2011-2012 Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

[outsider89]

i am just praying everyday that i get lucky haha

You will know in around 6 days. I can tell you there are a handful of canadian applicants who are in all likelihood going to take offers in the USA/Canada. I'm not sure if the places vacated by these students will be taken by international applicants or local Singaporeans. In any case, I am sure the quality will be just as high

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[DrBroker]

the financial aid decisions are out! hope everyone got what they wanted

 

[justdoooit]

the financial aid decisions are out! hope everyone got what they wanted

Does that mean that all the acceptees have to respond to their offers soon?

 

[moose45]

New week..Good Luck to those wait-listed

 

[ftt608]

Does that mean that all the acceptees have to respond to their offers soon?

No I don't think so. All have to make a decision in 2 weeks after receiving the acceptance. Even if the FA outcome is not out yet. I think the outcome is out for DrBroker himself coz they send out FA outcome not at one go, but at different times for different people. Some receive in a few weeks time, some a few months...

 

[DrBroker]

oh I'm so sorry. I assumed everyone else was waiting together with me. yes, the decision must have been for myself alone.

good luck to all of you, whether you are waiting for financial aid decisions or med school acceptances!!

 

[fj90]

I talked to the Financial Aid office, they were finalizing financial aid / scholarship offers last week. So I would think people would have received it by now.

 

[yoonx124]

Fff

 

[fj90]

May 15 tomorrow. Those applicants waiting on Canadian/US offers should hear back then. Waitlisters, there's still hope!!

 

[DrBroker]

I talked to the Financial Aid office, they were finalizing financial aid / scholarship offers last week. So I would think people would have received it by now.

So no more chance for waitlisted people?

i'm not sure if there is any more chance of coming off the wait list. if the scholarships have already been given out last week, this would mean that the class is more or less formed already. however, there are currently only 35 members in the Facebook group...

 

[ncrassa]

There's still hope for the waitlisted. I only officially withdrew this weekend, and I know someone else who will likely withdraw shortly as well.

 

[sourcat]

no i didn't... but i don't mind living in singapore coz my fiancee is from singapore and i have a lot of singaporean friends too.
btw, any news recently???

Oh great another scum foreigner coming here taking our school places and dream jobs, marrying our women while poor Singaporean males get rejected and waste their time in NS to protect these ungrateful foreigners. Those who think NS is what you make of it obviously has never served. You have no power to decide what you want to do there and you are mostly wasting your time doing mindless menial tasks while being severely underpaid.

 

[DrBroker]

Oh great another scum foreigner coming here taking our school places and dream jobs, marrying our women while poor Singaporean males get rejected and waste their time in NS to protect these ungrateful foreigners. Those who think NS is what you make of it obviously has never served. You have no power to decide what you want to do there and you are mostly wasting your time doing mindless menial tasks while being severely underpaid.

Hi Sourcat! I don't think Huddy got in (at least he didn't declare that he did on this forum).

Don't worry too much about those women because from my experience and observations, those are the low quality type who can't get any attention from a fit Singaporean male who has served National Service before, and have no choice but to choose a foreigner who got rejected by everywhere in their home country and have no choice but to come all the way to Singapore to study medicine/find a job. This is my personal opinion and observation... don't flame me!

You do have a point there regarding NS. I served NS in the army and I agree that I didn't have a lot of power to decide but I still completed it anyway. My only gripe is, perhaps they should waive this requirement for medical doctors because our medical training takes so long already (med school, residency, fellowship...). Those who went to YLLSoM can disrupt NS but still must serve back as medical officers after their housemanship. Those who go to Duke-NUS have already served NS before undergrad, but are still behind their female counterparts. Either way, the male doctors will always be behind the same-age female doctors in terms of seniority and the way they compensate for this is via the NS bonus in our monthly salary. It is indeed quite unfair that foreigners can enjoy all the benefits of living here without having to serve reservist, go for IPPT, RT, and other NS obligations. I think that not only should foreign doctors be denied this NS bonus, but also held back career-wise as further compensation for enjoying the security without the burden of NSman obligations e.g. require 2 years of housemanship for full medical registration and extend MOH bond by at least another 2 years to ensure that there is sufficient manpower in public healthcare.

