Latitudes Group International - Destinations - Important Informatio for Singapore

Singapore
Registration Requirements

English Language Proficiency
Obtaining Professional Registration as a medical practitioner
Are you currently completing your F1 or F2 year and seeking training opportunities?

English Language Proficiency

The Singapore Medical Council imposes no requirements regarding English Language Proficiency for registration in Singapore, however it is important to note that English is the communication medium of medicine in Singapore.

Obtaining Professional Registration as a non specialist medical practitioner

The Singapore Medical Council has four categories of registration. Details can be viewed at the Singapore Medical Council's website, however are summarised as follows:

Full Registration
Conditional Registration
Temporary Registration
Provisional Registration

More information can be found here.

As an international medical graduate, it is most likely that you would be registered under Conditional Registration.

Eligibility requirements:

holds a basic medical degree from a university/ medical school listed in the Schedule of the Medical Registration Act; or

possesses a basic or exit specialist qualification recognised by the Specialists Accreditation Board; and

has been selected for employment in a Singapore hospital/ institution/ medical practice approved by the Medical Council; and

holds a certificate of experience as proof of satisfactory completion of housemanship.

Since 18 Jan 2005, temporary registrants from non-traditional sources who subsequently obtained specialist accreditation from the Specialist Accreditation Board will be eligible to apply for conditional registration by virtue of their specialist registration, subject to good assessment reports.

Foreign-trained doctors on temporary registration could apply for conversion of their temporary registration to conditional registration if they have acquired registrable postgraduate qualifications recognised by Specialists Accreditation Board.

The specified period of service under conditional registration for the different categories are indicated in table below:

Category/ Terms for Conditional Registration	Specialist*		Non-Specialist*
	Singaporean	Non-Singaporean & PR^	Singaporean	Non-Singaporean & PR^
Specified period of good performance required before eligibility for Full registration	1 year	2 years	2 years	4 years
Place of Practice	1st year mandated in approved institutional practice` unless doctor satisfies (A) below		1st year mandated in approved institutional practice` unless doctor satisfies (B) below
Supervisory Framework **	Yes		Yes

^ Singapore Permanent Resident
* Institutional practice refers to restructured hospitals. Other institutions may be considered by SMC on application.

Criteria for conditional registrants for direct employment and practice in any healthcare practice:

Category

Details

(A)

Foreign-trained (except European-trained) specialists can practise under supervision of an appropriate specialist in private specialist practice IF he/she has 5 years clinical experience after obtaining specialty qualification.

He/she must be accredited by the Specialist Accreditation Board and registered with SMC as a Specialist before he/she can practise as a specialist in Singapore

(B)

Foreign-trained non-specialists can practise in non-institutional or private Family Medicine practice or other private group practice IFhe/she has at least 5 years practice in Family Medicine after obtaining any of the following Family Physician qualifications:

Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners, MRCGP (UK)
Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, FRACGP (Australia only)
American Board Certification in Family Medicine, USA
Certificate of College of Family Physicians (CCFP, Canada)
Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians (FHKCFP)

Note: To qualify for this category, the doctor's basic medical qualification must be from a medical school listed in the current Schedule of the Medical Registration Act.

Foreign-trained specialists and non-specialists can apply to join a non-institutional type of practice after the 1st year provided the doctor has consistently obtained grading of 'Excellent' and 'Good' in the assessment reports; and the performance must have been considered 'Excellent' and 'Good' by the supervisor, employing institution and the SMC. Doctors with performance grades of 'Fair' and below would not be accorded this privilege and may also not be granted extension of conditional registration.

** There are 2 types of supervisory assessments in the Framework:

360 degree assessment (including appointed supervisor) - this is not required for categories (A) & (B) above.
Report from appointed supervisor and medical director of the licensed healthcare practice or Chairman Medical Board of the hospital for categories (A) & (B).

Further Information

List of Primary Qualifications acceptable for registration in Singapore
List of Postgraduate Qualifications acceptable for registration in Singapore
Further Information for Specialists