How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Most people want to go AU NZ to practise and you wanna come here? What's the reason?

Have you read this:
Doctors’ pay | Salary.sg - Your Salary in Singapore

Oi, you're seriously so negative and so complainy, just TYPICAL SINGAPOREAN NATURE. I'm a medical student 3rd year now. I have been living in singapore and raised there, have been studying in the UK since I was 16. I can honestly say, the lifestyle in singapore is much better. And YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE FLUENT IN HOKKIEN/MANDARIN. Whoever said that is an idiot. I speak english and only english and that's what everyone speaks, even some chinese people can't speak mandarin or hokkien! Work life and load in england is more stressful and less respect given to colleagues. In singapore, trust me, us whites dominate the place. They respect us because we're foreign talent. Lifestyle in singapore may be fast-paced but so is the lifestyle in the UK. Don't listen to these complainy singaporeans, it's just their nature , they think the grass is greener on the other side cause they're thinking oh my goshhh london, the queen, so majestic. They have a false perception of the UK, it's not all glam as you and I know.. So choose to work in sg, you won't regret it, life there is better (Y) take it from a british who was raised there!

[ABCDoc]

Hi, I am a US born, Chinese American medical student attending a US medical school recognized by the SMC, with dreams about living and practicing medicine in Asia. I am currently in the process of trying to decide upon which specialties to delve into, mainly between ED, Internal medicine and its various subspecialties, Anesthesiology, or PM&R (Rehabilitative medicine) --- with consideration towards what is currently in demand with regards to Singaporean physician opportunities. I visited Singapore a few months ago, visited Mount Elisabeth and SGH hospitals, and was very impressed with the facilities and also the way I was treated in general. My main reason for considering employment in Asia is mainly lifestyle --- I have been in the USA all my life, and I tasted international travel and life abroad and I LIKED IT. ALOT. Any information that can point me in the right direction would be helpful. I know that Card onc and geriatrics is pretty hot there in Singapore, but Im not really interested in those specialties.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Oi, you're seriously so negative and so complainy, just TYPICAL SINGAPOREAN NATURE. I'm a medical student 3rd year now. I have been living in singapore and raised there, have been studying in the UK since I was 16. I can honestly say, the lifestyle in singapore is much better. And YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE FLUENT IN HOKKIEN/MANDARIN. Whoever said that is an idiot. I speak english and only english and that's what everyone speaks, even some chinese people can't speak mandarin or hokkien! Work life and load in england is more stressful and less respect given to colleagues. In singapore, trust me, us whites dominate the place. They respect us because we're foreign talent. Lifestyle in singapore may be fast-paced but so is the lifestyle in the UK. Don't listen to these complainy singaporeans, it's just their nature , they think the grass is greener on the other side cause they're thinking oh my goshhh london, the queen, so majestic. They have a false perception of the UK, it's not all glam as you and I know.. So choose to work in sg, you won't regret it, life there is better (Y) take it from a british who was raised there!

So many contradictions in your story..

I believe the original post was from someone who is Not from Singapore. Why stay on if you so dread it? Is it really that bad comparing to Australia? Do you know many Foreign trained doctors spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to try to get registration and work in Australia and are left with mounting debts and finally have to pick up and leave?? Doctors here have no life either if you want to make enough money to pay for your cost of living!

Yes, cars are cheap in Australia, but NOTHING else is! Housing loans are averaging 7%!! Car loans average 5%. It can work out well if you come with a truck load of cash and not loan for anything. Personal income tax is 40-48%!! Do you know how POOR the average Australian is?? The average Australian lives from hand to mouth, week to week! A registrar without work for a week, will find it hard to make ends meet ... to the extent of not even being able to service his car, or top up his mobile phone credit!

People here do NOT put in their best. They do the minimum. So if you are a Righteous doctor, you end up having to do everything yourself, and are also subject to being bullied by the Local. Living in Australia is crazy! Rent is PER WEEK! A small suburban (this also means you have to drive easily 45 mins to an hour just to get to the city) 2 bedroom run down unit (yes, EVERYTHING is OLD and run down here!), will set you back easily $380 a week in rent.. that would work out to around SGD2.2k a month . And food .. one foodcourt lunch with a bottle of water would already set you back easily SGD17-20. 3 meals a day would set you back easily $60. You can forget about dining out.. eating out at a simple restaurant, would set you easily SGD45 (NO alcohol). EVERYTHING else is expensive. A female doctor can forget about having kids and returning to the workforce, because there is no one to help you with the child and the chores! Child care is $150 a DAY, from 7am to 5pm. There is NO WAY you can get help with them after 5pm. This means you can kiss your $200,000 medical school investment goodbye, or forever remain single! What work/life balance?

