How to become a general practitioner or Physician
Official title: General practitioner/Physician
Also called: Clinical fellow (general medical practice), Company doctor, Doctor (general medical practice), Family physician, Fellow trainee (general medical practice), General medical practitioner, General physician, General practitioner, House officer (general medical practice), Medical doctor (general medical practice), Physician (general practice), Registrar (general medical practice)
General practitioner/physician diagnoses, treats and prevents illness, disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans through application of the principles and procedures of modern medicine. He/she does not limit his/her practice to certain disease categories or methods of treatment, and may assume responsibility for the provision of continuing and comprehensive medical care to, and the maintenance of general health of, individuals, families and communities. Medical graduates undergoing housemanship are also classified here.
Main tasks
- Conducting physical examinations of patients and interviewing them and their families to determine their health status
- Ordering laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures and analysing findings to determine the nature of disorders or illnesses
- Providing continuing medical care for patients including prescribing, administering, counselling on and monitoring curative treatments and preventive measures
- Performing minor surgery and other clinical procedures
- Advising individuals, families and communities on health, nutrition and lifestyle which aid prevention or treatment of disease and disorders
- Providing referrals to patients and families for specialised care in hospitals, rehabilitation centres or other types of healthcare centres
- Identifying, managing and providing referrals for complications before, during and after childbirth
- Recording patients’ medical information and history and exchanging information with specialist practitioners and other health workers as required for continuing medical care
How to become one
Occupations included in this unit group require completion of a university-level degree in basic medical education and clinical training or equivalent for competent performance. Medical practitioners are required to be registered with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) or its equivalent and possess a Practising Certificate (PC) in order to practise medicine in Singapore.
Ways in
- University: Medicine & Dentistry degrees, Offered by 2 universities in Singapore
- Licence or registration: To practise medicine you must be registered with the Singapore Medical Council and hold a current practising certificate. Local graduates start with provisional registration during their first year of postgraduate training. To practise as a specialist you also need specialist registration, which follows accreditation by the Specialists Accreditation Board. Law: Medical Registration Act 1997. Regulator: Singapore Medical Council (SMC) (https://www.smc.gov.sg).
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $76,020 a year. The middle half earn $68,988 to $120,252 a year.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
- Cardiologist
- Dermatologist
- Gastroenterologist
- Internal medicine physician
- Medical oncologist
- Paediatrician
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Questions people ask
How do I become a general practitioner or Physician?
Occupations included in this unit group require completion of a university-level degree in basic medical education and clinical training or equivalent for competent performance. Medical practitioners are required to be registered with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) or its equivalent and possess a Practising Certificate (PC) in order to practise medicine in Singapore.
How much does a general practitioner or Physician earn in Singapore?
Median full-time pay is $76,020 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $68,988 to $120,252.
Will AI change the work of a general practitioner or Physician?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Singapore Department of Statistics (Ministry of Health data): Registered Health Personnel (End Of Period), Annual (M870011) (SingStat Table Builder M870011), Singapore Open Data Licence, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat): Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC) 2024 (SSOC 2024 (definitions and index updated 2026-06-24)), Singapore Open Data Licence, retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026