Expansion in the number of recognised Foreign Medical Schools

30 Mar 2007

The Ministry of Health and the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) will be increasing the number of recognized medical schools in the Schedule of the Medical Registration Act. The expansion of the Schedule will facilitate our hospitals to recruit doctors of high calibre to meet the rising demand for more doctors. 

With effect from 1 April 2007, another 20 schools will be added to the Schedule, and will include top Asian medical schools from China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Malaysia (see Annex). This will bring the total number of recognised foreign medical school degrees from the current 120 to 140.

The continuing advances in medicine coupled with the ageing of our population necessitate a regular increase in the number of doctors to cater to our population's healthcare needs. Even as we increase the local intake of doctors, foreign-trained doctors can help expand our capacity to match demand, and help moderate healthcare costs.

Moreover, as Singapore promotes itself as a regional medical hub and a hub for world-class biomedical research, we will need many more doctors and clinician-scientists to support the expansion of such research activities in Singapore. With our emphasis on clinical excellence, Singapore is a place for good doctors to contribute their medical expertise.

SMC will continue to assess foreign-trained medical doctors in their initial years through a supervisory framework to ensure high standards of medical practice.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

28 March 2007

ANNEX

List of the additional 20 foreign medical schools to be recognised

Canada

Faculte de Medecine, Universite Laval

Faculte de Medecine, Universite de Sherbrooke

Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine

University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine

China

Peking University Health Science Center (PUHSC)

Fudan University (Medical Center)

India

Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Maharashtra University of Health Sciences

Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi University

Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry University

Malaysia

Universiti Malaya (Kuala Lumpur), Faculty of Medicine

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Faculty of Medicine

Pakistan

The Aga Khan University Medical College

South Korea

Yonsei University College of Medicine (Seoul)

Sri Lanka

University of Colombo, Faculty of Medicine

USA

Dartmouth Medical School

New York University School of Medicine

Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine

The Ohio State University College of Medicine

Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California

Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University - formally known as Brown Medical School