Duke-NUS Medical School has broadened access to medicine for students across various academic backgrounds, including Chinese medicine and honours college programmes. The move reinforces Duke-NUS’ commitment to developing clinicians equipped to shape the evolving healthcare landscape.
Expanding its collaborations with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), the School now welcomes even more eligible students from the two institutions via its Pathways to Medicine programme, which allows outstanding students to explore diverse academic interests during their undergraduate studies before progressing to graduate-level medical training.
Through a widened pathway with NTU’s School of Biological Sciences, eligible students from the Bachelor of Chinese Medicine and Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with Second Major programmes, as well as CN Yang Scholars reading Biological Sciences, will first complete their four-year undergraduate programme.
In a new pathway with NUS College, the honours college of NUS and Singapore’s first honours college that brings together students from over 60 majors across the university, students will similarly complete their undergraduate studies in any Bachelor’s degree programme offered by NUS—including law, computing and humanities.
These pathways will then provide students with conditional admissions to Duke-NUS’ Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme upon graduating, subject to meeting the stipulated entry requirements.
Admission to the MD programme subsequently remains highly selective based on a holistic evaluation that includes components such as prior academic performance, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, co-curricular activities and interviews.
During their undergraduate years, students remain engaged with the healthcare ecosystem through structured mentorship by Duke-NUS and SingHealth faculty and Duke-NUS alumni, clinical attachments as well as targeted preparatory workshops and talks for medical school. Through a new ‘Mini Medical School’ component, students will experience medical school life by actively participating in Duke-NUS’ distinctive TeamLEAD learning approach, simulated patient interactions, clinical shadowing and hands-on first aid training.
These supportive experiences help them contextualise academic studies within medicine where relevant, while better understanding the academic, professional and personal demands of medical school. In turn, deeper clarity and sustained engagement strengthen their readiness and likelihood of progressing into the MD programme.
Professor Patrick Tan, Dean of Duke-NUS, said:
“We are pleased to partner with NUS College and Nanyang Technological University to broaden access to our pathways into medicine. By welcoming students from diverse academic backgrounds, we are bringing together individuals united by a shared purpose—to push the boundaries of medicine and improve care for patients and communities.”
Associate Professor Linda Zhong, Director of Biomedical Sciences and Chinese Medicine at Nanyang Technological University, said:
“The NTU-Duke-NUS Medicine Pathway provides motivated students of Chinese medicine with expanded opportunities and opens new avenues for cultivating international leading talents in integrative medicine. The inclusion of Chinese medicine will foster a robust, integrative approach that draws on both Eastern and Western medical practices.”
Professor Simon Chesterman, Dean of NUS College, said:
"At NUS College, we broaden and deepen student capabilities by integrating interdisciplinary studies with real-world applications. This robust foundation empowers our students to navigate complex challenges and embrace the future with agility and insight. For those with a passion for medicine, we are excited that our pathway with Duke-NUS now offers a premier opportunity for them to transition into a globally recognised programme, where they will be developed into versatile and visionary medical leaders of tomorrow."
The additions to Duke-NUS’ Pathways to Medicine programme build on the School’s collaborations with its academic partners. Since receiving its first intake in 2021, the programme has also welcomed students from NUS’ College of Design and Engineering, Singapore Management University, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Duke University, Duke Kunshan University and King’s College London.
The application windows for the expanded NTU-Duke-NUS Medicine Pathway and new NUS College and Duke-NUS Medical Pathway open annually in June and July.
As part of Duke-NUS’ four-year MD programme, students undergo a rigorous curriculum with a strong emphasis on research and team-based learning, with clinical training primarily conducted at SingHealth institutions. Graduates receive a joint MD degree from Duke University and the National University of Singapore.
Through the expansion of the Pathways to Medicine programme, Duke-NUS continues to develop future clinicians, innovators and healthcare leaders who bring diverse perspectives and empathy to patient care as Singapore’s only graduate-entry medical school.
