What are the Career Prospects?
Beside polyclinics, family physicians can choose to practise in other settings, such as community hospitals, Family Medicine Clinics, home based care and acute hospitals. Family physicians can choose to further their training in family medicine by enrolling in Family Medicine Fellowship Programme (FMFP) run by the College of Family Physicians, Singapore or pursue subspecialty training in Sports Medicine, Geriatric Medicine or Palliative Medicine.
What will the selection process be like? What qualities do we look for during selection?
The selection process will consist of review of information from the application documents, such as CVs, letters of recommendation and write ups showcasing personal experience in the core competency domains. A face to face interview will then follow. Aptitudes, personal characteristics and communication skills are important consideration factors in the selection process.
You can find us at IG@nhgfamilymedicine if you wish to connect with our current residents.Interested applicants can also indicate their interest by emailing us at nhg_education@nhg.com.sg
What is the difference between residency and programme B?
The Residency programme involves hospital rotations through various subspecialty postings to equip residents with the necessary broad based experience relevant to primary healthcare.
Alternatively, one can progress from the GDFM to the MMed(FM) through the Programme B/ College route. Trainees from both the programmes will sit for the same MMed(FM) examination.
Can I choose which clinic to go, or the electives for honing my skills?
Yes! - Residents will indicate their clinic preference after they are accepted into the program and will be posted to a clinic based on their choice and slot availability. This will be their home base where they will gain exposure to primary healthcare during their 3 years of residency. We believe it is not just a place for learning, but also where residents will develop closer bonds with like-minded colleagues and warm-hearted friends
During year 2 of residency, residents get to choose which departments for both medical (eg CVM, RAI, Respiratory or Neurology) and surgical (eg ENT, Eye or Urology) electives. Residents will also go through compulsory electives like Dermatology and Psychiatry. These will not only be useful to increase exposure in certain specialty-specific conditions that may present in primary care, but also help to improve competence and confidence in their management.
What are the paperwork and assessments?
You would be familiar with end of posting forms already. We believe assessments are FOR learning- where we use each assessment as an opportunity to test ourselves on how much we have learnt or how competent we are. Assessments are also OF learning- where we showcase our professional skills to assessors in order to make a judgement on how safe we are after our training. Other than case and procedural logs, there will also be regular workplace based assessments, like Mini CEX and CBDs, specific to the different subspecialty postings and during polyclinic rotations.
Are there calls during residency?
Yes! Night calls are an important part of the learning journey so that residents can see firsthand the acute cases that present and be able to educate and communicate what happens when patients get sent to tertiary hospitals. Family Medicine residents thus do night calls during their General Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and O&G postings.
Am I eligible for the programme and how to apply?
- More information on residency application can be found here.
- Our residency positions are only eligible for those who are registered and employed to practise in Singapore. For the list of the degrees and qualifications that are recognised by the Singapore Medical Council and registrable to work in Singapore, please refer to its website.
What if I need career guidance?
The resident can seek advice from the Programme Director and the core faculty members. Each resident also has an FM supervisor who will advise and guide him/her through the residency years.