AST Ethics course
84 doctors participated in the Advanced Specialist Training (AST) Ethics course that took place from 11 to 13 January 2024. This marked the first run of the course in 2024, with three more planned for the year.
The AST Ethics course, organised by the SMA Centre for Medical Ethics and Professionalism (CMEP), is a mandatory exit certification requirement for all specialist trainees and residents. The course is specifically designed for doctors soon completing their specialist training, and embarking on the next stage of their professional growth to becoming consultants.
The purpose of the course is to prepare such doctors to lead clinical teams with independent medical and ethical decision-making skills. This is important as many consultants will go on to assume leadership positions in professional and clinical governance, as well as in medical education.
Running since 2006, the AST Ethics course curriculum has been adjusted over the years to cater to the changing healthcare environment. Feedback surveys further help the faculty refine the course with input received from course attendees. To date, we have conducted 77 runs of this course, benefiting 5,312 participants.
More details on the AST Ethics course can be found at the following link: https://www.smacmep.org.sg/ethicscourse.
If you are an exiting specialist trainee who needs to take this course, please contact us at astethics@sma.org.sg.
Lifelong learning is an integral part of a doctor's professional development. For more information on SMA CMEP and its programmes, you can visit the SMA CMEP website at https://www.smacmep.org.sg.
MME CME webinars by SMA
The Singapore Medical Council's requirement for mandatory medical ethics (MME) core points as part of continuing medical education (CME) and renewal of practising certificates (PCs) came into effect on 1 January 2024. Doctors renewing two-year PCs are now required to accumulate five such MME CME points as part of the minimum requirements.
SMA CMEP has since made more than ten MME CME points available for free to all SMA Members in good standing. These are available on SMA's online learning platforms, obtainable via journal articles and recorded lectures. 898 points have already been obtained by participants in January 2024. In addition, SMA CMEP is running a series of bimonthly MME CME webinars which are also complimentary for Members.
The first run of this series with Dr Lee Pheng Soon lecturing on the topic of "Medical Professionalism" was successfully conducted on 3 February with an audience of 856 practitioners. We thank everyone for your patience and understanding during the course of registration. SMA would also like to welcome the new Members who have joined us during this period, and we look forward to serving our Membership.
The next instalment on 6 April 2024 will feature Ms Kuah Boon Theng who will be speaking on the topic of "Informed Consent". To find out more about our MME CME programmes, visit https://bit.ly/SMA-MME.