How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

for PGY 1 framework, need 12 months of full time work to accumulate sufficient experience. hence NPL will not be counted. say you take 1 month of NPL, then you need to serve another 1 month to ensure you get full 12 months of full time experience.

Generally NPL for frowned upon unless there is valid reason.

Wait, so as a local graduate, does this mean I have the option of taking a month of no pay leave should I want to; so long as I complete 12 months of full time work in total as a HO?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

That is sweet. If you locum in Singapore, you will get charged by council. Since you will be on a conditional license for first 3 years. For full license, locuming might get you immediate dismissal.

How much liquidated damage you have to pay if you Break bond?

What is the reason for not allowing Singaporean doctors to locum?

The base income provided by MOH is not exactly generous.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

That is sweet. If you locum in Singapore, you will get charged by council. Since you will be on a conditional license for first 3 years. For full license, locuming might get you immediate dismissal.

How much liquidated damage you have to pay if you Break bond?

about 10% of the last year of your fees

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I took the grant when I'm in my third year. Not sure how difficult it is to get into various specialities in Singapore. It should be expected that some specialities are easily to 'get into' while some are extremely difficult. I was told specialties like IM and GP might be easier to get into but I'm not entirely sure. The sub specialties of IM will be tougher. Not sure what's the percentage of applicants that get accepted. Maybe someone in this forum might be able to advice.

I kind of regret taking the grant now and many of my peers have the same sentiments. Discounting the lack of training opportunities in Singapore there are still many reasons one might choose to stay in the UK. Welfare obviously being one. People here are very nice and keen to teach. Also, you have 3 weeks of annual leave per 6 month in th UK which makes it 30 days a year. I have 39 days in total this year due to days in lieu working on bank holidays. That's 2 months of free holiday for you to travel back to Singapore to visit your family. Not sure how many days Singapore HOs or MOs get. Might be about there as well but I'm not sure. You have the option of locuming here from FY1 which pays band 3 £30-40 an hour to supplement your wage. You can't work more than 48 hours a week due to the European working guidelines if not you will be paid a lot more up to x2 of your basic pay. Not sure if this will change after brexit but I highly doubt it will. You get lots of free time and quality time you can use to study for your MRCP which we tend to take in Sept early FY2.

many thanks for the insight. hope you enjoy the rest of your time in the UK!

still unsure about wanting to go back, seems it will be saturated at the junior positions soon and it is already saturated at the top trying to get an AC position while less people are applying for a training post in the UK plus the work-life balance, although you might be more fed up with the poor NHS than the richer efficient high-tech sg system..

Originally Posted by Unregistered

many thanks for the insight. hope you enjoy the rest of your time in the UK!

still unsure about wanting to go back, seems it will be saturated at the junior positions soon and it is already saturated at the top trying to get an AC position while less people are applying for a training post in the UK plus the work-life balance, although you might be more fed up with the poor NHS than the richer efficient high-tech sg system..

NHS is poor coz each Dr works only 48hr per week. If we can make them work 96hr, imagine the cost savings, the efficiency, the reduction in waiting time.

The money saved could be spent on high tech stuff, shortening waiting times for radiology scans.

But they protest.
Leaving EU is the first step to be being great again.
If each Brit work as long and hard, like in Victorian times, there will be a resurgence.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

NHS is poor coz each Dr works only 48hr per week. If we can make them work 96hr, imagine the cost savings, the efficiency, the reduction in waiting time.

The money saved could be spent on high tech stuff, shortening waiting times for radiology scans.

But they protest.
Leaving EU is the first step to be being great again.
If each Brit work as long and hard, like in Victorian times, there will be a resurgence.

This must be sarcasm right? What's wrong with working 48hours per week? Moveover being a doctor doesn't pay you more than other jobs that require only 48hours or less per week.

Hi, I am a UK graduate worked in UK for few years, came back to Singapore a few years ago, failed to get into residency after a few attempts. Just wondering if anyone here feels that they seem to prefer younger doctors/applicants for residency? (Eg pgy 2/3 instead of those pgy 5/6)?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi, I am a UK graduate worked in UK for few years, came back to Singapore a few years ago, failed to get into residency after a few attempts. Just wondering if anyone here feels that they seem to prefer younger doctors/applicants for residency? (Eg pgy 2/3 instead of those pgy 5/6)?

What residency did you apply for ? It seems quite unlikely to struggle to get into residency after 5/6 years as a doctor.

I am thinking about returning to singapore from sydney to become a house man after i complete my degree here

I understand no job is perfect and I consider it a victory if 3 out of 5 of my wants are met.
1. Life work balance
2. Income
3. Location
4. Coworkers/my fulfillment
5. Future opportunities

Does anyone have suggestions?

Any GPs here?
Will like to ask in Singapore, does everyone who are not specialists eventually become gp? Do you actually have to go through fm residency to become a recognised gp? (Like the UK where you can only become a qualified gp if you go through the training programme)