Hot Jobs
The Ministry of Manpower has a Strategic Skills List of industry skills in demand that you may also wish to refer to.
Doctors
Occupation Vitals
- Your diagnoses and treatments will directly impact the lives of your patients.
- Career pathways are varied, ranging from public and private practice to specialist services and clinical research.
Nature of the Work
Doctors are directly responsible for the management of patients, and their work involves maintaining or restoring patients’ health through the study, diagnosis and treatment of disease and injuries.
The range of titles referring to a Doctor include Physician, Surgeon, Medical Officer, Registrar, General Practitioner, Family Physician, Specialist, Associate Consultant, Consultant and Senior Consultant.
Working Conditions
Typically a Doctor works around 60 to 70 hours per week. The working hours depend on the setting he is working in (e.g. primary care, tertiary care etc), different grades and the number of night calls per week.
Personal Characteristics & Core Competencies
A Doctor cares deeply about other people and their health. He should have strong leadership skills, as well as be able to work well in a multi-disciplinary team. He should also be resilient, since he would need to work under challenging work conditions, both in terms of time and patient demands.
Requirements
Refer to Singapore Medical Council website for details.
http://www.smc.gov.sg/html/1150880211414.html
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Occupation Vitals
You will make use of cutting-edge equipment and techniques to produce radiographic images of the body that are critical in assisting the healthcare team in the diagnosis of illnesses and injuries.
Nature of the Work
Diagnostic Radiographers work with sophisticated medical equipment and make use of a wide range of techniques to produce radiographic images of the body. These radiographic images will assist the healthcare team in the diagnosis of illnesses and injuries.
Apart from using X-ray equipment, Diagnostic Radiographers also utilise high-end computer hardware and software to process data and perform complex multi-planar and three-dimensional reconstructions in radiological investigations.
These include using:
- Computerised Tomography (CT): provides cross-sectional views (slices) of the body
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): builds a 2-D or 3-D map of the different tissue types within the body
- Ultrasound: well known for its use in obstetrics and gynaecology; also used to diagnose various pathologies in the body, such as liver cyst, abscess etc
With the advancement of Information Technology (IT) in the medical field, Diagnostic Radiographers increasingly find themselves involved in managing the technology required in the production, display, manipulation, transmission and archival of radiographic images, such as that required for teleradiology.
Working Conditions
As radiographic imaging for patients is needed 24/7 in hospitals, especially in cases of emergency, radiographers typically work on rostered shifts (e.g. 3 shifts from 8am to 2pm, 2pm to 9pm and 9pm to 8am) for plain X-rays and CT scans.
For the rest of the modalities, radiographers are placed on-call, ready to respond to urgent requests. Besides CT, MRI, and Ultrasound scans, radiographers can advance to use PET (Proton Emission Tomography) and Nuclear Medicine for imaging.
Diagnostic Radiographers work mainly within the radiology and imaging departments of restructured and private hospitals, but may also work in surgeries/clinics.
Within hospitals, Diagnostic Radiographers provide a service for most departments including accident and emergency, outpatient clinics, operating theatres and wards.
Although radiographers work daily with radiation, they are well-trained in radiation safety. As such, the dangers posed to them are minimised.
Personal Characteristics & Core Competencies
A Riagnostic Radiographer should possess the following qualities:
- Team player
- Mentally strong
- Keen observer who enjoys precision work
- Empathic and caring
- Good communicator
- Practical
- Strong service attitude
Requirements
Should possess a relevant degree, achieve 75% and above in their National Registration Examination and preferably with at least 2 years of related work experience.
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Medical/Laboratory Technologist
Occupation Vitals
You will make use of sophisticated equipment to analyse body fluids, tissues and cells, helping doctors arrive at a diagnosis or monitor treatment of patients.
Nature of the Work
A Medical Technologist plays a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Using sophisticated automated equipment and instruments, they examine and analyse body fluids, tissues, and cells, look for bacteria, parasites, and other micro- organisms, analyse the chemical content of fluids, match blood for transfusions, and test for drug levels in the blood to show how a patient is responding to treatment. They are required to analyse the results and relay them to physicians in a timely manner so as to confirm a diagnosis or monitor treatment.
Working Conditions
The working hours of a Medical Technologist depend on the laboratory he is working in. The laboratory may have varying functions:
- Core laboratories (haematology, blood bank, biochemistry) in a hospital setting need to provide 24-hour service to support patient management. Medical Technologists in these areas are rostered on shift duties which include weekends, evenings, public holidays and nights.
- Most of the other laboratory disciplines function during office hours i.e. 8.30am to 5.30pm. Some labs may have staggered working hours e.g. 11am to 7pm or 1pm to 9pm to cater for peak-hour incoming workload. Medical Technologists may have rostered duty on Sundays and public holidays due to the nature of the discipline.
- Medical Technologists in the local polyclinic laboratories work from 8am to 5pm.
- In general, Medical Technologists may be required to stand by for national emergency or mass casualty recalls.
A Medical Technologist may potentially be exposed to infectious and hazardous organisms harboured in patients’ specimens. They may also be exposed to chemicals used in the procedures. Medical Technologists are trained to use protective garments such as laboratory coats, safety goggles, masks and other safety equipment to minimise the potential of exposure to infectious organisms and harmful chemicals found in a typical laboratory environment.
Personal Characteristics & Core Competencies
A Medical Technologist must be able-bodied, have good general health, average vision and average manual dexterity to perform the laboratory work scope. He should not have colour deficiency as interpretation of results requires colour differentiation abilities.
Other qualities that a Medical Technologist should possess include:
- Meticulous and precise
- Analytical mind
- Good observation skills, interpretative skills and trouble-shooting skills
Requirements
Should possess a relevant degree and preferably with at least 2 years of related work experience.
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Occupational Therapist
Occupation Vitals
You will be developing and maintaining other people's capacity to perform day-to-day tasks and roles essential to productive living, helping them to lead more enriching and independent lives.
Nature of the Work
Occupational Therapists help a wide range of people including those who have physical disabilities, mental or social problems, either from birth or as a result of accident, illness or ageing. The main purpose is to develop and maintain a person's capacity to perform day-to-day tasks and roles essential to productive living, including self-care, daily living, leisure and work.
The work of Occupational Therapists involves:
- enhancing physical and psychological functions
- preventing illnesses
- facilitating independent living
- improving the quality of life of people with disabilities or special needs
- promoting re-integration into home, work and society
To achieve these outcomes, Occupational Therapists will work with a person to design a treatment programme based on the individual’s unique lifestyle and preferences. Therapy usually involves carefully-designed activities and processes, and may include modifications to the environmental surroundings of the person.
Working Conditions
The working hours of an Occupational Therapist are typically from 8.30am to 5.30pm (42-hour week). Part-time work arrangements are also available.
Occupational Therapists work with young children, adolescents, adults and older people in the areas of physical rehabilitation, mental health services, learning disability, paediatrics, environmental adaptation and equipment for daily living. Common work places include educational establishments, hospitals, clients’ homes, industrial and commercial organisations, residential and nursing homes, and social services.
Personal Characteristics & Core Competencies
An Occupational Therapist should possess the following qualities:
- Likes the challenge of being facilitators of positive change in people's lives
- Commands a passion and desire to help those with physical, psychological and emotional challenges
- Has good observation skills
- Patient and determined
- Innovative and creative in devising individual programmes and ensuring that assessment, intervention and monitoring are precise
- Dynamic – always evolving to meet patients’ needs
Requirements
Should possess a relevant degree.
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