How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

FM training spots in singapore is very hard to get. I am not ashamed to share my story. I am born and bread in Singapore, average student I will say , served my housemanship here with no issues, had good feedback from my seniors, managed to get good recommendations from HOD and bosses to apply to FM but I was rejected. I didnt get in.

Then when I saw the list of people who got in , I was shocked, in the list was my houseman who were incompetent and rather inefficent ( not just me but according to fellow colleagues as well ) , quite a fair no of Malaysians got in - I have to say polyclinic has a large no of them . It was sad that I was not given a chance to be a FM doctor and I really wanted to work in FM.

Regardless, I decided not to apply again as the system left me very dissapointed. Who regulates these decisions? How do we know there is no bias towards people with personal connections? Why isit that me and fellow friends with good feedback and testimonials didnt get in , but people with bad feedback, bad rep as HOs can get in?

Heard certain cluster used to flash names of applicants and ask their residents opinions. Is this a fair way? ( I am not sure how true this is ). I will still work in FM, get my relevant certs and strive to be a good family physician . But I have to say , if you need primary care doctors, perhaps first and foremost review the way u accept people.
Be clear , what ure looking for , dont have bias in selections.

Funnily enough , someof these " questionable" people who joined, did not sign on with polys and some left for private practise shortly thereafter once getting full cert and the postings rotations they wanted

You apply how many times?
You apply to which cluster?

I local SG studied overseas , come back as MO 6 months apply get in liao.
But its a time when FM not very popular. And maybe i lucky, say correct things to appeal to correct pple during interview. I remember i wrote a beautiful essay about my motivation to join FM.

NHG quite irritating for me. The interviewer asked me ' what is it so different about you that we must select you for residency, there are tons of people out there applying' Piang ey, i remember that guy name forever. Need so cocky or not?
I guess i didn't suck his balls enough with my replies.

anyway, went to a better residency program IMHO. Meet some great folks.

Dun give up la. My R1 resident told me she apply 4 times before she got in last year.
This is real working life. play the game , appeal to correct people , apply again.

no residency also never mind , can GDFM -> M.med as what someone said.

Pls join polyclinic. we need hardcore singaporeans and to get rid of the many RP from malaysia, Indian and philipines. They ARE TERRIBLE. I fear for my patient's life.

AKI tcu 3 months repeat renal panel
25 year old young hypertension start amlodipine. Till i do blood test found out egfr 10 , he got lupus nephritis.
Fast AF can repeat ECG 3 months later. really WTF
Pat 80 year old on 5 hypertensive BP 110/70, can just repeat meds TCU 6 months.

Last time no manpower no choice hire them. Now very hard to sack them .

My ward nurse earns 6 k, that is more than MO and similar to reg pay

Why this forum so pessimistic about being a doctor. If everyone take GDFM and go private, who’s gonna slog it out in our public hospitals for the good of our Singaporean brother and sisters?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You apply how many times?
You apply to which cluster?

I local SG studied overseas , come back as MO 6 months apply get in liao.
But its a time when FM not very popular. And maybe i lucky, say correct things to appeal to correct pple during interview. I remember i wrote a beautiful essay about my motivation to join FM.

NHG quite irritating for me. The interviewer asked me ' what is it so different about you that we must select you for residency, there are tons of people out there applying' Piang ey, i remember that guy name forever. Need so cocky or not?
I guess i didn't suck his balls enough with my replies.

anyway, went to a better residency program IMHO. Meet some great folks.

Dun give up la. My R1 resident told me she apply 4 times before she got in last year.
This is real working life. play the game , appeal to correct people , apply again.

no residency also never mind , can GDFM -> M.med as what someone said.

Pls join polyclinic. we need hardcore singaporeans and to get rid of the many RP from malaysia, Indian and philipines. They ARE TERRIBLE. I fear for my patient's life.

AKI tcu 3 months repeat renal panel
25 year old young hypertension start amlodipine. Till i do blood test found out egfr 10 , he got lupus nephritis.
Fast AF can repeat ECG 3 months later. really WTF
Pat 80 year old on 5 hypertensive BP 110/70, can just repeat meds TCU 6 months.

Last time no manpower no choice hire them. Now very hard to sack them .

I think last time FM is not popular la. Anyone with a pulse who signed up is also FM resident then la.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Why this forum so pessimistic about being a doctor. If everyone take GDFM and go private, who’s gonna slog it out in our public hospitals for the good of our Singaporean brother and sisters?

private life where got good.
work day in and out , weekend burnt , 3 evening a week burnt salary don't match a polyclinic m.medder lei. dun bring in profit as anchor, out you go.
as gdfm supply increase , their wage suppressed some more. 13k become 12k become 11 k.
your polyclinic doctor at least match inflation. every few years one pay revision jump 10 to 15 percent. now then then promote also increase 5 to 10 percent. become senior enough u see slowly also no one dare scold u becuase clinic head could have been your trainee.

