Singapore medical students broaden knowledge at Imperial

Students from the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) visited Imperial last week to broaden their medical knowledge.

The second-year students visited laboratories and clinical settings during a week-long trip as part of an exchange programme designed to enhance links between the two medical schools.

The 22 students spent time conducting lung function and breathlessness tests, as well as sessions on anatomy and HIV radiology.

The medical school, run jointly with Nanyang Technology University (NTU), officially opened last year and will have its first graduation later in the summer.

The state-of-the-art campus admits 120 students per year and builds on Imperial’s world-renowned medical curriculum as it trains the next generation of Singaporean doctors.

Speaking about the student exchange programmes, President Alice Gast said: “These visits provide intrepid medical students from each school a chance to see first-hand the similarities and differences in medical education and healthcare in Singapore and the UK.”

Student experience

Student, Mark Lim said: “It’s exciting to have a more hands-on and different experience.

"The facilities at Imperial are excellent and we’re learning how tech is relevant to different scenarios.

“As our school year is small, we are very close knit and have more contact time.”

Mark explained that final year students have the option to undertake a clinical training elective placement at a UK hospital such as Charing Cross.

Natalia Mar, said the trip was a good opportunity for students to discover the similarities and differences between British and Singaporean medical approaches.

Natalia said: “It’s good that we combine medical learning from Imperial and NTU.

"It’s really interesting to see the different ways of teaching and how Imperial students learn.

“We’re finding out that some conditions and treatments are common in the UK but not in Singapore.”

Felix Tan said that one of the benefits of the course is that they are exposed to physical examinations in the first year.

He said: “It’s been an eye opening experience so far. As it’s a very new school, we are pioneers and defining the culture.”

The innovative LKCMedicine curriculum takes a care-centred approach, harnessing team-based learning and the latest digital technology.

During their trip, the students visited Charing Cross and Chelsea and Westminster hospitals, and had a look around Europe’s oldest surviving Operating Theatre.

They also got to experience the social and cultural side of London, visiting some of the city’s best known attractions such as the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Shakespeare’s Globe and St Paul’s Cathedral.