Overseas SG Citizen: I'm Back for NS - True Singaporean Son

S.tan18 SG

Hi all!

I'm a Singaporean who has deferred my NS and have spent 8 years of my life overseas, completing my medical degree and getting full medical registration in Australia, and getting married as well (to a malaysian). I will be returning to Singapore soon to start my NS, and am fairly clueless as to what will happen (even the Mindef websites don't give a lot of info). Basically these are my questions:

1. How do I know when I actually start my formal NS training? I have friends who had to report back for a medical in January, but were told they can only start in July (early enrolments were all full). Is there anything I can do to increase my chances of getting an earlier enrolment, to avoid wasting time?

2. What will my training program be like? Will I do the full 3 months BMT and then the 4 months MOCC?I'll be 25 when i start - what will this affect?

3. My wife will be coming back with me to SG (i understand she can get a PR as a spouse). How will being married change my NS period (if at all)?

I would appreciate any accurate information - thanks heaps!

Cheers

Sing

S.tan18 SG

BTW when i said "medical degree" I mean that I work as a doctor. My australian registration is also recognised in singapore.

eac SG

1) You need to register @ www.ns.sg
It's better to get your official answers from the CMPB directly.
It's even better if you make a trip down to CMPB in person.

If you need further help, call 1800-3676767 (if you are calling from Singapore); +65 65676767 (if you are calling from overseas).

2) The NS now is 24 months, regardless of education level. Only combat-fit PES A/B who passed the NAPFA test Silver/Gold get 2 months' fitness cut, which means you serve 22 months only.

3) Marriage will not change the NS period, but if you provide your marriage certificate to CMPB, you are most likely* get a 8-5 vocation due to Govt's pro-family work-life balance policy.

* no guarantee

S.tan18 SG

Thanks for that information.

With regard to quesion (2) - I was wondering if anyone had more details of the structure of training for Doctors - do we do 7 months training total (3+4) ? Is this period a stay at camp all the time period (in which case it will probably be better for my wife to stay in australia and work) ?

I understand that most of an MO's work is already 8-5, so does being married affect anything else?

Thanks again.

Cheers
Sing

eac SG

Thanks for that information.

I understand that most of an MO's work is already 8-5, so does being married affect anything else?

Thanks again.

Cheers
Sing

HQ Medical Corps: http://www.mindef.gov.sg/joint/safmc/
School of Military Medicine: http://www.mindef.gov.sg/joint/smti/

Source: www.mindef.gov.sg

Marriage does not affect anything else...

S.tan18 SG

Thanks again for those links - I have already had a quick look through them, and have found minimal detail on the NS structure for doctors, other than a 4 month MOCC course.

So I'm just wondering whether anyone knows details of whether its a standard BMT then MOCC, whether the MOCC is a 24 hour stay in camp course, what happens after that, and so on?

Cheers

Sing

Rednano SG

Thanks again for those links - I have already had a quick look through them, and have found minimal detail on the NS structure for doctors, other than a 4 month MOCC course.

So I'm just wondering whether anyone knows details of whether its a standard BMT then MOCC, whether the MOCC is a 24 hour stay in camp course, what happens after that, and so on?

Cheers

Sing

if official website no state detailed info, then its classified liao lor...

yes, go BMT 1st, then go for MOCC, get the CPT(Dr) rank, thenafter post to a camp medical centre as camp MO until ORD...

MOCC is 5.5 days workweek lecture+practical conversion course at nee soon camp.

S.tan18 SG

Ic...thank you for that information - very helpful!

i'm also wondering, I'll have australian residency when I return to singapore (since I've lived and worked there) .... what are the rules surrounding leaving for overseas during NS?I'll probably want to go back to australia to visit friends and family.

Do you get a maximum stipulated 3week annual leave? Or are you able to take "unpaid leave" and make up for it when you return?

The exit permit seems to last for up to 3 months - I'm just wondering why this cutoff?

Cheers

Sing

I-like-flings(m) SG

dun forget to come back here to give some free medical advice when u are free ok Dr Sing.

unclebutcher SG

wa so shiok. NS become doctor the most slack one sia

Rednano SG

Ic...thank you for that information - very helpful!

Do you get a maximum stipulated 3week annual leave? Or are you able to take "unpaid leave" and make up for it when you return?

