How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

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

What is considered "big money" that surgeons in private make?

the other thing that most of us probably fail to take into consideration is lifespan of a proceduralist. we think that attaining specialist title means you are age-proof.

with the exception of gastro, a proceduralist 'lifespan' is probably limited. anyone who's spent good number of hours in OT or interventional disciplines would know that SCs are not the ones with high volume cases. they are sitting in a corner watching their AC/regs do the procedure (rightly so as the younger ones need to learn).

depending on which discipline, most SCs in their 60s no longer operate without a reg/AC/fellow next to them (i.e. if they were in private, their income portion from doing procedures would be significantly lower)

take for example someone who leaves for private as a C:
23 finish med school
24 HO, 26 get into residency
5-6 years of training 31 exit, 32 AC, 33 C
38 finish serving 5 years in public, 39 leave for private
40 start earning $ from private patients

you have 40 to before 60 yrs old, slightly under 20 years to earn the big bucks. retire at 60, enjoy 10 years, 70 prepare to enter geriatrics land await MI or Ca.

compared to breaking bond at 25, chiong 15 years till you 40 (or 45 if you serve out the bond or await full reg) then slow down work part time, spend time with your kids and elderly parents while your house has appreciated in value.

2 very different approaches to life - specialist track is delayed gratification at its finest and enjoying the fruits of your labour towards the end of your life.

[the above specialist track assumes best case scenario - not dukie or IMG, no NS, enter residency PGY3, pass all exams on first try, no service reg after exiting, good business straight out of public into private land. we all know someone who did not achieve best case scenario because, life dont always go as planned.]

When do most singapore male doctor turn SC? I supposed earliest is 42 and can be as late as 45 or older?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

the other thing that most of us probably fail to take into consideration is lifespan of a proceduralist. we think that attaining specialist title means you are age-proof.

with the exception of gastro, a proceduralist 'lifespan' is probably limited. anyone who's spent good number of hours in OT or interventional disciplines would know that SCs are not the ones with high volume cases. they are sitting in a corner watching their AC/regs do the procedure (rightly so as the younger ones need to learn).

depending on which discipline, most SCs in their 60s no longer operate without a reg/AC/fellow next to them (i.e. if they were in private, their income portion from doing procedures would be significantly lower)

take for example someone who leaves for private as a C:
23 finish med school
24 HO, 26 get into residency
5-6 years of training 31 exit, 32 AC, 33 C
38 finish serving 5 years in public, 39 leave for private
40 start earning $ from private patients

you have 40 to before 60 yrs old, slightly under 20 years to earn the big bucks. retire at 60, enjoy 10 years, 70 prepare to enter geriatrics land await MI or Ca.

compared to breaking bond at 25, chiong 15 years till you 40 (or 45 if you serve out the bond or await full reg) then slow down work part time, spend time with your kids and elderly parents while your house has appreciated in value.

2 very different approaches to life - specialist track is delayed gratification at its finest and enjoying the fruits of your labour towards the end of your life.

[the above specialist track assumes best case scenario - not dukie or IMG, no NS, enter residency PGY3, pass all exams on first try, no service reg after exiting, good business straight out of public into private land. we all know someone who did not achieve best case scenario because, life dont always go as planned.]

Your post makes so many assumptions that it dosent make any sense. An AC makes almsot as much as private GP at the age of 32, so only 2 years later than someone who serves the whole bond. A Private consultant makes easily 4-5 times more than a GP, even 5 years of work would be more than enough to retire extremely comfortably at age 45. Also don’t see how being an IMG would affect the process. Plenty of young consultants and doctors in private are IMGs

Originally Posted by Unregistered

the other thing that most of us probably fail to take into consideration is lifespan of a proceduralist. we think that attaining specialist title means you are age-proof.

with the exception of gastro, a proceduralist 'lifespan' is probably limited. anyone who's spent good number of hours in OT or interventional disciplines would know that SCs are not the ones with high volume cases. they are sitting in a corner watching their AC/regs do the procedure (rightly so as the younger ones need to learn).

depending on which discipline, most SCs in their 60s no longer operate without a reg/AC/fellow next to them (i.e. if they were in private, their income portion from doing procedures would be significantly lower)

take for example someone who leaves for private as a C:
23 finish med school
24 HO, 26 get into residency
5-6 years of training 31 exit, 32 AC, 33 C
38 finish serving 5 years in public, 39 leave for private
40 start earning $ from private patients

you have 40 to before 60 yrs old, slightly under 20 years to earn the big bucks. retire at 60, enjoy 10 years, 70 prepare to enter geriatrics land await MI or Ca.

compared to breaking bond at 25, chiong 15 years till you 40 (or 45 if you serve out the bond or await full reg) then slow down work part time, spend time with your kids and elderly parents while your house has appreciated in value.

