Singapore Medical Council

(A)  Procedure for Medical Registration

Application for medical registration must be submitted through a local employer in Singapore. However, satisfaction of the criteria for medical registration per se does not mean automatic approval for registration. Each application for medical registration will be considered on its own merits.

To be eligible for medical registration, the applicant must:

1. possess a basic medical degree to comply with the requirements of the Medical Registration Act (Cap 174); and
2. be bona fide; and
3. have a job offer or an offer of training position in a healthcare institution approved by SMC; and
4. be in good standing, i.e. does not have  complaints or disciplinary actions taken against him or investigations pending against him: and
5. pass the national licensing examination as required in the country where the basic medical degree was conferred (where applicable)
   
   

The Medical Council will also consider other factors such as:

1. Whether the doctor has been in active clinical practice prior to application;
2. The duration of inactive clinical practice;
3. Past working experiences overseas and locally.

(B)  Documentation Required from Applicant

The Medical Council will only process applications for medical registration on the prescribed form. Every application will be considered based on its merits. To ascertain that the doctor's status is bona fide, with no disciplinary actions or investigations pending against him, the following documents are necessary for submission with the application.

Certified True Copies / Photocopies of:

• ^*Certified true copy of NRIC or Passport.
• A recent passport-sized colour photograph. (The photograph should be taken within the last 3 months in colour and against a white background.)
• ^#Certified true copy of the undergraduate and ^@postgraduate medical qualifications. (For certificates or qualifications in a language other than English, a certified true copy of the English translation must be provided.)
• Evidence of proficiency in English Language (if medium of instruction for basic medical course was not English).  The test results should not exceed 2 years from the date of the application for registration.
• Transcripts of examination results for each undergraduate year of medical studies.
• Documentary evidence of housemanship/ internship or a certificate of experience with details on the period of training in each discipline.
• Certificates of service/ service testimonials for work experience for the preceding 3 years^{^}, indicating job grade, nature of medical employment, period(s) of employment, assessment of work performance and other relevant information to show clinical competencies attained.
• Current and where applicable, previous Certificates of medical registration with other medical licensing authorities.
• Results of the national licensing examination (if applicable)

Note:
a) The SMC may require the applicant to submit other relevant documents for non-straightforward applications e.g. explanation for lapses of employment.
b) Authenticated English translations must accompany the documents that are in a foreign language

Explanatory notes:
1. ^*NRIC or Passport must be certified true copy by a notary public or HR of prospective employing institution.
2. ^#Undergraduate and postgraduate medical scrolls must be certified either by a notary public, authorised personnel of conferring institution or HR of prospective employing institution.
3. ^@Where the postgraduate qualification submitted is not listed in SMC’s approved/ displayable list of postgraduate qualifications at www.smc.gov.sg., please provide additional information including its course structure, duration and exam structure if you also want SMC to review the said qualification together with your application for medical registration.
4. ^{^}Applicant should provide explanation if there are gaps between period(s) of practice.

(C)  Documentation Required from Employing Healthcare Institution

1. Offer of employment from the local healthcare institution (service providers); or
2. Offer of training from the local training institution (Clinical Fellows / Observers only);
3. Annex B - signed by the CEO, or Chairman of the Medical Board, or Medical Director or equivalent, to indicate that the institution or practice is aware of, and conforms to, SMC's Supervisory Framework for this applicant (applicable only for institutions employing Conditional/Temporary registered doctors for the first time);
4. Annex C - signed by the appointed supervisor to indicate that he will comply with SMC's Supervisory Framework for the applicant.
5. Annex A - (Clinical Fellows / Observers only), which must be signed by the applicant, the appointed clinical supervisor and the Head of Department of the training institution.
   

(D)  Documentation Required from Issuing Authorities/ Conferring Institutions

The SMC requires the applicant or employing institution to arrange for the following letters and certificate to be sent to the Council directly from source:

• Letter of verification (LV) for applicant's basic medical qualifications;
• Letter of verification for applicant's postgraduate medical qualifications.

Human Resource (HR) must show proof that the process of source verification with issuing authorities has been initiated, by submitting to SMC, a copy of the request for verification (letters, faxes, emails), together with the application form and supporting documents. Alternatively, HR can also indicate in the application form that the doctor has already requested for the LV to be sent directly to SMC or HR, from the issuing authorities/conferring institutions. Submission of LVs through applicants is not acceptable.

LVs should be on the letterhead of issuing authorities/conferring institutions & contain the following:

• Name of graduate;
• Date of entry into programme;
• Date of graduation/conferment;
• Title of qualification conferred; and
• Specify if the teaching medium is in English (for basic medical qualifications only)
  

The letter of verification must be addressed to the specific officer, the employing institution, or the person representing the employer by NAME, or the Secretariat of SMC before it can be accepted by SMC.

If the original copy of the LV is sent to the HR, HR should forward the original LVs to SMC with a copy retained by them.

Applications with no original LVs received by SMC at the point of application submission, will be deemed as incomplete and the application will not be processed

Please note that SMC shall not be responsible for any payments incurred by the applicant and / or  interested parties arising from the request of the letters of verification.

(E)  SMC’s Verifications

As part of the medical registration process, SMC may independently liaise with the corresponding council or licensing authority for the Certificate(s) of Good Standing (CGS) where the applicant has been practising for the preceding 3 years prior to his application.  The applicant will be required to arrange for a CGS to be sent to SMC directly by the issuing authorities. CGS received must not exceed 3 months from its issue date when the doctor comes for his/ her registration after the application for medical registration is approved.

SMC will not register doctors if the following letters are not available to SMC by the time the doctor comes for his registration in person:

• The original letters of verification (LV) for all medical qualifications; and
• The CGS from the licensing authority where the applicant has been practising for the preceding 3 years prior to his application.
  
  

(F)  Evidence of English Proficiency

International medical graduates 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.

Test results obtained from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or Occupational English Test (OET), within the minimum score accepted by SMC can be considered, subject to a 2-year validity period based on the date of the test.

• IELTS   -  at least 7 for ALL components (Listening, Reading, Writing AND Speaking) in academic module.
• TOEFL  - at least 250 marks for computer based test or 600 marks for paper-based test or 100 marks for internet-based test
• OET     - at least Grade B
  

Doctors who apply for temporary registration (as Clinical Observers) for training attachment do not need to submit English test results. However, the doctor will NOT be allowed to:

• be involved in primary management of patients; nor
• prescribe treatment.

Clinical Observers are only allowed to assist in procedures under direct supervision and will be subject to Level 1 supervision by their supervisor at all times.

Clinical Observers who wish to convert from temporary registration (training) to temporary registration for service provision are required to meet SMC’s existing criteria as service provider.  This will include test results of doctor’s proficiency in English Language from one of the above-mentioned test centres.

(G)   Processing Time

Provided all documentations required by SMC are submitted with the prescribed fee, the average time required for processing a straightforward application for medical registration is about 3 - 4 weeks. The clock for processing will only start if the application and all documents submitted are considered in order by SMC. Incomplete applications will not be clocked and will be returned to the HR Directors of the institutions unprocessed.

(H)  Outcome of Application

The employing institution will be informed on the outcome of the doctor’s application for medical registration. The doctor will then be required to appear in person at the Medical Council's office to complete the registration process (for approved cases only).

He / she must bring the originals of all documents submitted with his / her application earlier and the necessary identification papers e.g. Identity Card or Passport, Employment Pass or Training Pass as well as the required fees to pay for his / her practising certificate.