- Why has Nanyang Technological University set up a medical school?
The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) was set up to meet an expected rise in the healthcare demands of a growing and ageing Singapore population. Formed through a partnership between two world-class universities, Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Imperial College London (Imperial), LKCMedicine is training a generation of doctors who will put patients at the centre of their exemplary medical care. Named after local philanthropist Tan Sri Dato Lee Kong Chian, the School, which was officially opened by the then Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Teo Chee Hean on 28 August 2017, is a model for innovative medical education and a centre for transformative research.
LKCMedicine will augment Singapore’s healthcare manpower by producing top-quality doctors and medical leaders who are attuned to the needs of patients and the Singapore community. The School will provide more opportunities for Singaporeans to pursue a high-quality medical degree locally. The School also partners with hospitals, polyclinics and specialist centres within the other healthcare clusters, SingHealth and National University Health System (NUHS). Farrer Park Hospital and Raffles Medical Group are also teaching sites for our students, making them the first private hospitals in Singapore to be officially involved in undergraduate medical education.
-
What programmes does LKCMedicine offer and what will students learn?
LKCMedicine offers a five-year full-time Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) undergraduate programme. Upon completion of the programme, students will gain an MBBS degree awarded jointly by both NTU Singapore and Imperial. The programme adapts the best of Imperial’s world-renowned curriculum and leverages on NTU’s strengths in engineering, technology and biomedical research to provide students with an innovative, multidisciplinary curriculum aimed at developing doctors of tomorrow. Students will be taught the scientific basis of medicine and how to handle the doctor-patient relationship. The National Healthcare Group (NHG), a leader in public healthcare recognised for the quality of its medical expertise, facilities and teaching is LKCMedicine’s primary clinical teaching partner, offers students exposure to clinical experience relevant to Singapore’s healthcare needs. The School’s first cohort has graduated in August 2018.
LKCMedicine also offers a PhD by Research programme for the brightest students from a variety of backgrounds – natural sciences, medicine, social sciences and engineering – and expose them to a range of topics and disciplines such that upon completion, graduates will have a deep knowledge and appreciation of both translatable and translational medical research methods. More about LKCMedicine’s PhD programme can be found here.
-
How does the curriculum at LKCMedicine differ from what is offered by
the other local medical schools?
All local medical schools will primarily equip students with the knowledge and skills to become doctors and clinicians. LKCMedicine pioneers a modern curriculum characterised by its innovative approaches in pedagogy, utilising team-based learning and other leading-edge technology. LKCMedicine’s educational model focuses on interdisciplinary learning and draws on synergies from the fields of medicine, sciences, engineering, technology and the humanities.
-
What are the entry requirements for the undergraduate MBBS programme?
The entry requirements and selection criteria can be found here.
-
Does the Joint Degree allow students to practise in the UK after completing
the programme?
LKCMedicine’s MBBS degree which is jointly awarded by NTU Singapore and Imperial is not considered a UK Primary Medical Qualification and hence will not entitle the holder to provisional registration with the General Medical Council in the UK. LKCMedicine graduates who wish to practise in the UK should follow the registration process for graduates from outside the UK and European Economic Area as described in the link here. Upon successful completion of the MBBS programme with local universities, graduates are to fulfil a service obligation of five years (for Singaporeans) or six years (for non-Singaporeans) in the local public healthcare sector.
-
What are the quality assurance processes in place to ensure that the MBBS programme is delivered with a high standard?
Imperial is closely involved in the development and implementation of the curriculum as well as the recruitment of top faculty members and students. LKCMedicine also adheres to Imperial’s robust quality assurance procedures. The MBBS programme falls under the regulations of the Quality Assurance Agency, and also conforms to local quality assurance requirements imposed by the Singapore Medical Council, NTU Singapore and LKCMedicine. Academic subject and professional experts from local and overseas institutions are appointed as external examiners for LKCMedicine. The team of external examiners includes a Joint External Examiner who is also an external examiner for Imperial’s MBBS programme. This ensures that the standard of LKCMedicine’s MBBS programme is consistent with Imperial’s and on par with the other medical schools recognised by the Singapore Medical Council.
-
Where do students attend lessons?
Depending on their timetables, students attend lessons at both the Novena and Yunnan Garden campuses in the first two years of the programme. Students spend a half day per week at a polyclinic. In the next three years, students are based primarily at healthcare facilities throughout Singapore, under the three healthcare clusters – NHG, SingHealth and NUHS.
-
Will LKCMedicine students spend time at Imperial College London?
LKCMedicine has established an exchange programme with Imperial to encourage interactions between the two institutions. Selected second-year students participate in the Imperial Immersion Week programme in March each year.
Final-year LKCMedicine students also embark on a six-week overseas elective at Imperial and in various countries including the UK, Australia, Japan, India, Thailand, India and others.
-
Does LKCMedicine offer postgraduate programmes?
LKCMedicine launched its inaugural four-year PhD by Research programme in January 2016. The PhD programme by Research is shaped by Singapore’s healthcare needs and delivered with several innovative features.
The programme includes clinical attachments for students from a non-clinical background to receive a deeper understanding of local healthcare needs. There are also laboratory rotations which broaden the students’ range of skills, as well as overseas attachments with academic medical centres which will give students an international perspective. Capitalising on LKCMedicine’s strategic partnerships, students will be able to choose from three different pathways for their research training. More about LKCMedicine’s PhD programme can be found here.
-
Where is LKCMedicine’s MBBS degree accredited?
The MBBS degree is accredited in Singapore and its accreditation is in line with the requirements set by the Singapore Medical Council and Singapore Ministry of Health.
-
What is the make-up of the LKCMedicine faculty?
The faculty at LKCMedicine consists of a core team of experienced clinician-educators and faculty members from NTU Singapore and Imperial. The School also has a prominent research faculty, made up of internationally renowned clinician-scientists and researchers. NTU Singapore and Imperial will continue to recruit excellent faculty committed to delivering world-class medical education.
-
What is the governance structure of LKCMedicine?
LKCMedicine’s Governing Board comprises representatives from the Singapore Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health Holdings, NHG, NTU Singapore, Imperial, LKCMedicine and other industry leaders who hold the expertise and experience to help the School achieve its goals. Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of the Singapore Food Agency and a member of NTU Singapore’s Board of Trustees, leads the School’s Governing Board.
-
Where can I get more information?
|
|