Allows an international medical graduate to work only in an SMC-approved healthcare institution, under the supervision of a fully registered medical practitioner.
Eligibility requirements:
- holds a basic1 medical degree from a university / medical school listed in the Second Schedule [PDF, 614KB] of the Medical Registration Act; or
- has a postgraduate qualification recognised by SMC; and
- has been selected for employment in an SMC-approved healthcare institution; and
- holds a certificate of experience or equivalent as proof of satisfactory completion of housemanship, or PGY1 or the internship year; and
- is currently in active clinical practice2; and
- has passed such national licensing examination as required in the country where the basic medical degree was conferred (if applicable); and
- has been certified to be in good standing by the overseas regulatory body or medical council equivalent; and
- fulfils English Language requirements of SMC if the medium of instruction for the basic medical qualification is not in the English Language
1 Medical degree obtained via a 'twinning programme' would be considered only if the clinical training years and final examinations are done and completed at the medical school or university listed in the Second Schedule and in the country where the medical school or university in the Second Schedule is situated.
2The doctor should be in active clinical practice for the 3 years preceding the application for medical registration (the minimum requirement is that the doctor must work an average of 168 hours per year during the 3 years prior to the application for registration).
All conditionally registered doctors must engage in clinical practice under the supervision of an appropriate supervisor approved by SMC. Their clinical work cannot include aesthetic practice. General health screening services should not exceed 20% of their clinical caseload.
Consideration for Full Registration
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A) Conditional Registration through a Medical School Listed in the Second Schedule of the Medical Registration Act (MRA)
If a conditionally registered (C-reg) doctor is registered by virtue of a basic medical qualification from a university / medical school listed in the Second Schedule [PDF, 484KB] of the MRA and had not completed Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY1) in Singapore, the satisfactory assessment reports must include:
>> at least 12 months of broad-based practice in General Medicine or Family Medicine3; OR
>> 6 months of General Medicine (or Family Medicine) and another 6 months in Internal Medicine related specialties4; OR
>> 6 months of General Medicine (or Family Medicine) and another 6 months in any of the following specialties: Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery or Paediatric Medicine; OR
>> 6 months of clinical posting in a Community Hospital5 and another 6 months in General Medicine6 or Family Medicine7 in an acute hospital. [effective from 1 January 2021]
The above postings are prospective following their registration in Singapore. SMC also recommends that employers and institutions of C-reg doctors arrange for their doctors to be assessed by more than one primary supervisor during the period of C-reg for a more objective and holistic appraisal.
3 Family Medicine postings must be in Family Medicine departments or Family Medicine practices recognised under the Family Physicians Accreditation Board for training or specifically recognised by SMC (for example the Accredited Learning Institutions). The primary supervisor must be a registered Family Physician approved by SMC.
4 Cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, geriatric medicine, haematology, infectious diseases, medical oncology, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, renal medicine, respiratory medicine, rheumatology.
5 Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, Bright Vision Hospital, Jurong Community Hospital, Outram Community Hospital, Ren Ci Community Hospital, Sengkang Community Hospital, St Andrew’s Community Hospital, St Luke’s Hospital or Yishun Community Hospital.
6 Must be in General Medicine and not Internal Medicine related specialties such as cardiology, gastroenterology etc.
7 Unlike the first 3 options, Family Medicine posting in this option is restricted to those in the acute hospital only. For example, Polyclinic posting will not be considered as Family Medicine posting in an acute hospital.
B) Conditional Registration through Registrable Postgraduate Qualifications
C-reg doctors who do not hold a basic medical degree from a university / medical school listed in the Second Schedule [PDF, 484KB] of the MRA will not be considered for full registration unless they:
>> are accredited as a specialist in a core specialty by the Specialists Accreditation Board, and have fulfilled two years of supervised practice under conditional registration in the new role as a specialist; or
>> obtained a registrable postgraduate Family Medicine qualification and accredited as a Family Physician by the Family Physicians Accreditation Board and have fulfilled two years (for Singapore citizens) or four years (for non-Singapore citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents) of supervised practice under conditional registration in the new role as a Family Physician.
They may also be required to practise in a restricted scope under C-reg, depending on their postgraduate qualifications.
Other Consideration for Full Registration
Conditionally registered doctors8 may be considered for full registration among other SMC prevailing criteria (e.g. performance, professional conduct and professionalism, fitness to practise) after they have fulfilled the conditions and periods of supervised practice as in Table 1.
