Her boss tried to cut her pay days before she gave birth, so she left & build her own clinic
Dr Michelle Ng turned a moment of loss into a new beginning for herself On Jun 28, 2025, Dr Michelle Ng was 39 weeks pregnant, nine days away from giving birth. That’s when she received an email from her previous employer, saying that they would pause her senior doctor incentives and deduct from her maternity […]
Dr Michelle Ng turned a moment of loss into a new beginning for herself
On Jun 28, 2025, Dr Michelle Ng was 39 weeks pregnant, nine days away from giving birth.
That’s when she received an email from her previous employer, saying that they would pause her senior doctor incentives and deduct from her maternity pay to cover the commissions for doctors hired in her place.
She read the email twice. Then she went on to draft her resignation letter with conviction.
What happened next would transform Dr Michelle’s and her family’s lives. Within a few months, she would open ARTÉ by Dr M, an aesthetic clinic that had built a waiting list stretching to Feb 2026 before it even opened its doors in Dec 2025.
But that Jun morning, none of that was visible. All she could see was the uncertainty of her future with her four-year-old daughter and her soon-to-be-born son, a career ending where motherhood began.
This is Dr Michelle’s story—how she turned a moment of loss, on the brink of motherhood, into the start of something entirely new. Vulcan Post spoke with her and her husband, Vincent, to understand the challenges, the risks, and the decisions that led to ARTÉ by Dr M.
Facing “career suicide” for taking her maternity leave
An NUS Medicine graduate with dermatology rotations at public hospitals, Dr Michelle built a strong foundation in skin and facial anatomy. She is renowned for her ambidextrous injection skills, which are widely regarded as highly advanced.
Over more than a decade in the field, she moved between doctor-led and investor-owned clinics, generating S$200,000–S$300,000 in monthly revenue from her work alone, according to her husband, Vincent.
She joined her ex-employer in 2023. But when her second pregnancy came in early 2025, her employer’s support waned. At 12 weeks, tests confirmed a high-risk pregnancy. Despite mounting fatigue and medical complications, she continued showing up for her patients, even as her body signalled the need to slow down.
With lessons learned from her first pregnancy—when she had little time to bond with her first child after opting for half-day arrangements despite being fully entitled to maternity leave—Dr Michelle decided to take her full entitlement for her second child.
She took 16 weeks of government-paid maternity leave plus six weeks of shared parental leave (three weeks from her husband), totalling 22 weeks (about five months) to recover and spend time with her family.
However, upon applying for leave, she was told by her ex-employer that going on maternity leave for that long is “career suicide.” Dr Michelle was disheartened and lost all hope in her career, but she knew that she had to prove otherwise.
The final straw came nine days before her son’s delivery in Jul 2025. Her ex-employer sent an email informing her of the temporary pause of her senior doctor incentives during her maternity period, and any commissions paid to covering doctors in her absence will be deducted from her maternity salary.
The next day, between prenatal appointments and birth preparations, she drafted her response. Dr Michelle informed them that the deduction was not allowed under the relevant laws, tendered her resignation, and began her four-month notice period—sacrificing her remaining shared parental leave in the process.
That same day, her son Louis was born, and the idea of ARTÉ then slowly took shape.
Navigating motherhood & ambition
ARTÉ by Dr. M opened its doors in the middle of Dec 2025, but the journey tested Dr Michelle in every way.
In the lead-up, she navigated one of the most demanding periods of her life: caring for a newborn, managing postpartum recovery, and simultaneously building a clinic from the ground up.
She secured a unit at Millenia Walk, negotiated with her landlord, Pontiac Land Group, coordinated with medical suppliers, and oversaw a complex renovation—all within the span of just a few months.
Then, just as things began to take shape, another challenge surfaced.
Her long-term domestic helper left abruptly, leaving Dr Michelle scrambling to arrange childcare while keeping the clinic’s construction on track. On top of that, as with any major project, renovation delays arose, pushing ARTÉ’s opening back by a month from the original Nov 2025 target.
Watching her hold everything together through that chaos, her husband left his 13-year career in commodities to support her.
“I couldn’t bear to see her carry everything on her own,” he said. “The way she showed up for her patients during her maternity period, and for what she believes in. It made it clear to me that this was more than just a career. It was her calling, and she convinced me to give up my career to help her give her best for her patients.”
The couple’s capital investment exceeded S$1 million for equipment and renovation alone in the 1,600 sqft unit, with monthly operating costs averaging between S$60,000 and S$100,000.
“Many people commented that I was crazy to start a business as soon as I gave birth, but it was this belief that I told myself that I wanted ARTÉ to be a beacon of hope for all women that anything is possible even in the most demanding seasons of life,” Dr Ng recalled.
She runs the clinic supported by a team of four
ARTÉ by Dr. M specialises in non-surgical anti-ageing treatments with a focus on injectables (including botox, dermal fillers, and collagen stimulators), alongside lasers and Ultherapy Prime machines for skin lifting, tightening and rejuvenation.
Dr Michelle is the clinic’s sole doctor, supported by a team of four.
Treatments led by her typically begin from S$800 up to S$2,000 per session, while non-doctor therapist treatments start from S$200. For patients looking for a more personalised approach, the clinic also offers customised programs tailored to individual needs and budgets.
Dr Michelle said transparency is a core principle of the clinic. “There are no hard-selling and no hidden fees,” she explained. Treatments are usually structured in three sessions, followed by a detailed review of progress.
The clinic’s reputation was evident even before its doors opened in Dec 2025: bookings were filled up to Feb 2026, reflecting the trust Dr Michelle had built with her patients over the years.
Beyond patient experience, Dr Michelle shared that ARTÉ represents a deliberate choice about how care should be practised. “The field has become increasingly commoditised, with price wars and the race to the bottom,” she said. More investors are setting up clinics with commercial priorities at the forefront, while medical risks become secondary to sales performance and treatment pricing.
“For us, every treatment, even for trials, is done with full intent, and we give our 100%,” she added.
“There are sacrifices that come with building something you believe in”
Today, Dr Michelle is not only an aesthetic doctor but also a speaker and trainer for leading global brands such as Merz, where she mentors and trains younger doctors.
She also has plans to grow ARTÉ meaningfully, guided by the same patient-centric principles on which it was built.
Yet behind all this growth lies a reality she carries quietly. She sees patients six days a week, often skipping meals and returning home after her children have already fallen asleep.
She shared, “There are sacrifices that come with building something you believe in. I don’t always get the time I wish I had at home, but when I am present, I make sure I am fully there for my children.”
For Dr Michelle, ARTÉ’s growth isn’t just about scale or revenue—it’s about building something meaningful, even if it demands more from her personally.
“Every time I look at my clinic,” she added, “I see blood, sweat and tears. But I also see that despite everything, we chose to keep going and to build something we could stand behind.” She also hopes her story shows other women that maternity is not a setback to overcome, but a source of strength to draw from.
Since her ex-employer challenged her maternity entitlements, Dr Michelle has engaged lawyers and attended multiple legal meetings.
As a mother and doctor in an industry built on empowering women, I couldn’t stay silent and accept what felt wrong. That day, I chose to stand for what I believe in. Dr Michelle Ng
The matter remains unresolved to this day, yet she continues to focus on her patients, her clinic, and inspiring other women to find strength in their own journeys.
- Find out more about ARTÉ by Dr. M here.
- Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: ARTÉ by Dr. M
Share
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