If you are an applicant who got rejected this year, please do not give up in the face of this foreign influx because I assure you that from what I see a vast majority of places (at least 70%) are given to locals. The rest are PRs or foreign citizens, some of which have studied/lived in Singapore for years. Good luck!

 

[suc]

Oh great another scum foreigner coming here taking our school places and dream jobs, marrying our women while poor Singaporean males get rejected and waste their time in NS to protect these ungrateful foreigners. Those who think NS is what you make of it obviously has never served. You have no power to decide what you want to do there and you are mostly wasting your time doing mindless menial tasks while being severely underpaid.

Hi Sourcat! I don't think Huddy got in (at least he didn't declare that he did on this forum).

Don't worry too much about those women because from my experience and observations, those are the low quality type who can't get any attention from a fit Singaporean male who has served National Service before, and have no choice but to choose a foreigner who got rejected by everywhere in their home country and have no choice but to come all the way to Singapore to study medicine/find a job. This is my personal opinion and observation... don't flame me!

You do have a point there regarding NS. I served NS in the army and I agree that I didn't have a lot of power to decide but I still completed it anyway. My only gripe is, perhaps they should waive this requirement for medical doctors because our medical training takes so long already (med school, residency, fellowship...). Those who went to YLLSoM can disrupt NS but still must serve back as medical officers after their housemanship. Those who go to Duke-NUS have already served NS before undergrad, but are still behind their female counterparts. Either way, the male doctors will always be behind the same-age female doctors in terms of seniority and the way they compensate for this is via the NS bonus in our monthly salary. It is indeed quite unfair that foreigners can enjoy all the benefits of living here without having to serve reservist, go for IPPT, RT, and other NS obligations. I think that not only should foreign doctors be denied this NS bonus, but also held back career-wise as further compensation for enjoying the security without the burden of NSman obligations e.g. require 2 years of housemanship for full medical registration and extend MOH bond by at least another 2 years to ensure that there is sufficient manpower in public healthcare.

If you are an applicant who got rejected this year, please do not give up in the face of this foreign influx because I assure you that from what I see a vast majority of places (at least 70%) are given to locals. The rest are PRs or foreign citizens, some of which have studied/lived in Singapore for years. Good luck!

Wow. In all honesty, I am very disappointed with where this entire discussion is going.

 

[huddy]

Hi Sourcat! I don't think Huddy got in (at least he didn't declare that he did on this forum).

Don't worry too much about those women because from my experience and observations, those are the low quality type who can't get any attention from a fit Singaporean male who has served National Service before, and have no choice but to choose a foreigner who got rejected by everywhere in their home country and have no choice but to come all the way to Singapore to study medicine/find a job. This is my personal opinion and observation... don't flame me!

You do have a point there regarding NS. I served NS in the army and I agree that I didn't have a lot of power to decide but I still completed it anyway. My only gripe is, perhaps they should waive this requirement for medical doctors because our medical training takes so long already (med school, residency, fellowship...). Those who went to YLLSoM can disrupt NS but still must serve back as medical officers after their housemanship. Those who go to Duke-NUS have already served NS before undergrad, but are still behind their female counterparts. Either way, the male doctors will always be behind the same-age female doctors in terms of seniority and the way they compensate for this is via the NS bonus in our monthly salary. It is indeed quite unfair that foreigners can enjoy all the benefits of living here without having to serve reservist, go for IPPT, RT, and other NS obligations. I think that not only should foreign doctors be denied this NS bonus, but also held back career-wise as further compensation for enjoying the security without the burden of NSman obligations e.g. require 2 years of housemanship for full medical registration and extend MOH bond by at least another 2 years to ensure that there is sufficient manpower in public healthcare.

If you are an applicant who got rejected this year, please do not give up in the face of this foreign influx because I assure you that from what I see a vast majority of places (at least 70%) are given to locals. The rest are PRs or foreign citizens, some of which have studied/lived in Singapore for years. Good luck!

This is ridiculous. Its nice to know that you guys applied to a school where half of your classmates will be foreigners.

