← All guides
ORTHOFELLOW GUIDE · 12 MINUTE GUIDE

Orthopaedic Fellowships in Singapore: 2026 Guide

Singapore's public hospitals host overseas orthopaedic surgeons in short hands-off observerships and in supervised, hands-on clinical fellowships of up to 12 months. orthofellow.com lists 47 Singapore programmes, but every placement depends on the same three approvals: an offer from the host hospital, temporary registration with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) and a work pass from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). This guide summarises what the hospitals, SMC and MOM publish about these steps. It does not replace their pages. Fees, rules and forms change, so check every figure with the host institution before you commit time or money.

By Anissa Feby Canintika, Founder and Clinical EditorPublished · Materially updated
Educational guidance, not legal, immigration, licensing or admissions advice.

Where orthopaedic fellowships are offered

Most overseas orthopaedic fellows train in hospitals within Singapore's three public healthcare clusters: SingHealth, the National University Health System (NUHS) and NHG Health. Each hospital runs its own application process, so check the hospital or department page as well as the cluster page. SingHealth Academy says foreign medical specialists may apply for fellowships and short-term clinical attachments across more than 20 departments in its institutions, including Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Changi General Hospital (CGH), Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) and KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH). We found no published fellowship or attachment programme for Woodlands Health, so ask the hospital directly.

  • SGH (SGH-PGMI): orthopaedic programmes in Adult Reconstruction, Foot & Ankle, Spine, Sports Medicine and Trauma, plus a separate Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery programme. SGH says more than 1,000 international doctors have completed attachments there since 2000.
  • National University Hospital (NUH): clinical fellowships in spinal surgery, adult reconstruction, foot and ankle, sports, shoulder and elbow, trauma, paediatric orthopaedics and musculoskeletal oncology, plus several 'advanced' programmes.
  • Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NUHS): orthopaedic fellowships in Foot & Ankle, Hip & Knee, Spine, Orthopaedic Trauma and Shoulder and Elbow, with a dedicated enquiry address.
  • Tan Tock Seng Hospital (NHG Health): fellowships in Adult Reconstruction, Foot and Ankle, Spine Surgery, Sports Surgery and Orthopaedic Trauma.
  • Changi General Hospital: Foot and Ankle, Hip & Knee (Adult Reconstruction), Knee, Minimally Invasive & Computer Guided Spine, Shoulder and Elbow, and Trauma.
  • Khoo Teck Puat Hospital: an archived programme document describes an SMC-approved Sports Surgery Fellowship of 6 to 12 months. Check with the hospital that it is still running.
  • Sengkang General Hospital lists an Overseas Clinical Fellowship and Overseas Observerships but gives no specialty detail. KKH's general medical fellowship page does not mention orthopaedics.

Clinical fellow, clinical observer and hands-off observer

Singapore uses three overlapping categories, and the names differ between hospitals. A clinical fellow holds SMC temporary registration and may take part in patient care under supervision. An SMC-registered clinical observer may only assist in procedures under direct supervision. A hands-off observership is a short visit that some hospitals arrange without SMC registration. Check which category your offer is for, because it decides the registration, the work pass, the fees and what you will be allowed to do.

  • SMC clinical fellow: registration for up to 1 year, limited to the length of the accredited programme, and it cannot be renewed. SGH's programme documents say clinical fellows may write in case notes, communicate care plans and perform procedures under direct or Level 1 supervision.
  • SMC clinical observer: registration for up to 6 months, with no extension. Observers may not provide direct patient care, write in case notes or prescribe, but may assist in procedures under direct supervision.
  • Hands-off observerships: SGH limits these to 4 weeks. CGH and KKH cap them at 28 days.
  • NUH says all applicants for its Honorary Clinical Fellowship and its Clinical Observership (maximum 6 months; at least 3 months advised) must obtain SMC temporary registration and a Training Employment Pass.
  • Published fellowship lengths: SGH and KKH allow up to 12 months. SGH Foot & Ankle runs 6 to 12 months. SGH's Adult Reconstruction document gives a 6-month maximum. TTSH lists 6 months for Foot and Ankle, 6 months (recommended) for Sports and 6 to 12 months for Trauma.