You say you have worked in 4 countries ... seriously???

[ABCDoc]

I guess the Grass is always Greener... or haven't you heard?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

to the foreign doctor above who completed his residency in singapore and am currently a consultant there, i wonder why did you choose to do your residency in sg? i would jump at the opportunity to do it in australia/ UK. they are more reputable.

It was far easier back then, and that was 10 years ago, to get into a training position than in Australia or in the UK. And i prefer the local food here.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I believe the original post was from someone who is Not from Singapore. Why stay on if you so dread it? Is it really that bad comparing to Australia? Do you know many Foreign trained doctors spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to try to get registration and work in Australia and are left with mounting debts and finally have to pick up and leave?? Doctors here have no life either if you want to make enough money to pay for your cost of living!

Yes, cars are cheap in Australia, but NOTHING else is! Housing loans are averaging 7%!! Car loans average 5%. It can work out well if you come with a truck load of cash and not loan for anything. Personal income tax is 40-48%!! Do you know how POOR the average Australian is?? The average Australian lives from hand to mouth, week to week! A registrar without work for a week, will find it hard to make ends meet ... to the extent of not even being able to service his car, or top up his mobile phone credit!

People here do NOT put in their best. They do the minimum. So if you are a Righteous doctor, you end up having to do everything yourself, and are also subject to being bullied by the Local. Living in Australia is crazy! Rent is PER WEEK! A small suburban (this also means you have to drive easily 45 mins to an hour just to get to the city) 2 bedroom run down unit (yes, EVERYTHING is OLD and run down here!), will set you back easily $380 a week in rent.. that would work out to around SGD2.2k a month . And food .. one foodcourt lunch with a bottle of water would already set you back easily SGD17-20. 3 meals a day would set you back easily $60. You can forget about dining out.. eating out at a simple restaurant, would set you easily SGD45 (NO alcohol). EVERYTHING else is expensive. A female doctor can forget about having kids and returning to the workforce, because there is no one to help you with the child and the chores! Child care is $150 a DAY, from 7am to 5pm. There is NO WAY you can get help with them after 5pm. This means you can kiss your $200,000 medical school investment goodbye, or forever remain single! What work/life balance?

You say you have worked in 4 countries ... seriously???

also, please don't forget, the racism of the Aussies towards Asians.

does anybody have any idea how much an emergency physician is earning in spore ?

Any one planing to move to sg to work as a Dr... i feel for you.. this is probably one of the worst places you can ever work....

yes, pay is good... but what's the point of that if you go home depressed everyday at 7pm after stating work at 6am... really.. it sucks.. im ready to sacrifice my high pay for a life!!

hours are long.. no one appreciates your input into the local healthcare.. no matter how hard working you may be, if you screw up once -> that's it!! you will be gossiped about in the hospital you working at and other hospitals you may have never stepped a foot in.. thats what they love doing.. back stabbing!! and that just's blows ur confidence and as a consequence you will be a worse dr..

they say it's for patient's safety... yeah right!! i have never met a single physician who tries to kill a patient.. if it is really for patient's safety then don't you think they should slow down, take you to the corner, explain to you ur mistake then also advice on how not to do such a mistake next time??

about registration issues.. yip, you screwed there as well.. most other countries give you full registration within 6-12 months.. in Singapore (if they recognize your qualification) they say within 3 years you can fully register.. when 3 years comes they like oh, you need to go for the pledge ceromony.. which is one or twice a year.. they wont tell you this from day one.. also, at the end of every posting you do you are reviewed by a senior.. and if they like you (not if you a competent dr) they may say yes, ok, he may be considered for full registration... and you need 6 of these forms.. donkey years to get all those...

training sucks!! period!! you work like a freaking camel is the Sahara and hardly get time to go even go drink water when u at hospital...

trust me people... this is only the surface of issues i touched here about life as a dr in Sg... dont let the money lure you in.. it's not worth it.. really.. m freaking glad i'll be resiging soon

only positive thing i can say about working here is that the case load is so high that you do get quiet good exposure to a variety of cases and you can be left alone at times to deal with these cases, which can be good, and if you stuck you just pick up the phone and ask for help.. good if u want to come here for a year or two then fly off to a place where u actually would have fun

PS: no one respect's you here as a dr.. not ur colleagues, not your patients and your family will also loose respect for you (coz u wont have time for them)

Originally Posted by Unregistered

does anybody have any idea how much an emergency physician is earning in spore ?

I worked as an MO here in SGH.. you make about $6500/month
That's if you an MO.. if you, however, qualify for Temporary registration then you make about 3500-4000/month.. very low considering the cost of living here..