And I really do not appreciate how you not only insulted me but my fiance as well. You don't know anything about me and much less anything about her. Singaporean girls are going out and getting together with people of other nationalities because the world is getting smaller and not because men from other countries are coming in to steal them from you. But now, after reading this, I guess i could see why Singaporean girls are looking outwards for more open-minded and cultured men/women to be with.

About NS; Singaporean men are not the only ones who have to complete mandatory military service. I am from a country that has that too, and I already did my time. So, stop being so bitter about it and grow up. There are other men in the world who go through the same (if not longer) military service as Singaporean men.

The world is getting smaller and attitudes like these are only just going put you at a disadvantage. Good luck with your lives guys.

 

[sweetsecrets]

This is ridiculous. Its nice to know that you guys applied to a school where half of your classmates will be foreigners.

And I really do not appreciate how you not only insulted me but my fiance as well. You don't know anything about me and much less anything about her. Singaporean girls are going out and getting together with people of other nationalities because the world is getting smaller and not because men from other countries are coming in to steal them from you. But now, after reading this, I guess i could see why Singaporean girls are looking outwards for more open-minded and cultured men/women to be with.

About NS; Singaporean men are not the only ones who have to complete mandatory military service. I am from a country that has that too, and I already did my time. So, stop being so bitter about it and grow up. There are other men in the world who go through the same (if not longer) military service as Singaporean men.

The world is getting smaller and attitudes like these are only just going put you at a disadvantage. Good luck with your lives guys.

hey. i'm sorry for the hiatus but i'm finally back from my mission trip (cut short cause i was down with HFMD and still recovering). But chill okay. >< not everyone thinks the same way.

To those who pm-ed me, i'd get back to you really shortly. Please do give me time cause my blisters are still healing.

And golfer91, I read your posts about getting recommendation letters. I caught a few of them while having intermittent internet access here and there. I would like to share with you (and the rest of the future applicants) that it is not the number of letters, but the quality of letters. I had 7 referees, of which 2 are doctors. But these are not doctors i shadowed for a week or two. They are doctors whom i've been in regular contact with for 4 years. And the school told me how it's important to have referees who really know you (i had problems with my acad referees i think) - and how that is not referring to a professor who taught you for one semester only. I would think the same applies for the other referees, and getting a recommendation letter from a doctor you shadowed with for one week is not to your advantage at all (based on my previous application). If i were you i would make do with 3 strong letters, and not risk having a generic one just because he/she's a doctor. Alot of applicants who made it in did not even have any shadowing experience, so don't worry about losing out in that sense.

 

[Myopes]

hey. i'm sorry for the hiatus but i'm finally back from my mission trip (cut short cause i was down with HFMD and still recovering). But chill okay. >< not everyone thinks the same way.

To those who pm-ed me, i'd get back to you really shortly. Please do give me time cause my blisters are still healing.

And golfer91, I read your posts about getting recommendation letters. I caught a few of them while having intermittent internet access here and there. I would like to share with you (and the rest of the future applicants) that it is not the number of letters, but the quality of letters. I had 7 referees, of which 2 are doctors. But these are not doctors i shadowed for a week or two. They are doctors whom i've been in regular contact with for 4 years. And the school told me how it's important to have referees who really know you (i had problems with my acad referees i think) - and how that is not referring to a professor who taught you for one semester only. I would think the same applies for the other referees, and getting a recommendation letter from a doctor you shadowed with for one week is not to your advantage at all (based on my previous application). If i were you i would make do with 3 strong letters, and not risk having a generic one just because he/she's a doctor. Alot of applicants who made it in did not even have any shadowing experience, so don't worry about losing out in that sense.

Hope you're recovering well sweetsecrets! HFMD is such a bane.

Yeah! I would totally agree with sweetsecrets on getting strong quality referrals from people who know you very well. Among the three I had was one academic professor who I worked with throughout the four years of my studies. golfer91 you should have no problems with this from your research attachments. =) One other referral I got was from my programme director.

I think the referral with the most impact for my application came from my research supervisor who exposed me to a wide variety of clinical research - from the lab benches to the clinics to the trenches in the operating theater. I was very fortunate to have published in journals and presented in conferences with his guidance while being an undergrad.

