Under section 31(f) of the Medical Registration Act (Cap 174), names of medical practitioners will be removed from the Register of Medical Practitioners if they have not renewed their practising certificates (PC) for a continuous period of 5 years, and cannot be contacted or sent any document using their particulars in the Singapore Medical Council (SMC)'s Register.
Every year, in October, the SMC will publish a list of doctors who have not renewed their PCs for a continuous period of 5 years and who could not be contacted at their last known places of practice and residential addresses. Doctors whose names are listed must contact the SMC Secretariat within 2 weeks of publication of the notice. If they fail to reply within the stated time, the Medical Council may remove their names from the Register, pursuant to Section 31(f) of MRA.
Please refer to the following link for the list of medical practitioners whose names have been removed from the Register with effect from 23 Feb 2010.
The SMC reserves all its rights.
Updates on Continuing Medical Education and Practising Certificates Renewals
Doctors who meet the CME Points Requirement Doctors are eligible to renew their PCs at $300 (for 1-year PC) or $600 (for 2-year PC).
If doctors did not renew their PCs when they expired, and subsequently apply for a new PC within a year of expiry, the validity period of the new PC issued will be less than 12 months (for 1-year PC) or less than 24 months (for 2-year PC), to coincide with the original date of expiry date of the PC had it not lapsed. This would mean a 'shorter' PC validity period and there will be no proration of fees.
Doctors who did not meet the CME Points Requirement Doctors cannot renew their PCs when they expire. They will only be allowed to make up their shortfall of points after the expiry date of their PCs. This means that these doctors would have to:
(i) Cease practice when their PCs expire; (ii) Make-up the shortfall of points; AND (iii) Apply for a new PC.
Doctors are required to accumulate their shortfall of CME points within a 1-year time-frame.
The validity period of the new PCs issued to these doctors will be less than 12 months (for 1-year PC) or less than 24 months (for 2-year PC), to coincide with the original expiry date of the PC had it not lapsed. This would mean a 'shorter' PC validity period and there will be no proration of fees.
Singapore Medical Council Elections 2009 - Results
The Singapore Medical Council Elections 2009 came to a close on 18 Nov 09.
The 3 candidates who received the highest number of votes are:
Prof Tay Boon Keng Dr Wong Sin Yew A/Prof Siow Jin Keat
We congratulate Prof Tay, Dr Wong and A/Prof Siow on being re-elected into the Council. Their new terms of office start on 21 Nov 09, and will be for a period of 3 years.
We thank all who have participated in the SMC Elections 2009.
Backdating of Specialist Registration
The Singapore Medical Council (SMC) has been receiving requests from doctors applying for specialist's registration; to align or back-date the entry date of their names to the Register of Specialists to correspond with the date of their Specialist Accreditation Certificate issued by the Specialists Accreditation Board (SAB), Ministry of Health.
2. The practice of backdating of registration dates is not in harmony with the Medical Registration Act (MRA), Cap 174. In accordance to Section 65 (1)1 of the MRA, a registered medical practitioner must be registered as a specialist under Section 22, before he can practise or hold himself out as a specialist in that branch of medicine or field of specialty.
3. The SMC will not entertain any request for the backdating of the specialist registration with immediate effect.
4. To ensure that his specialist registration is completed in a timely manner, the SMC recommends that the doctor applies for registration as a specialist immediately after he is accredited by the SAB. The doctor may refer himself to be a specialist upon receiving written confirmation from the SMC that his application for specialist registration has been successful.
5. Any doctor who contravenes Section 65(1) may be subject to disciplinary proceedings under the MRA.
1Section 65 - (1) A registered medical practitioner who is not registered under section 22 as a specialist in a branch of medicine shall not -
(a) practise medicine or that branch of medicine under the style or title of a specialist in that branch of medicine, or under any name, title, addition or description implying that he is such a specialist or has any degree, qualification or experience in that branch of medicine; or (b) advertise or hold himself out as a specialist in that branch of medicine.
(2) A registered medical practitioner who contravenes subsection (1) may be subjected to disciplinary proceedings under this Act.
Factsheet for Doctors Residing Overseas
Doctors who are residing overseas can obtain information on the Singapore Medical Council (SMC)'s requirements for Continuing Medical Education (CME), renewal of Practising Certificates (PC), and Removal/Restoration of Name to SMC registers by clicking on this link Factsheet
Practising Certificate (PC) at Lower Fee
With effect from 9th September 2009, a fully registered medical practitioner may apply for a PC at a lower fee by satisfying the criteria below:
a) The medical practitioner is not working as a locum; b) The medical practitioner does not collect any fee for his/ her services; and c) The medical practitioner does not run a medical clinic.