The exit permit seems to last for up to 3 months - I'm just wondering why this cutoff?

Cheers

Sing

during NS, u only can use your annual leave for local/ overseas vacations. 14 days per year (excluding weekends n public holidays) , and the new rule is that all unused remaining leaves for 1st year cannot be rollover to the 2nd year. never use, too bad, get forfeited. if ur superior is kind, can only convert to Off days, but cannot go overseas type...

fyi, there r oso other leaves (subject to approval) such as compassionate leave, medical leaves, hospitalisation leaves...etc.

more info: www.sgforums.com/forums/1390/topics/344819

loki_chaos SG

Ic...thank you for that information - very helpful!

Do you get a maximum stipulated 3week annual leave? Or are you able to take "unpaid leave" and make up for it when you return?

The exit permit seems to last for up to 3 months - I'm just wondering why this cutoff?

Cheers

Sing

If I were you, I would rather stay in Australia than return to Singapore. Why would want to come back to Singapore just to complete your NS when you have a wonderful career life ahead of you?

Anyways to answer your question, i think that you only can take this kind of overseas leave only if you do not have training on the days that you are taking leave and annual leave last only 14days...

S.tan18 SG

haha...sometimes the free stuff is the worst stuff one ;)

Are you sure being an MO in NS is slack? I've heard that the MOCC is fairly shiong?

i think the biggest challenge for me is the emotional stress of perhaps being separated from my loved ones - particularly my wife :\ And the disruption of career development (as doctors typically enter into some form of specialist training programmes after completing their housemanship - something that I'll have to put on hold!)

Add to that the fact that 6 years of medical school and working full time (plus overtime) as a doctor doesn't really leave me in good physical shape :P

But otherwise, I'll say I'm actually looking forward to coming back to sg, spending time with friends and family, and enjoying some genuine chicken rice ;);)

Sing

S.tan18 SG

To loki: well coming back to singapore for that 2 years isn't just about NS i think...it's also a time to spend with family and friends. My parents aren't that young, so I know that they aren't going to be around much longer - and I'm sure they miss me ;)

besides, I'm blessed in the sense that having a medical degree opens up lots of career opportunities...even if there is a few years of disruption, there's enough demand that I can slip back into the medical workforce easily.

in addition (and maybe most importantly) - my wife is also misses singapore (she grew up in sg, although she's malaysian)!

besides, how many other doctors (in australia i mean) can put "served 2 years as a medical doctor in the army (obtaining rank of Captain)" in their resume? Sounds very big to the overseas people :P:P

kengkia SG

TS y come come back to sillypore where MIWs rob daily like no body's business....high

living cost...wage depression due to FTs and the unofficial 'foreign 1st and male citizen

last' policy...where the men in blue just refuse to do their work,instead bully citizens on

behest of MIWs and this place is become dangerous.Where in the world where a minister

would say u die your business.Where in the world a minister would said 'this is an honest

mistake let's move on.Where in the world there's this illegal protest/demostration which is

permitted in our consititution.

*To TS the best gift for your child will always be democracy. give him that and he will begrateful to u for live.If u make him to stay here he will loathe and curse u when the time comes.Why serve for our 'uncaring govt'...

S.tan18 SG

Another question I had: when doing NS, how long is ur passport valid for?

S.tan18 SG

to kengkia: I wouldn't disagree that there are alot of elements about singaporean governance that are less than idea....but you and I grew up in singapore and turned out alright didn't we ;)

In any case, it's interesting to note that in the last few years, the SG govt has been pouring alot of money into overseas consultancy work .... to reshape issues of education, healthcare, etc. I think they are starting to realise that some things are amiss, and the people are starting to stir ;)

Blahhh SG

Other then the fact you need to inform CMPB when you decide to go on overseas leave, NS pretty much won't do anything to your passport.

Anyway, if you need a different set of opinions about NS, you can go to this forum:

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/forumdisplay.php?f=162

S.tan18 SG

Fantastic - so I can get a passport that is valid for like 10 years?

Thanks!

tarutaru SG

Fantastic - so I can get a passport that is valid for like 10 years?

Thanks!

Now the new passports only valid for 5 years only,

Anyway the MOCC course is quite tough but after that all MOs enjoy good life in the Medical Centre. But still depends on what unit, some units MO need to go into field once a while but most if the time the MO stay in medical centre.