Entry requirements
Entry requirements for Family Physician accreditation.
Last updated 24 April 2025
Who can apply
A medical practitioner who has obtained a full or conditional registration with Singapore Medical Council (SMC) and holds a basic qualification from a Scheduled University / medical school listed in the Schedule of the Medical Registration Act or a postgraduate qualification recognised by the SMC for purpose of full or conditional registration.
Has the required postgraduate degree or diploma.
Has the required number of years of post-housemanship relevant Family Medicine experience; (either local or overseas).
Must be practising in Singapore at the time of application and fulfil the currency of practice (COP).
Currency of Practice (COP)
The medical practitioner should be practising FM in Singapore either full time or part time (minimum 30 hours per month for at least one of the years during the preceding 3 years) at the time of application:
1-year COP: 12 months of broad-based FM practice required if ≥ 30 hours per month of FM practice in a polyclinic or GP clinic setting attending to patients of different age groups and genders, for acute and chronic conditions and preventive medicine; or
1-year COP: minimum 6 months of broad-based FM practice required if ≥ 30 hours per month of FM practice paired with 6 months of narrower scope FM practice (e.g. practices in Community Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Hospices are considered narrower scope FM practice); or
1-year COP: 12 months required if ≥ 15 hours per month of broad-based FM practice paired with 15 hours per month of narrower scope FM practice.
FM teaching hours in GDFM, M.Med(FM), FM residency programs, and FCFP(S) or practices in Community Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Hospices can be counted as COP, subject to a cap of 15 hours per month, provided the practitioner has 15 hours of COP per month in a polyclinic or GP clinic setting.
FM practice experience
Doctors with relevant postgraduate qualifications must also have the required 3 years of FM practice experience in order to qualify for entry into the Register.
For the required 3 years of FM practice experience (excluding HO and TY postings), the doctor should have at least 12 months of broad-based FM practice experience (i.e. attending to patients of different age groups and genders, for acute and chronic conditions and preventive medicine).
List of relevant postgraduate qualifications plus their corresponding minimum years of FM practice experience.
Index | Relevant FM post-graduate qualification | + | Minimum years of FM practice experience |
|---|---|---|---|
A. | Master in Medicine (Family Medicine), National University of Singapore (M.Med(FM), Singapore) | + | 3 (with effect from 1 August 2016)* |
B. | Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine, National University of Singapore (GDFM, Singapore) | + | 3 |
C. | Member of the College of General Practitioners, Singapore (MCGP)** Member of Royal College of General Practitioners, United Kingdom (MRCGP, UK) Diplomate, American Board of Family Medicine (DABFM, USA) Fellow of Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Australia (FRACGP, Aust.) Fellow of Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, New Zealand (FRNZCGP) Fellow of Hong Kong College of General Practitioners, Hong Kong (FHKCGP) | + | 3 |
*The minimum years of FM practice experience for M.Med(FM) prior to 1 August 2016 is 1 year. Appeals for application to be based on 1 year of FM practice experience will not be considered from 1 August 2016. **MCGP(S) is no longer available; The last examination for this degree was in 1992. | |||
Recognised postings
Besides typical FM practice in primary care, FPAB has determined a list of Medical Officer or Residency postings that are relevant to FM and will be recognised towards FM practice experience (not Currency of Practice) for accreditation, subject to a cap on the duration that will be recognised.
FPAB does not recognise clinical experience from Housemanship (HO) and Transitional Year (TY) postings for accreditation. In the event if the practitioner has done both MO and residency postings, the same cap on the number of months which is the maximum duration will apply.
Only MO and Residency postings in polyclinic and GP clinic settings can count towards satisfying the COP requirements for accreditation. Postings to Community Hospitals can count up to 15 hours of COP, provided the practitioner satisfies 15 hours of COP in polyclinic or GP clinic setting. Click here for more information on recognised postings [PDF, 138KB].