An eligible medical practitioner will be entitled to apply for, or renew, his PC at S$150 per year or part thereof, by making the necessary declarations in the PC application or renewal form. However, the issuance of a PC will be contingent on the medical practitioner's compliance with the requirements of Continuing Medical Education.
A medical practitioner who wishes to revert to clinical activities and run a medical clinic and/or be paid a fee for his professional services must notify the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) of his intention and fulfill his CME requirements. He should apply for a PC at a fee of S$300 per year or part thereof, or S$600 for a 2-year PC.
Please contact the SMC Secretariat at 6355-2495/2463, or email to moh_smc@moh.gov.sg if you require further information
Updated Requirement for CME Providers
With effect from 1 August 2009, CME providers who are Medical Societies, Medical Associations, Voluntary Welfare Organizations (VWOs) or healthcare providers (excluding public healthcare establishments) are required to have organised at least 4 accredited CME events per year with an average attendance of 10 doctors per event so that their accounts can be maintained.
CME Points for Participation in Aesthetic Events
Doctors can now claim a maximum of 5 points per year for their participation in SMC-accredited aesthetic-related CME activities. This cap does not apply to dermatologists and plastic surgeons
Temporary Registration for Doctors without Registrable Medical Qualifications to Work in Areas of Need
With immediate effect, the following specialties/departments in public healthcare institutions under the Ministry of Health Holdings have been approved to employ doctors from medical schools outside the current Schedule to practise under supervision in Singapore:
Emergency Medicine
Geriatric Medicine
Internal Medicine
Rehabilitation Medicine
Renal Medicine
Neonatology
Doctors employed under this scheme will be granted temporary medical registration for 12 months in the first instance, subject to the conditions stipulated by the SMC. Their performance must be consistently good before they can extend their registration with SMC.
These doctors will not be eligible for conditional registration unless they acquire a postgraduate qualification recognised by SMC.
Eligibility Requirements1:
To qualify for Temporary registration under this scheme, the doctor must:
be in active clinical practice;
possess a basic medical degree from an accredited medical university/school;
have passed the relevant national licensing examination in the country of conferment of basic degree, where applicable;
complete at least 12 months of housemanship or internship training with a certificate of satisfactory completion as evidence;
be registered as a medical practitioner in the country where he or she is currently practising as a medical practitioner;
have at least 3 years of post housemanship working experience as a medical officer (or equivalent) in the relevant field; or possess a postgraduate qualification in the relevant field; and
be certified to be of good standing by the Medical Council or relevant licensing authority in the country where he/she has been practising.
Conditions for practice:
Doctors granted temporary registrations under this scheme are required to work under the following conditions:-
a) They will only be allowed to work in the identified departments; b) They must not be rotated to any other departments and institutions, unless approved by the SMC; c) They will be subjected to close supervision throughout the first 2 years of their temporary registration. Employing institutions must submit assessment reports at the 3rd month and 6th month after commencement of work, and thereafter at 6-monthly intervals to the Council; d) Their temporary registration will be terminated if their assessment reports are less than ?Exceeding? by the end of their first year; and e) Good performers must be accepted into the Staff Registrar Scheme (SRS) within the 2nd year of service. They must obtain the Diploma by the end of the 4th or 5th year (depending on the SRS programme), failing which their temporary registration will be terminated.
1Note: application form for medical registration must be accompanied with relevant supporting documents and fees as stated on page one of the form
Photos of SMC Physician's Pledge Affirmation Ceremony 2009
Photographs of the SMC Physician's Pledge Affirmation Ceremony held on 16 May 2009 are now available for viewing at the following links on the Facebook website.
Those who are interested to order the photographs, please contact Mr Willie Yeo directly at 9750 8139 or via email willieyeo@yahoo.com.
Temporary Registration for Doctors undergoing Postgraduate Training as Clinical Observers
Requirements for registration under the Clinical Observers Training Scheme will be revised from 1st April 2009. Clinical Observerships will be capped at a maximum of 3 months and the training programmes do not need to be accredited by SMC. Clinical observers will only be allowed to assist in procedures under direct supervision of their supervisors at all times.
Registration Criteria & Eligibility Requirements for Temporary Registration of Clinical Observer
Criteria
Old
New
Fulfil English language requirements (if medium of instruction for basic degree is not in English)
No
No
Sponsorship
All other sponsors including self
All other sponsors including self
3 years post-housemanship experience or postgraduate diploma or degree
No
No
Period of training allowed
Maximum 12 months
Maximum of 3 months
Supervision
Level 1 (L1)
Level 1 (L1)
Logbook & Assessment form (T3)
Yes
Yes
Scope of Training
Only hands-on procedures allowed to be done under direct supervision
To assist in procedures under direct supervision
Training Programme
Requires accreditation
No accreditation required
Extension of medical registration
Not applicable
Not applicable
Appointments for Counter Services
Please note that with effect from 16 March 2009, counter services will strictly be available on an appointment basis only. Please contact Ms Leung Man Yuen at Tel: 6355 2470 or Email: leung_man_yuen@smc.gov.sg to schedule an appointment at least 2 days in advance. Doctors without prior appointment will be served only after all the appointments of the day have been attended to. The counter will be closed for lunch from 12pm to 1pm daily.