SMC temporary registration

Fellows and SMC-registered observers need temporary registration for training, which SMC grants to doctors who have a training offer from an SMC-approved institution. SMC requires a basic medical degree from an accredited school, at least 12 months of housemanship or internship, a pass in the national licensing examination where applicable, current registration and good standing in your country of practice, and active practice in the 3 years before you apply. Clinical fellows must also have at least 3 years' experience as a medical officer (or equivalent), be sponsored by a government, a regional health authority or an appropriate home institution, and meet SMC's English requirements where these apply. SMC says a straightforward, complete application takes about 4 weeks, and complex cases or applications in peak periods take up to 8 weeks. It starts processing only once the documents are in order and withdraws incomplete applications.

  • Documents: the institution's offer letter, programme details (Form A), evidence of sponsorship (Form B), a certified passport copy, a recent photograph, certified degree certificates, evidence of housemanship, employment statements for the past three years, registration certificates and licensing-examination results where these are required.
  • Certified copies: passport and degree copies must be certified, for example by a notary public or the employing institution's HR.
  • Sent directly to SMC: verification letters for your qualifications and the Certificate of Good Standing go straight from the issuing body to SMC, not through you.
  • Institution forms: Annex A must be signed by you, your clinical supervisor and the Head of Department. Annex C is the supervisor's letter of undertaking.
  • Sponsorship from an institution: SGH and NUH say that if your sponsor is an institution, you must be employed there full time (40 hours or more a week).

English language requirements

Clinical fellows whose basic medical degree was not taught in English must meet SMC's English language requirements. SMC states that observers do not need English test results. Results must come from a single sitting and be within 2 years of the test date.

  • IELTS (Academic module): at least 7 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
  • OET: at least Grade B in each of the four components.
  • TOEFL iBT taken before 21 January 2026: at least 25 in each component and at least 100 overall.
  • TOEFL iBT taken on or after 21 January 2026: SMC lists at least 5.0 in each component and at least 5.0 overall, reflecting the revised score scale.
  • Hospital forms can lag behind SMC's changes. NUH's July 2026 information sheet still shows only the older TOEFL threshold, so check SMC's page before you book a test.

Work passes: the Training Employment Pass question

Every hospital page we checked that names a pass (SGH, NUH, KKH and NNI) says fellows need a Training Employment Pass (TEP) from MOM. SGH and NNI say the pass is applied for after SMC approves temporary registration. MOM's own public pages describe the TEP differently: valid for up to 3 months, not renewable, applied for by the employer, and aimed at foreign students and at trainees from a foreign office or subsidiary who earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$3,000. We found no official page that explains how a pass MOM describes as lasting up to 3 months fits a 12-month fellowship. None of the hospital pages we reviewed mentions an Employment Pass for fellows. MOM describes the Employment Pass as a separate pass for foreign professionals, managers, executives and technicians, with a minimum qualifying salary of S$5,600 a month. Because the host institution files the pass application, ask it in writing which pass it will apply for and for what period, and make no travel or leave plans until it confirms.

  • Hospitals that name a pass (SGH, NUH, KKH and NNI) all name the TEP.
  • MOM key facts: TEP valid up to 3 months, not renewable, no foreign worker levy or quota, and no family passes.
  • NUH: under the TEP it cannot apply for passes for your spouse or children, such as a Dependant's Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass.
  • Published TEP cost: S$360 (KKH and NUH).
  • If your offer letter does not name the pass, its validity or who pays for it, ask before you accept.

Published fees and living costs

Fees are published per hospital, are usually non-refundable and are mostly paid after you accept an offer. Most programmes are self-funded. SGH states 'self-funding only' for clinical fellows, and NUH pays no salary, stipend, allowance or accommodation for honorary fellows. The figures below are the institutions' own published figures as of 8 October 2026. They may change without notice and may not include GST.