So I think it is also important to know who and where to get your referrals from. I guess this is where I kinda disagree with sweetsecrets. I think the ideal situation would be for you to get a greater exposure to the medical profession through working with just 1 clinician who is willing to nurture you in that sense - bring you to clinics, show you what clinical research is all about, let you have some publications, introduce you to the profession so to speak. I feel more than just for the competitiveness of your application, shadowing can further let you decide if this is the profession that you want to be in. So I would highly highly encourage you to seek an attachment with a clinician scientist and let him/her know what you wish to achieve out of it.

But as a disclaimer, this is just what I think. I suppose the adcom always consider other aspects in your application as well. All the best. =)

 

[sweetsecrets]

Hope you're recovering well sweetsecrets! HFMD is such a bane.

Yeah! I would totally agree with sweetsecrets on getting strong quality referrals from people who know you very well. Among the three I had was one academic professor who I worked with throughout the four years of my studies. golfer91 you should have no problems with this from your research attachments. =) One other referral I got was from my programme director.

I think the referral with the most impact for my application came from my research supervisor who exposed me to a wide variety of clinical research - from the lab benches to the clinics to the trenches in the operating theater. I was very fortunate to have published in journals and presented in conferences with his guidance while being an undergrad.

So I think it is also important to know who and where to get your referrals from. I guess this is where I kinda disagree with sweetsecrets. I think the ideal situation would be for you to get a greater exposure to the medical profession through working with just 1 clinician who is willing to nurture you in that sense - bring you to clinics, show you what clinical research is all about, let you have some publications, introduce you to the profession so to speak. I feel more than just for the competitiveness of your application, shadowing can further let you decide if this is the profession that you want to be in. So I would highly highly encourage you to seek an attachment with a clinician scientist and let him/her know what you wish to achieve out of it.

But as a disclaimer, this is just what I think. I suppose the adcom always consider other aspects in your application as well. All the best. =)

hey we didn't disagree! "I think the ideal situation would be for you to get a greater exposure to the medical profession through working with just 1 clinician who is willing to nurture you in that sense - bring you to clinics, show you what clinical research is all about, let you have some publications, introduce you to the profession so to speak. I feel more than just for the competitiveness of your application, shadowing can further let you decide if this is the profession that you want to be in." - that is very true, and i myself did 3 shadowings with 4 years of working experience in a clinic. but what i'm trying to say is that if you only know that clinician for a week, then maybe it's not wise to get him/her to write you a letter cause chances are it will be very generic, and will not be that much of an advantage to you. but of course, if that one clinician is someone with whom you've worked together for say a year or two, then it'd be great to have him/her as a referee!

Unfortunately i have been doing so many clinical research as a pharmacy undergrad, but i haven't been working closely with my professors. Alot of communications were done over emails with review markups/comments done on word documents etc and sent back and forth. And at the end of the day even though the projects got published I just don't get the feeling that the professors know me very well. Or maybe it's because i'm bitten once, so now i am very cautious with regard to who to approach to be my referee i guess. :X

 

[DrBroker]

This is ridiculous. Its nice to know that you guys applied to a school where half of your classmates will be foreigners.

Please get your facts right. It is not true that half of the class is made up of foreigners. I went to check the statistics and 63% of the total student body is made up of Singaporeans or PRs. I can't tell the tone you used there because this is just text but are you being smug about the fact that foreigners make up a significant proportion at 37% and are you trying to spite the other local applicants like sourcat?

And I really do not appreciate how you not only insulted me but my fiance as well.

No one was insulting you and your fiancéE. I was merely describing an observation I made and expressing my own personal opinion about those women and foreigners in general. I did not refer to you or your fiancee specifically.

But now, after reading this, I guess i could see why Singaporean girls are looking outwards for more open-minded and cultured men/women to be with.

Now who's making a personal attack? Who is the one taking an individual's comments to be representative of all Singaporean men?

So, stop being so bitter about it and grow up. There are other men in the world who go through the same (if not longer) military service as Singaporean men.

Again, who is the one making personal attacks on the maturity of another? The duration of national service in Singapore is amongst the longest in the world. It is important to note that National Service obligation does not just refer to the 2 years of full-time service but also includes the annual low-key and high-key reservist training, mobilisation duty, annual IPPT, RT, IPT, etc. These obligations are significant and do disrupt our work, projects and careers intermittently over decades.

