Dr Michelle Ng turned a second of loss into a brand new starting for herself
On Jun 28, 2025, Dr Michelle Ng was 39 weeks pregnant, 9 days away from giving delivery.
That’s when she obtained an e-mail from her earlier employer, saying that they’d pause her senior physician incentives and deduct from her maternity pay to cowl the commissions for docs employed in her place.
She learn the e-mail twice. Then she went on to draft her resignation letter with conviction.
What occurred subsequent would rework Dr Michelle’s and her household’s lives. Inside a number of months, she would open ARTÉ by Dr M, an aesthetic clinic that had constructed a ready checklist stretching to Feb 2026 earlier than it even opened its doorways in Dec 2025.
However that Jun morning, none of that was seen. All she may see was the uncertainty of her future along with her four-year-old daughter and her soon-to-be-born son, a profession ending the place motherhood started.
That is Dr Michelle’s story—how she turned a second of loss, getting ready to motherhood, into the beginning of one thing totally new. Vulcan Publish spoke along with her and her husband, Vincent, to know the challenges, the dangers, and the selections that led to ARTÉ by Dr M.
Going through “profession suicide” for taking her maternity go away
An NUS Medication graduate with dermatology rotations at public hospitals, Dr Michelle constructed a powerful basis in pores and skin and facial anatomy. She is famend for her ambidextrous injection abilities, that are broadly thought to be extremely superior.
Over greater than a decade within the discipline, she moved between doctor-led and investor-owned clinics, producing S$200,000–S$300,000 in month-to-month income from her work alone, in keeping with her husband, Vincent.
She joined her ex-employer in 2023. However when her second being pregnant got here in early 2025, her employer’s help waned. At 12 weeks, exams confirmed a high-risk being pregnant. Regardless of mounting fatigue and medical problems, she continued displaying up for her sufferers, at the same time as her physique signalled the necessity to decelerate.
With classes realized from her first being pregnant—when she had little time to bond along with her first baby after choosing half-day preparations regardless of being absolutely entitled to maternity go away—Dr Michelle determined to take her full entitlement for her second baby.
She took 16 weeks of government-paid maternity go away plus six weeks of shared parental go away (three weeks from her husband), totalling 22 weeks (about 5 months) to recuperate and spend time along with her household.
Nonetheless, upon making use of for go away, she was advised by her ex-employer that occurring maternity go away for that lengthy is “profession suicide.” Dr Michelle was disheartened and misplaced all hope in her profession, however she knew that she needed to show in any other case.
The ultimate straw got here 9 days earlier than her son’s supply in Jul 2025. Her ex-employer despatched an e-mail informing her of the momentary pause of her senior physician incentives throughout her maternity interval, and any commissions paid to overlaying docs in her absence shall be deducted from her maternity wage.
The following day, between prenatal appointments and delivery preparations, she drafted her response. Dr Michelle knowledgeable them that the deduction was not allowed beneath the related legal guidelines, tendered her resignation, and started her four-month discover interval—sacrificing her remaining shared parental go away within the course of.
That very same day, her son Louis was born, and the concept of ARTÉ then slowly took form.
Navigating motherhood & ambition
ARTÉ by Dr. M opened its doorways in the midst of Dec 2025, however the journey examined Dr Michelle in each means.
Within the lead-up, she navigated probably the most demanding intervals of her life: caring for a new child, managing postpartum restoration, and concurrently constructing a clinic from the bottom up.
She secured a unit at Millenia Stroll, negotiated along with her landlord, Pontiac Land Group, coordinated with medical suppliers, and oversaw a posh renovation—all throughout the span of just some months.
Then, simply as issues started to take form, one other problem surfaced.
Her long-term home helper left abruptly, leaving Dr Michelle scrambling to rearrange childcare whereas conserving the clinic’s building on observe. On prime of that, as with all main challenge, renovation delays arose, pushing ARTÉ’s opening again by a month from the unique Nov 2025 goal.
