Number of Singaporean Students Studying Medicine Overseas Who Have Applied for the Pre-Employment Grant

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1449
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 20 OCTOBER 2022

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song
MP for Aljunied GRC

Question No. 3608

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.

Answer

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.