Office of Professional Affairs (OPA)

The roles and responsibilities of the Professional Affairs Executive Committee (PA EXCO) are to Assist OPA Director in:

1. Developing strategic directions and goals in professional affairs matters
2. Reviewing the work of OPA committees
3. Providing guidance to OPA committees

The roles and responsibilities of the OPA are to:

1. set the policies and procedures for professional affair matters
2. provide advice on clinical practice guidelines
3. advise medical professional bodies on new technologies, and the development of specialties and subspecialties
4. provide recommendations to the Ministry of Health (MOH) on the associated policies and procedures governing the adoption of new technologies and the practice of new specialties and subspecialties
5. generate and disseminate information and knowledge to the public on matters related to health
6. provide independent medical expert opinions and reports
7. assist in the verification of foreign visiting medical experts

The Director of the OPA shall be an AMS Fellow and be appointed by the AMS Council for a term of five years, to ensure good planning and continuity of direction. The role of the Director is to ensure direction and purpose in all professional affairs activities, and help to drive the various committees accordingly. The Director reports to the AMS Council. The Director chairs the PA EXCO which includes the Academy Master, Assistant Master (Administrative Affairs), Chairs and Co-Chairs of each of the committees under the OPA, and co-opted member(s). The PA EXCO assists the Director in setting the policies and procedures for professional affairs matters, streamlining the processes and framework, and developing strategies and medium-to-long term plans for the OPA.

The Chair and Co-Chair of each committee shall be an AMS Fellow and be appointed by the AMS Council for a term of three years. The members of the committee shall be appointed by the committee Chair with the endorsement of OPA Director for a term of three years, and shall comprise Fellows from the Colleges and Chapters/Sections who have the relevant experience and knowledge to support the working of the committee.

The Academy also provides professional guidance to Governmental Organizations and other statutory boards that seek its assistance.

The roles and responsibilities of the POC are to:

1. Provide professional opinions and recommendations (such as professional standards, adoption and utilisation of new technologies, development and practice of specialties and subspecialties) to MOH and other agencies (e.g. HSA, MOM, Singapore Police Force).
2. Produce Consensus Statements and Position Papers on topics and issues on request or when relevant (e.g. AMS website, newspaper forum).
3. Provide verification of visiting experts for request from the Singapore Medical Council (SMC).

The roles and responsibilities of the PGC are to:

1. Develop Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on request from or in collaboration with MOH, and for the AMS.
2. Provide opinions and recommendations to MOH and other external stakeholders on practice guidelines.
3. Coordinate endorsement of practice guidelines developed by MOH and other external stakeholders.
4. Provide policies on practice guidelines development.
5. Prioritise practice guidelines development proposals.
6. Be a resource for Fellows who seek advice on issues relating to practice guidelines.
7. Assist committees/workgroups formed by AMS to develop practice guidelines.
8. Assist these committee/workgroups to plan, organize and develop practice guidelines.
9. Supervise and monitor development of practice guidelines.

The roles and responsibilities of the PEC are to:

1. Provide opinions and recommendations to MOH and other external stakeholders on medical ethics.
2. Be a resource for Fellows who seek advice on issues relating to medical ethics.
3. Assist committees/workgroups formed by the AMS to develop the curriculum, training programmes and continuing medical education modules to equip doctors and dentists with the knowledge and skills relating to medical ethics.
4. ism, ethics and organisation Assist these committee/workgroups to plan, organize and conduct these training programmes and CME modules.
5. Monitor these training programmes and CME modules.

The roles and responsibilities of the Medical Ethics Workgroups (ad-hoc) are to:

1. Develop the curriculum, training programmes and CME modules to equip medical and dental specialists with the general knowledge and skills relating to medical ethics.
2. Plan, organise, conduct and monitor these training programmes and CME modules.
3. Collaborate with other medical organisations in the development and training in medical ethics.

The roles and responsibilities of the MEC are to:

1. Provide policies, opinions and recommendations on the development of the curriculum, training programmes and CME modules to equip medical and dental specialists with the knowledge and skills to provide competent medical expert opinions or assessments in medicolegal cases involving the Coroner’s Court, State Courts or SMC Disciplinary Tribunal.
2. Be a resource for Fellows who seek advice on issues relating to medical experts.
3. Assist committees/workgroups formed by AMS to develop the curriculum, training programmes and CME modules to equip medical and dental specialists with the knowledge and skills to provide competent medical expert opinions or assessments in medicolegal cases.
4. Assist these committee/workgroups to plan, organize and conduct these training programmes and CME modules.
5. Collaborate with other medical and non-medical organizations in developing and training medical experts.
6. Support the Faculty of Medical Experts in maintaining the knowledge and skills of the Faculty members through CME.
7. Supervise and monitor these training programmes and CME modules.
8. Collate and manage a database/registry of trainers under the Faculty of Medical Experts Trainers.
9. Manage the maintenance and continuing training for Faculty members.

The roles and responsibilities of the FMEC are to:

1. Collate and manage a database/registry of medical experts who are willing to be assigned by AMS to be medical experts, under the Faculty of Medical Experts (FME).
2. Manage the maintenance and continuing training for FME members.
3. Collaborate with the Colleges and Chapters/Sections to ensure each specialty and sub-specialty have an adequate pool of medical experts who have attended a recognised training programme.
4. Collaborate with other medical and non-medical organizations in developing and supporting medical experts.
5. Recommend appropriate Faculty members for request to provide competent medical expert opinions or assessments in medicolegal cases involving the Coroner’s Court, State Courts or SMC Disciplinary Tribunal, through the provision of medical expert reports, testimonies and evidence, or as an appointed medical assessor.