  • SMC (all hospitals): S$300 application fee plus a S$550 practising certificate per year or part-year (fee schedule updated 7 April 2025).
  • SGH: an SGH-PGMI administrative fee of S$500 per application for clinical fellows and S$150 for observers, plus, where applicable, a department training fee of S$3,000 a month (fellows) or S$1,000 a week (observers), all subject to GST. The orthopaedic programme documents list a training fee of S$3,210 a month.
  • NUH: a S$560 processing fee (GST included). For fellows, NUH also lists malpractice insurance of S$966 for 12 months, a S$150 BCLS course, the S$360 TEP, personal health insurance and any department training fee. It suggests budgeting S$3,000 to S$5,000 a month for living costs, including accommodation.
  • KKH (estimates as of 1 October 2025): an application fee of S$620 plus GST, a training fee disclosed with the conditional offer, about S$203.30 for qualification verification, S$360 for the TEP, S$177.67 for the pre-fellowship medical check-up and S$469 or S$938 for malpractice insurance, depending on length.
  • Malpractice cover: SGH requires malpractice indemnity cover from MPS, as named on its page. NUH and KKH quote cover through the Singapore Medical Association.
  • Tax: SGH and KKH note that any stipend or salary may be taxable by IRAS.

Timeline and step-by-step

The published lead times are long. Plan for at least 9 to 12 months from application to your first day as a fellow. SGH reviews applications monthly, with a cut-off on the last day of each month. It notifies fellowship applicants within 2 months after the end of the application month, and registration and pass processing then takes about 6 to 9 months more. For other attachments, the figures are 2 to 3 months and then 3 to 4 months. NUH estimates 6 to 8 months after the required documents reach SMC. KKH says to allow at least 12 months for a clinical fellowship and 6 months for a hands-off observership. NNI asks for applications at least 9 months before the start date. CGH advises applying at least 6 months ahead. TTSH encourages applications 1 year in advance for its sports fellowship.

  • 1. Check SMC eligibility first: 3 years' medical officer experience, active practice, good standing, English test results and sponsorship from a government, health authority or home institution.
  • 2. Choose the programme and contact the department or education office (for SGH, apply through the SGH-PGMI online form).
  • 3. Prepare documents. SGH asks for a CV with your full clinical posting history, a certified summary of operations and two recommendation letters dated within the past year, one from your head of institution or department. Files must be under 1 MB each.
  • 4. Interview. SGH arranges online interviews for clinical fellowship applicants. TTSH lists an online faculty interview for Foot and Ankle.
  • 5. Accept the offer and pay the hospital's processing or administrative fee.
  • 6. SMC temporary registration: online application, with verification letters and the Certificate of Good Standing sent directly to SMC.
  • 7. The host hospital applies for the work pass after SMC approval.
  • 8. Complete the medical clearance (hepatitis B and C, HIV, TB or chest X-ray) and the vaccinations your hospital requires, and arrange insurance and indemnity.
  • 9. Arrive and complete registration in person. NUH says there is a wait of at least 2 weeks after arrival for the registration and practising certificates, during which you cannot start, and advises not to make travel arrangements until told to.

Funding, sponsorship and society programmes

Funded places are the exception. SGH-PGMI advertises a limited funded clinical fellowship award of up to S$4,500 a month, awarded at SGH's discretion to candidates with a postgraduate qualification and 2 years' relevant clinical experience after obtaining it. TTSH says funding for its sports surgery fellowship positions is available but not guaranteed. Sponsorship in the SMC sense is different: it means your home government, health authority or employer formally supports your training. KKH asks for a letter confirming that your post is held until you return. The Singapore Orthopaedic Association (SOA) does not run hospital fellowships, but it lists ASEAN travelling fellowships that rotate through member countries, including Singapore.