I am referring to NXX cluster. Bad experience similarly at the interview. Heard PD changed alrdy and ex-PD alrdy knew who he wants before the interview?

selected few even get special tea session.

They are the ones with all the PR. Even MOPEX, so hard to get in , always say pls rank us first but dont accept

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You apply how many times?
You apply to which cluster?

I local SG studied overseas , come back as MO 6 months apply get in liao.
But its a time when FM not very popular. And maybe i lucky, say correct things to appeal to correct pple during interview. I remember i wrote a beautiful essay about my motivation to join FM.

NHG quite irritating for me. The interviewer asked me ' what is it so different about you that we must select you for residency, there are tons of people out there applying' Piang ey, i remember that guy name forever. Need so cocky or not?
I guess i didn't suck his balls enough with my replies.

anyway, went to a better residency program IMHO. Meet some great folks.

Dun give up la. My R1 resident told me she apply 4 times before she got in last year.
This is real working life. play the game , appeal to correct people , apply again.

no residency also never mind , can GDFM -> M.med as what someone said.

Pls join polyclinic. we need hardcore singaporeans and to get rid of the many RP from malaysia, Indian and philipines. They ARE TERRIBLE. I fear for my patient's life.

AKI tcu 3 months repeat renal panel
25 year old young hypertension start amlodipine. Till i do blood test found out egfr 10 , he got lupus nephritis.
Fast AF can repeat ECG 3 months later. really WTF
Pat 80 year old on 5 hypertensive BP 110/70, can just repeat meds TCU 6 months.

Last time no manpower no choice hire them. Now very hard to sack them .

===============

What is wrong with the 80 year old , BP 110/70 on 5 meds. if asymptomatic and well, no giddiness, has home BP monitoring , meds optimised and has been this way for many years there is nth wrong with 6 m TCU , in fact many elderly wont even wanna come earlier than 6 m if very long on same meds, agreed the other situations are wrong but whats wrong with this 80 years old- alot of 80 years old due to ckd , ihd etc have 5 anti-htn , some including nitrates, diiuretics etc. Really , what would u have done instead? TCU3 m for what

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I am referring to NXX cluster. Bad experience similarly at the interview. Heard PD changed alrdy and ex-PD alrdy knew who he wants before the interview?

selected few even get special tea session.

They are the ones with all the PR. Even MOPEX, so hard to get in , always say pls rank us first but dont accept

aiyah. don't be so bitter la. polyclinic posting is v popular. new lifestyle speciality lei. u come to work with sun and leave work while the sun is still up. that has a certain appeal.
all the pd will SMS the resident they want. dun get doesn't mean u no chance , just not the top 5 or 10. each program take 20 plus. chances still high.
same for all programs. nothing special.

Darren seah ah? ey high flyer, senior con liao. ppl can only smell the dust he left behind.
nhg senior management a bit difficult one. that prof Chong is one scary women. while she is there..whole nhg will like that. but she like forever there, no place for her to move...ahaha

Originally Posted by Unregistered

===============

What is wrong with the 80 year old , BP 110/70 on 5 meds. if asymptomatic and well, no giddiness, has home BP monitoring , meds optimised and has been this way for many years there is nth wrong with 6 m TCU , in fact many elderly wont even wanna come earlier than 6 m if very long on same meds, agreed the other situations are wrong but whats wrong with this 80 years old- alot of 80 years old due to ckd , ihd etc have 5 anti-htn , some including nitrates, diiuretics etc. Really , what would u have done instead? TCU3 m for what

are u a pinoy or Indian RP?

five anti hypertensives in 80 year old with bp 110/70 and u think it's ok to continue the same meds? what do they teach u in med school now a days. go read up on some BP trials la.
or are there some new developmt I dunno. btw typo, it's 110/60..but still.
shall I tell u the HR is 62 on 12mg carvediolol. 10mg tds hydralazine, amlodipine 5mg, enalapril 10mg Om and 12.5mg hctz. no heart known heart failure
what would u have done?

need a tutorial on fam med or not.

It depends on the case my friend. Note evrything you read in the book is applicable in real life. We cannot force patients, we can discuss , offer explain pros and cons. If that patients BP was 120/80 for example, well, asymptomatic , on those meds for many years and the 80 year old auntie die die dont wanna change the meds, u cant do anything right?

Fam med is a discussion with the patient. It depends on what the discussion was. If patient understands, doesnt want to streamline the meds but optimising sub-optimal doses and cutting out the rest of the meds cause these are the doses she is familiar with and taking for 20 plus years what can u do by giving 1 month TCU??

OFC if auntie want to change meds or wasnt even offered, then that is a lapse
Dont anyhow slam people la... doesnt mean whats correct on paper happens in real life. Hello, cant force patients u know, ultimately their choice