How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Coz they are bonded and have no money to pay the bond.
Also once you leave, it's a 1 way ticket, no chance back to public, especially if you break bond. So big decision also la

I locumed for 10 years before, could earn twice as much, working same hrs as in a private GP in Parkway Shenton then.

Earned about S$13k a mth working 30 plus hrs, max S$15k a mth and that was many years ago.

Could buy landed, Estima car and take yearly holidays and still have annual S$30k savings.

Life as a locum is good, free and easy, own boss.

Though now I am not a locum, working in RMG now. I also appreciate RMG's medical benefits and paid leave and annual bonus and various perks like S$80 per dr budget for a cluster dinner every 3 mths.

Taken quite a bit of hospitalisation leave as I had breast cancer stage 1c and did bil mastectomy and reconstruction. Only paid S$17 can u believe it? Thanks to my HOD Breast cancer friend in TTSH who op very fast for me under B2 ward. Really appreciate govt subsidies as I have no private shield plan. Company and medishield also helped a lot.

Having medical benefits helps a lot as I am almost 50 years old now.

Thanks to a stable job, I am buying a landed again (sold my prev one) and looking at S$1 mil gains from this one as I bought it undervalued.

Already have S$1 mil gains from our prev properties too.

Though my pay is not fantastic now as before, other perks make up for it.

Life as a Dr is good I must say.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Coz they are bonded and have no money to pay the bond.
Also once you leave, it's a 1 way ticket, no chance back to public, especially if you break bond. So big decision also la

Never regretted my decision to leave once bond is over. Wanted to quit 2 weeks into polyclinic posting. And my record was seeing almost 100 patients a day including night clinic at Pasir Ris polyclinic.

Private sector is more sane, more time for each patient.

Once I went to locum for Hougang polyclinic, it was crazy with 2 monitors plus Skype messages all the time.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi just started out and already jaded. My seniors are always talking about how much more they could earn as a locum but they still haven't left for some reason. If it's truly so good why don't more people just leave?

Sometimes, can have relaxed locum clinic with very few patients. Very shiok.
Can earn like S$40 per patient based on locum rates.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Sometimes, can have relaxed locum clinic with very few patients. Very shiok.
Can earn like S$40 per patient based on locum rates.

When I left polyclinic for private, my boss commented sarcastically that sooner or later need to do nights in private sector but I have proved him wrong for almost 20 years.

I have a CHOICE to do night clinics as a locum and even in a private healthcare company, I can negotiate not to do night clinics.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Never regretted my decision to leave once bond is over. Wanted to quit 2 weeks into polyclinic posting. And my record was seeing almost 100 patients a day including night clinic at Pasir Ris polyclinic.

Private sector is more sane, more time for each patient.

Once I went to locum for Hougang polyclinic, it was crazy with 2 monitors plus Skype messages all the time.

Erm.
Day clinic can already seen 85 on good days
My personal record is 154.
U including night clinic see 100 is a drag on the system liao.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Erm.
Day clinic can already seen 85 on good days
My personal record is 154.
U including night clinic see 100 is a drag on the system liao.

85 on good days? Wow, it has gotten worse since I left.

Private, record only 70 a day, usually about 40, good days 15.
Ha ha.

I don't enjoy being treated like a production worker.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Erm.
Day clinic can already seen 85 on good days
My personal record is 154.
U including night clinic see 100 is a drag on the system liao.

It is really insane to see so many patients in a day.

Based on pay, what is the amount you earn from seeing each patient?

Private is at least S$10 per patient.

Polyclinic is S$5 per patient?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Never regretted my decision to leave once bond is over. Wanted to quit 2 weeks into polyclinic posting. And my record was seeing almost 100 patients a day including night clinic at Pasir Ris polyclinic.

Private sector is more sane, more time for each patient.

Once I went to locum for Hougang polyclinic, it was crazy with 2 monitors plus Skype messages all the time.

Since when polyclinic has night clinic? Lol smoke also need to make sense leh

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Since when polyclinic has night clinic? Lol smoke also need to make sense leh

It was a temporary scheme.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

It was a temporary scheme.

Yes, Pasir Ris had night clinic many years ago.