Watching her maintain the whole lot collectively by that chaos, her husband left his 13-year profession in commodities to help her.
“I couldn’t bear to see her carry the whole lot on her personal,” he mentioned. “The way in which she confirmed up for her sufferers throughout her maternity interval, and for what she believes in. It made it clear to me that this was greater than only a profession. It was her calling, and she or he satisfied me to surrender my profession to assist her give her finest for her sufferers.”
The couple’s capital funding exceeded S$1 million for tools and renovation alone within the 1,600 sqft unit, with month-to-month working prices averaging between S$60,000 and S$100,000.
“Many individuals commented that I used to be loopy to begin a enterprise as quickly as I gave delivery, nevertheless it was this perception that I advised myself that I needed ARTÉ to be a beacon of hope for all ladies that something is feasible even in essentially the most demanding seasons of life,” Dr Ng recalled.
She runs the clinic supported by a workforce of 4
ARTÉ by Dr. M specialises in non-surgical anti-ageing remedies with a give attention to injectables (together with botox, dermal fillers, and collagen stimulators), alongside lasers and Ultherapy Prime machines for pores and skin lifting, tightening and rejuvenation.
Dr Michelle is the clinic’s sole physician, supported by a workforce of 4.
Therapies led by her sometimes start from S$800 as much as S$2,000 per session, whereas non-doctor therapist remedies begin from S$200. For sufferers searching for a extra personalised strategy, the clinic additionally provides customised packages tailor-made to particular person wants and budgets.
Dr Michelle mentioned transparency is a core precept of the clinic. “There are not any hard-selling and no hidden charges,” she defined. Therapies are normally structured in three periods, adopted by an in depth assessment of progress.
The clinic’s popularity was evident even earlier than its doorways opened in Dec 2025: bookings have been crammed as much as Feb 2026, reflecting the belief Dr Michelle had constructed along with her sufferers through the years.
Past affected person expertise, Dr Michelle shared that ARTÉ represents a deliberate alternative about how care must be practised. “The sector has grow to be more and more commoditised, with worth wars and the race to the underside,” she mentioned. Extra buyers are establishing clinics with industrial priorities on the forefront, whereas medical dangers grow to be secondary to gross sales efficiency and therapy pricing.
“For us, each therapy, even for trials, is completed with full intent, and we give our 100%,” she added.
“There are sacrifices that include constructing one thing you imagine in”
Immediately, Dr Michelle is just not solely an aesthetic physician but in addition a speaker and coach for main world manufacturers reminiscent of Merz, the place she mentors and trains youthful docs.
She additionally has plans to develop ARTÉ meaningfully, guided by the identical patient-centric ideas on which it was constructed.
But behind all this progress lies a actuality she carries quietly. She sees sufferers six days per week, typically skipping meals and returning dwelling after her kids have already fallen asleep.
She shared, “There are sacrifices that include constructing one thing you imagine in. I don’t all the time get the time I want I had at dwelling, however when I’m current, I be certain that I’m absolutely there for my kids.”
For Dr Michelle, ARTÉ’s progress isn’t nearly scale or income—it’s about constructing one thing significant, even when it calls for extra from her personally.
“Each time I take a look at my clinic,” she added, “I see blood, sweat and tears. However I additionally see that regardless of the whole lot, we selected to maintain going and to construct one thing we may stand behind.” She additionally hopes her story reveals different ladies that maternity is just not a setback to beat, however a supply of power to attract from.
Since her ex-employer challenged her maternity entitlements, Dr Michelle has engaged attorneys and attended a number of authorized conferences.
As a mom and physician in an trade constructed on empowering ladies, I couldn’t keep silent and settle for what felt flawed. That day, I selected to face for what I imagine in.
Dr Michelle Ng
The matter stays unresolved to this present day, but she continues to give attention to her sufferers, her clinic, and provoking different ladies to search out power in their very own journeys.
Discover out extra about ARTÉ by Dr. M right here.
Learn different articles we’ve written on Singaporean companies right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: ARTÉ by Dr. M