GMC calls on overseas doctors to take advantage of the opening of a new route onto the Specialist Register
A new route onto the Specialist Register has opened today. The GMC is urging all overseas doctors who were appointed to a NHS consultant post in the UK before 1 January 1997 and who are not yet on the GMC's Specialist Register, to take advantage of this opportunity.
Since 1 January 1997, it has been a legal requirement that a doctor must be on the Specialist Register in order to take up a substantive, fixed term or honorary consultant post in the NHS.
It is thought that as many as 1000 to 1500 doctors, appointed to NHS consultant posts prior to 1 January 1997, are not on the Specialist Register.
Neil Roberts, Director of Registration and Resources at the GMC said: 'We hope that all eligible doctors who are currently overseas and have been working for the past five years will use, should they wish to, this opportunity to apply to have their names entered onto the Specialist Register. Doctors will be assessed on a case by case basis and there is no fee for those doctors who are already registered with the GMC.'
'Specialist Registration is necessary for appointment as a consultant in the NHS (other than as a locum) and entry allows these doctors to apply for appointment to new consultant posts in the NHS should they wish. Furthermore, should these doctors wish to work in the UK again, entry onto the Specialist Register will allow these doctors to participate in recertification when it is introduced.'
The new route will complement other existing routes to the Specialist Register, for example the award by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) of a Certificate of Completion of Training.
Lesley Hawksworth, Director of Certification at PMETB said: 'We welcome the reintroduction of this route for doctors to gain specialist registration, and will work closely with the GMC to ensure that the scheme is publicised and all eligible doctors are informed about the changes.'
The GMC recently consulted on the scheme entitled 'Eligibility for inclusion on the Specialist Register: restoration of the Existing Specialist Route' and covered areas such as scheme eligibility criteria and evidence of the applicant being up to date and fit to practise.
Doctors seeking further information or who wish to apply should visit the GMC website where they can download an application form. Alternatively, doctors should call the GMC Contact Centre on +44 (0)161 923 6602.
For further information please contact the Media Relations Office on 020 7189 5454, out of hours 020 7189 5444, fax 020 7189 5401, email press@gmc-uk.org, website http://www.gmc-uk.org.
Please note that with effect from 1 January 2009, the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) will only accept the following modes of payment for all fees made to the Council:
a) Cheques and Bankdrafts made payable to the 'Singapore Medical Council' in Singapore currency; b) Payment via Interbank GIRO; c) Internet payment facility via SMC's website.
Henceforth, payments made in cash will no longer be accepted by SMC from 1 January 2009.
Public Consultation on the Proposed Amendments to the Medical Registration Act
The Ministry of Health's 6-week public consultation begins 14 January till 25 February 2009.
Guidelines on Aesthetic Practices by Doctors
For better professional self-regulation of aesthetic practices, the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (AMS), College of Family Physicians, Singapore (CFPS) and the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) shall jointly implement a framework for aesthetic practitioners.
The AMS and the CFPS, in unison, have developed the Guidelines on Aesthetic Practices for Doctors ('guidelines'). These guidelines were forwarded to the SMC's Aesthetic Practice Oversight Committee (APOC) which recommended that the SMC adopt the guidelines as professional standards of aesthetic practice. After reviewing both the guidelines and APOC's recommendations, the SMC has decided to adopt these guidelines as professional standards of aesthetic practice. The guidelines will take effect from 1 November 2008.
Click on the following to read the joint press release and guidelines:
FAQs on Titles/Designations/Qualifications for display by Medical Practitioners
In April 2008, SMC issued 2 circulars to provide guidelines for the Display of Titles and Designations by Registered Medical Practitioners. A summary of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on this issue is now available on SMC's website.
Clickhereto read the FAQs on titles and designations for display by medical practitioners.
Click on the following to read the circulars issued in April and May 2008:
Changes to the English Language Requirement - IELTS
International medical graduates (IMGs) are required to show evidence of proficiency in the English Language if their basic medical degree is obtained from a medical school where the medium of instruction is not English.
With immediate effect, IMGs presenting the International English Testing System (IELTS) as evidence of English Language proficiency are required to obtain a minimum score of 7 for ALL components (Listening, Reading, Writing AND Speaking).
Circular on Hands-Off Observership
With immediate effect, SMC has decided that 'hands-off' observers do not need to register with the Medical Council if the observership fulfills certain conditions.
