated for the admin and teaching so it’s a break from clinical work

the 60-70k is in addition to the base pay? Does each of the CARE (clinical, admin, research, education) get an additional allowance or lumped together

think not easy to go private nowadays even as surgeons
see some cons saying want to go private for 3-4 years havent leave

first is the mandatory service of 5 years after becoming consultant (not inclusive of AC)
may also include fellowship bond

second is skillset - many ACs and even Cs not proficient in their range of procedures yet unless very hardworking in MO and reg years clocking in many hours in OT, so need to stick around after exit exam to learn regardless

third is insurance companies making it harder to charge high in private and if one just joined private may not be accepted onto insurance panel. they encourage patients to go to restructured hospitals even as private patients (heard this from patients themselves and some private specialists)

i may be wrong but above is some of the info i gathered from various people who share their experiences

Originally Posted by Unregistered

the 60-70k is in addition to the base pay? Does each of the CARE (clinical, admin, research, education) get an additional allowance or lumped together

lumped together under a Clinical and Admin component ( CERA in Singhealth) and paid over 2 installments.

Dont know about the 60-70k.must be a procedural speciality.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The word aesthetic and doctor shouldnt be put in the same sentence.

There is zero progression on the doctor side of things.

yea i meant money wise

Originally Posted by Unregistered

think not easy to go private nowadays even as surgeons
see some cons saying want to go private for 3-4 years havent leave

first is the mandatory service of 5 years after becoming consultant (not inclusive of AC)
may also include fellowship bond

second is skillset - many ACs and even Cs not proficient in their range of procedures yet unless very hardworking in MO and reg years clocking in many hours in OT, so need to stick around after exit exam to learn regardless

third is insurance companies making it harder to charge high in private and if one just joined private may not be accepted onto insurance panel. they encourage patients to go to restructured hospitals even as private patients (heard this from patients themselves and some private specialists)

i may be wrong but above is some of the info i gathered from various people who share their experiences

I think the insurance thing is cyclical. This is because over time as the existing panelists slowly retire, people won’t want to purchase private insurance coverage unless they continue to add new specialists who can serve them so it will smooth out over time. Everything else checks out

Originally Posted by Unregistered

think not easy to go private nowadays even as surgeons
see some cons saying want to go private for 3-4 years havent leave

first is the mandatory service of 5 years after becoming consultant (not inclusive of AC)
may also include fellowship bond

second is skillset - many ACs and even Cs not proficient in their range of procedures yet unless very hardworking in MO and reg years clocking in many hours in OT, so need to stick around after exit exam to learn regardless

third is insurance companies making it harder to charge high in private and if one just joined private may not be accepted onto insurance panel. they encourage patients to go to restructured hospitals even as private patients (heard this from patients themselves and some private specialists)

i may be wrong but above is some of the info i gathered from various people who share their experiences

Yet somehow pple on this forum talk about the big money that surgeons in private will make.
Tats all lo. Talk only.
U go open a shop in novena amongst the 30 other similar specialist there see if got business or not.

The general rule of thumb is if U start to have private patient from Indonesia flying in and requesting you while U are in the restructured hospital, then U have enough fame to start a private practice liao.
Otherwise U have to pay google a lot to put ur name up there when people do a search
Probably quite a few years of low income while U have to work very very hard for a reputation