2 very different approaches to life - specialist track is delayed gratification at its finest and enjoying the fruits of your labour towards the end of your life.

[the above specialist track assumes best case scenario - not dukie or IMG, no NS, enter residency PGY3, pass all exams on first try, no service reg after exiting, good business straight out of public into private land. we all know someone who did not achieve best case scenario because, life dont always go as planned.]

u make so many assumptions that ur arguments are just plain wrong. An AC makes almost as much as a private GP and as a private consultant u can easily make enough to retire comfortably in 5 years of work because of how much you’d be making. why would u need to work till 60?? Also why does being an IMG have to do with anything. Duke understandbke because post grad but the number of IMG consultants in private and SC or C in public is also substantial

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Your post makes so many assumptions that it dosent make any sense. An AC makes almsot as much as private GP at the age of 32, so only 2 years later than someone who serves the whole bond. A Private consultant makes easily 4-5 times more than a GP, even 5 years of work would be more than enough to retire extremely comfortably at age 45. Also don’t see how being an IMG would affect the process. Plenty of young consultants and doctors in private are IMGs

He is just trying to justify the financial 'incentive' of breaking bond
Tbh, U know I know la, if can make it, most don't break bond and would train in something, even public medicine.
I've seen some pretty driven folks who want to do gp business from the get go.
Even they stay around and do rotations in paediatrics, ops, gen med, a&E , derm etc to learn the ropes because year 1 or 2 break bond? What do these folks know man..don't even trust them to treat an urti.


Most of your bond breakers are jaded Mo who can't get into training, lost interest in doctoring etc and wants to do nothing to advance themselves but can't really find anything that readily pays them 200k a year. Break bond and become private gp lo.

Private specialist might not easily make 4 to 5 times a GP salary la
Ur rheumatologist where got 1 million salary? Ditto for quite a fair bit of medical specialist
Even ur non interventional cardiologist will struggle to rake in a million from consultation alone.
My neighbourhood got a cardio clinic in the HDB. I every morning walk by , clinic no one de while the gp clinic few shops away busting with people. I dun see how the cardio clinic can out earn the gp clinic.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

He is just trying to justify the financial 'incentive' of breaking bond
Tbh, U know I know la, if can make it, most don't break bond and would train in something, even public medicine.
I've seen some pretty driven folks who want to do gp business from the get go.
Even they stay around and do rotations in paediatrics, ops, gen med, a&E , derm etc to learn the ropes because year 1 or 2 break bond? What do these folks know man..don't even trust them to treat an urti.


Most of your bond breakers are jaded Mo who can't get into training, lost interest in doctoring etc and wants to do nothing to advance themselves but can't really find anything that readily pays them 200k a year. Break bond and become private gp lo.

Private specialist might not easily make 4 to 5 times a GP salary la
Ur rheumatologist where got 1 million salary? Ditto for quite a fair bit of medical specialist
Even ur non interventional cardiologist will struggle to rake in a million from consultation alone.
My neighbourhood got a cardio clinic in the HDB. I every morning walk by , clinic no one de while the gp clinic few shops away busting with people. I dun see how the cardio clinic can out earn the gp clinic.

It’s not about getting into training, it’s about surviving through residency and having the delayed gratification.

It’s easy to say, but hard to do when you are actually in it. I myself dropped out of GS residency to go into aesthetics, and I know many other batchmates who also dropped out after their bond.

Sure a specialist earns more in the long run, but that’s after at least 10 years of hard slog in public.

Something not many people can endure these days, especially with attractive opportunities in stock and housing market

Originally Posted by Unregistered

u make so many assumptions that ur arguments are just plain wrong. An AC makes almost as much as a private GP and as a private consultant u can easily make enough to retire comfortably in 5 years of work because of how much you’d be making. why would u need to work till 60?? Also why does being an IMG have to do with anything. Duke understandbke because post grad but the number of IMG consultants in private and SC or C in public is also substantial

It’s easy to say but hard to do when you are actually in it. Can you have the discipline to withstand hardship in public (long working hours plus postgrad exams), while your non-medical peers are enjoying life outside?

That’s the main reason why many quit residency and take the gamble to go into private GP or aesthetics

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What is considered "big money" that surgeons in private make?

actually not very sure also

s://.straitstimes.com/singapore/doctors-suspended-over-claims-explain-their-actions

saw this and was wondering why if money is so good in private need to make multiple claims for one surgery

someone please enlighten

Originally Posted by Unregistered

actually not very sure also

s://.straitstimes.com/singapore/doctors-suspended-over-claims-explain-their-actions

saw this and was wondering why if money is so good in private need to make multiple claims for one surgery

someone please enlighten

It’s not that good as what you think.. even if it is it will take you decades to reach there. By all means take this route if you want to only start enjoying your millions as a balding doctor in the 70s.