Has the SAF NSF Doctors completed their 'housemanship' before
being enlisted into National Service; or are the Captain rank
planted on their shoulders upon completing their 4 year Medical
Course from the University, with the 'housemanship' being concluded
at the SAF Medical Centre with total independence ?
It is obvious that the best for the SAF cannot be compromised, and
if Doctors are serving their internship in the SAF Medical Centres,
surely the SAF Soldiers deserve a higher standard of medical
attention then from inexperienced doctors.
Surely the minimum rank of Captain for a Medical Graduate is far
too senior for an inexperienced person undergoing training ?
In most SAF Medical Centres, these young doctors act as any other
General Practictioners attending to the simple daily illnesses -
such as flu, cold, coughs, skin problems, aches, rashes, pains in
the joints.
As General Practictioners they are hardly specialists in any field
of medicine, and have basic and limited knowledge that qualify them
only as Medical General Practictioners.
From their inexperience, they will need the immediate and close
supervision of more senior SAF, or Reservist, or Civil Medical
Officers to act as their Consultants.
However, for this to work, the inexperienced NSF Medical Officer
will need the patient guidance of senior Medical Officers, some of
whom can be abrasive for the demands made on their limited and
profitable time.
It is not a question of fairness if we want to get the more
experienced doctors in the SAF, even if "it means we haf to get them to resume and
complete their ns liability much later in their
careers".
It is a question of serving the National Service mid-way in their
medical training and being recruited BEFORE intership experience,
and having the SAF recruit inexperience doctors; or allowing the
Medical Students to complete their entire medical training that
include 'internship' or 'housemanship' before qualifying as
Doctors, and serving the SAF as such.
The SAF and the soldiers will deservingly obtain experienced and
truly qualified Doctors, who will be more then willing to complete
their entire medical education before being called up, instead of
being called up
From two frightening medical incidences over the last five years, I
am doubtful of the standards of the young and inexperienced NSF
Medical Officers acting as General Practitioners, risking the lives
of other NSF men as guinea pigs for the advancement of their own
career experience and development.
The system of recruiting, supervising, and training the SAF Medical
Officers needs to be completely reviewed, if they are actually
practising their 'internship' or 'housemanship' while serving their
National Service in the SAF.