Table 1 – Period of Supervised Practice for a Conditional Registrant to be considered for Full Registration
Category
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Specialist
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Non-Specialist/Family Physician9
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| Singapore Citizen |
Non-Singapore Citizen & Singapore PR
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Singapore Citizen |
Non-Singapore Citizen & Singapore PR |
Minimum period of supervised practice with consistently satisfactory performance10for consideration for Full registration11
Note: The period of supervised practice is based on full-time practice (the lowest threshold for full-time practice is 40 practice hours per week.) |
2 years
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2 years
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2 years
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4 years
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| Place of Practice |
Mandated to work in an approved healthcare institution unless doctor satisfies condition (A) below
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Mandated to work in an approved healthcare institution unless doctor satisfies condition (B) below |
Supervisory Framework
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Yes
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Yes
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Explanatory Notes
8Excluding doctors who are granted C-reg through registrable postgraduate qualifications and/or have a restricted scope of practice/conditions imposed on their C-reg.
9The minimum period of supervised practice would be based on the conditions imposed at the point of getting conditional registration and does not vary with any change of status or circumstance during the period of supervision.
10Have obtained consistently satisfactory assessment and multi-rater reports for the doctor’s performance during the period of his conditional registration.
11Period for consideration for full registration is based on full-time practice of at least 40 hours per week. Doctors who work less than 40 hours per week are considered as working part-time and must practise at least 20 hours per week before it can be accepted as eligible for part-time supervised practice. Part-time supervised practice i.e. 20 hours to less than 40 hours a week will count as half of full-time practice. Non-clinical or administrative postings would not be considered or counted as part of the minimum period for full registration. Doctors who are in predominately non-clinical residency programmes (e.g. Preventive Medicine residency programme) may be considered for full registration if they fulfil the required period of clinical practice during training, or are accredited and registered as a specialist.
Practice in the private sector
New foreign-trained doctors who apply to join the private sector directly must fulfil the criteria in Table 2 below.
Existing doctors may join a private practice if they have progressed to Level 3 (L3) supervision under SMC’s Supervisory Framework.
Table 2 - Criteria for direct entry into private practice
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Category
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Details
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(A)
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Foreign-trained (except European-trained) specialists can practise under supervision of an appropriate specialist in a private specialist practice IF they have 5 years* or more of related specialist clinical experience after obtaining an exit specialty qualification recognised by the Specialists Accreditation Board (SAB). They must be accredited by the SAB and registered with SMC as Specialists before they can practise as specialists in Singapore.
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(B)
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Foreign-trained non-specialists can practise in non-institutional or private Family Medicine practice or other private group practice IF they have at least 5 years* of practice in Family Medicine after obtaining any of the following Family Physician qualifications:
- Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners, MRCGP (UK)
- Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, FRACGP (Australia only)
- American Board Certification in Family Medicine, USA
- Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians (FHKCFP)
- Fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (FRNZCGP)
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*the 5 years is counted based on full-time practice of at least 40 hours per week.
Cancellation of Conditional Registration or Suspend the Conditions attached to the Registration:
The SMC may consider cancelling the doctor’s conditional registration or suspend the conditions attached to the doctor’s registration if the doctor:
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has breached the conditions of his medical registration; or |
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has ceased practice at the approved place of supervision; or |
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has not performed satisfactorily by SMC's assessment or performed to the standard that SMC requires; or |
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has ceased practice without prior approval from SMC including taking No-Pay leave without SMC’s approval. |
The doctor’s practising certificate will be deemed cancelled in the event that his/her registration has been cancelled or the conditions attached to his/her registration has been suspended by the SMC.
Conditionally Registered Doctors who go on No Pay Leave must apply to SMC:
A conditionally registered doctor may be allowed to go on No Pay Leave (NPL) for a period of up to one year to be excluded from the computation of the period of supervised practice under conditional registration (C-reg) for full registration.
NPL includes any type of leave which is not paid and for any reason. For example, while there are paid maternity leave and hospitalization leave, if a conditionally registered doctor wishes to extend such leave beyond the official paid periods, the part of the leave which is unpaid is considered as NPL. NPL period(s) will be excluded from the computation of supervised practice period under C-reg when the conditionally registered doctor applies for full registration.
The employing institution must submit an online application via the Professional Registration System to seek the SMC’s approval for the conditionally registered doctor to remain on the SMC’s register while he/she is on NPL at least four (4) weeks before the conditionally registered doctor embarks on/ continues with his/her NPL. The employing institution and the conditionally registered doctor will receive an email notification from the SMC that the application has been approved.
The conditionally registered doctor is considered to have failed to comply with the conditions specified in the grant of his/her C-reg and his/her C-reg will be cancelled or his/her C-reg conditions will be suspended if he/she goes on NPL without the SMC’s prior knowledge and/or approval. He/she has to apply to the SMC for approval if he/she wishes to return to practise.