  • SOA Junior ASEAN Travelling Fellowship (since 1982): for general orthopaedic surgeons under 35, about one week in each country, accommodation and administrative costs sponsored, return airfare paid by the home association.
  • SOA Senior ASEAN Travelling Fellowship (since 1986): two weeks in total, with observer status and no operating privileges for one week.
  • For both SOA fellowships, apply through your own national orthopaedic association.
  • Overseas doctors who want an attachment to a residency programme are directed to SingHealth Residency rather than SGH-PGMI.
EVIDENCE AND ACTIONS

Sources checked and applicant checklist

This guide uses only official pages opened on 8 October 2026: SMC, MOM, the hospitals' own fellowship pages and programme documents, SingHealth Academy, NUHS and the Singapore Orthopaedic Association. Where sources disagree (TEP validity, observer registration, TOEFL thresholds), the guide reports each source rather than choosing one. Khoo Teck Puat Hospital details come from an archived copy of a programme document whose original link now redirects. We found no published fellowship information for Woodlands Health, and no fee details for CGH, TTSH, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital or SKH, so those details are left out.

Before you act

  • Confirm with the host hospital whether your place is a clinical fellowship, an SMC-registered observership or a hands-off observership.
  • Check your eligibility against SMC's current temporary registration page, including the English test thresholds and the 3-year experience and sponsorship rules.
  • Ask the hospital in writing which MOM pass it will apply for, for how long, and which fees, insurance and indemnity you must pay.
  • Allow 9 to 12 months or more, and make no travel or leave plans until SMC registration and the work pass are approved.

Official sources

Sources reviewed 8 October 2026. Recheck the linked source because cycles and regulatory requirements can change.
COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

How long can an overseas orthopaedic fellow train in Singapore?

SMC temporary registration for a clinical fellow lasts up to 1 year, is limited to the length of the accredited programme and cannot be renewed. Hospital programmes are often shorter. SGH Adult Reconstruction lists a 6-month maximum, SGH Foot & Ankle 6 to 12 months and TTSH Foot and Ankle 6 months.

Do I need SMC registration for a short observership?

It depends on the type. Hands-off observerships at SGH (up to 4 weeks), CGH and KKH (up to 28 days) are described separately from SMC-registered posts, and KKH requires SMC temporary registration only for clinical fellowships. NUH, however, requires SMC temporary registration and a TEP for its Clinical Observership. Confirm the category with the host hospital.

Which English test scores does SMC accept?

SMC accepts IELTS Academic with at least 7 in each component, OET with at least Grade B in each component, or TOEFL iBT. For TOEFL taken before 21 January 2026, SMC requires at least 25 in each component and 100 overall. For tests on or after that date, it requires at least 5.0 in each component and overall. Results must come from one sitting and be within 2 years of the test date. They are required only if your basic degree was not taught in English.

Is the Training Employment Pass long enough for a 12-month fellowship?

SGH, NUH, KKH and NNI all name the TEP for fellows, but MOM's public pages say the TEP lasts up to 3 months and cannot be renewed. We found no official explanation for the difference. Because the hospital files the application, ask it to confirm which pass it will apply for and for how long before you resign, sign leases or book travel.

How much does an orthopaedic fellowship in Singapore cost?

Costs vary by hospital and most places are self-funded. Published items include SMC fees of S$300 plus S$550, hospital processing or administrative fees of S$500 to S$620 (GST is added at some hospitals and included at others), a TEP of S$360, malpractice cover and, at some hospitals, a monthly training fee (S$3,000 plus GST at SGH where applicable). NUH suggests S$3,000 to S$5,000 a month for living costs.

How far ahead should I apply?

Allow 9 to 12 months or more. KKH says at least 12 months for a clinical fellowship and NNI asks for 9 months. SGH's figures add up to roughly 8 to 11 months after the end of your application month. NUH estimates 6 to 8 months once documents reach SMC, plus at least 2 weeks after arrival before you can start.

Can my family join me during the fellowship?

NUH states that under MOM's rules it cannot apply for passes for your spouse or children, such as a Dependant's Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass, while you hold a Training Employment Pass. MOM's TEP key facts also list family passes as not available.

Privacy policy

Your privacy choices

Essential storage keeps your shortlist, preferences and sign-in working.

Optional Google Analytics is not enabled on this site.

Advertising choices

Advertising consent settings appear here when Google’s consent message is available for this visit. Your analytics choice does not grant advertising consent.

Read the privacy policy