Singapore is recruiting 180 foreign junior doctors, mostly from India, over three years, as part of overseas hiring to supplement local supply. Rather than rely on the recruitment of foreign doctors, it might be better to facilitate the return of Singaporean doctors who graduated from foreign universities.
The Pre-Employment Grant (PEG) was established for this purpose. According to the Minister for Health, in recent years, an average of 120 students have been awarded the PEG annually. The median grant amount is about $80,000 per student over two years. Recipients of the grant will be required to serve in the public healthcare clusters for a minimum period of between three to four years.
Are there plans to increase the number of PEGs, so as to attract more Singaporean doctors to return home to serve in the healthcare sector? This was a Parliamentary question I posed to the Minister for Health on 20 October.
The Minister did not commit to an increase in PEGs, but said that the number and percentage of successful applicants vary from year to year, depending on each year’s applicant pool and hiring demand among the public healthcare institutions.
Read the full PQ and answer below:
Applications for Pre-Employment Grant by Singaporeans studying medicine overseas (20 Oct 2022)
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health in each year since 2016 (a) how many Singaporean students studying medicine overseas have applied for the Pre-Employment Grant (PEG); (b) how many of these are approved; (c) what is the median grant amount; (d) what are the main reasons for the rejected applications; and (e) whether the Ministry will consider increasing the number of PEGs so as to attract more Singaporean doctors to return home after their studies to serve in the healthcare sector.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: We are encouraging Singaporeans who study medicine in recognised overseas universities to return home to contribute to our healthcare system.
The Pre-Employment Grant (PEG) was introduced in 2010 for this purpose. In recent years, an average of 120 students have been awarded the PEG annually. The median grant amount is about $80,000 per student over two years.
The number and percentage of successful applicants vary from year to year, depending on each year’s applicant pool and hiring demand among the public healthcare institutions. All applicants are assessed holistically, based on a range of factors, including their overall academic performance, professionalism, and commitment to serve in the public healthcare system.
