NEW NATIONAL-LEVEL AWARDS FOR TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE PRACTITIONERS

               The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Academy of Chinese Medicine, Singapore (ACMS) are jointly launching the National Exemplary Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners (TCMPs) Awards (全国典范中医师奖) from 2026. The national-level awards recognise TCMPs who are registered with MOH’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board, for their contributions towards traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research, education and clinical training.

2.               The awards aim to encourage the TCM sector to raise their professionalism, standards of care and adherence to best practices. There are two award categories – the Outstanding TCM Physician Award and Outstanding TCM Educator Award. There will be a maximum of two recipients per award each year. A cash amount of $5,000 will be awarded to each recipient.

Award details

3.               The Outstanding TCM Physician Award (优秀中医师奖) recognises TCMPs who have contributed to clinical work that elevates the quality and safety of TCM treatment, including supporting and facilitating research in their TCM institution or the community. The recipient should also have successfully promoted the use of safe and effective methods and advocated for preventive health and community care, resulting in higher quality and standard of TCM service delivery.

4.               The Outstanding TCM Educator Award (优秀中医教育家奖) recognises TCMPs who have made significant contributions to education through teaching and mentoring, including the training of TCM students and junior TCMPs. The eligibility criteria can be found in the Annex.

Nomination and selection process

5.               The ACMS will form an assessment panel for the awards, consisting of representatives from major TCM organisations, including Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Thong Chai Medical Institution and Singapore Chung Hwa Medical Institution.

6.               An awards ceremony, jointly organised by MOH and the ACMS, will be held annually to honour the recipients.

7.               Nominations open from 1 August to 31 October 2025. More information on the awards can be found on ACMS’ website (https://academycms.org).  Further details on the nomination process, including how to submit nominations, will be available on the website from end July 2025.

Annex

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The general eligibility criteria for the National Exemplary TCMP Awards are as follows:

i.         The National Exemplary TCMP Awards is open to all registered TCM practitioners (TCMPs) currently in minimally part-time TCM practice in Singapore at time of nomination, with at least 15 years of full-time experience or equivalent.

ii.        The nominee must be a Singaporean or Singapore Permanent Resident, practising in Singapore.

iii.       The nominee must be registered and be of good standing with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board, and achieved Senior Consultant TCMP level per Career and Remuneration Guidelines (CRG) issued by MOH.

iv.       A past recipient of the National Exemplary TCMP Awards will be eligible for nomination under a different category after 5 years. However, a past recipient of the National Exemplary TCMP Awards will not be eligible for re-nomination under the same category.