This is not whining. This is about getting recognition for our sacrifices and due compensation (just like how veterans in the US get their benefits and privileges). The reason I'm raising this is not to complain but to point out what many of my friends and I think is a systematic bias against Singaporean males that puts them at a disadvantage. This is about justice and fairness.

Perhaps a fairer system would be to implement what Israel is doing, get all citizens whether male or female to serve so that everybody starts at the same starting line. Then have policies to penalise foreigners who enter from external sources for enjoying the benefits without prior contribution.

The world is getting smaller and attitudes like these are only just going put you at a disadvantage. Good luck with your lives guys.

My posts have always stuck to the facts and sometimes expressed personal opinions, many of which are shared by many fellow Singaporeans, friends and family. While your post was full of personal attacks against me and fellow Singaporeans. Good luck with your life too!


I would like to apologise to others on the thread for going off-topic a little. There are perhaps better avenues for discussing national policy issues like these and try to institute change.

 

[highman]

Hello everyone! I'm a long-time lurker in this forum and finally decided to get an account recently after I got accepted by Duke-NUS.

A little bit about myself: I am a Singaporean but I studied overseas. I did my National Service in the infantry.

Hey DrBroker, you are good but please show mercy to Huddy He's just an innocent member passing by and you will probably not encounter him again in the future statistically speaking. No point wasting your time.

Anyway, I am very excited to join this class of accomplished individuals! Looking forward to the start of classes!

 

[fj90]

Please refrain from finger pointing and "forum"-abusing people. This forum was supposed to be for applicants talking about the application process, acceptance, waitlist and rejection. As such, even though NS has some relation, it has gone off on such a great tangent. If you want to discuss such things, please do it on a different board, or under a different topic. Negativity only creates more negativity.

Highman congrats on the acceptance ! See you in school.

 

[justdoooit]

Hello everyone! I'm a long-time lurker in this forum and finally decided to get an account recently after I got accepted by Duke-NUS.

A little bit about myself: I am a Singaporean but I studied overseas. I did my National Service in the infantry.

Hey DrBroker, you are good but please show mercy to Huddy He's just an innocent member passing by and you will probably not encounter him again in the future statistically speaking. No point wasting your time.

Anyway, I am very excited to join this class of accomplished individuals! Looking forward to the start of classes!

congrats! did you get off the waitlist if i may ask?

 

[fj90]

Hey to all the waitlisters,

I will tell you that the waitlist has moved by 14 spots. Hang in there! On the google group you can sort member by join date. There are 5 that joined after May 15. Don't lose hope.

 

[justdoooit]

Hey to all the waitlisters,

I will tell you that the waitlist has moved by 14 spots. Hang in there! On the google group you can sort member by join date. There are 5 that joined after May 15. Don't lose hope.

oh man...sucks to know I am not even in the first 14 spots of the waitlist...i wonder how many people are actually on it

 

[solowingpixy]

Hey guys,

Long time lurker, just got in.

To those on the waitlist, deep down inside I know that no matter what anyone says, the pain won't go away until you actually get in. Good luck.

@Sourcat
Please please PLEASE have your personal statement/essay checked by someone qualified before you hand it in on your next medical school application. Just like myself, you seem like someone prone to having the red mist descend on you, and it's dangerous when that filters down on to your essays. Though I did get into Duke-NUS as a first time applicant, I didn't get into my first choice US schools straight out of my undergrad, so I took a year off and re-applied.

Still didn't get into any of them, but looking back, I think I've said some pretty angry things in them. It seems a miracle now that I got into Duke-NUS with those essays, but the bottom line is this: don't let the anger you've demonstrated here on this board filter through. Hell, absolutely lie through your essays about how this experience has made you a stronger/better person, but don't you dare give off the impression that they've somehow made a mistake by not choosing a strong-willed individual like you the first time around.

I only say all of this because I was just as bitter last year with all the rejection letters coming in. I can somehow feel you're in the same place right now.

 

[keepontrying]

Please refrain from finger pointing and "forum"-abusing people. This forum was supposed to be for applicants talking about the application process, acceptance, waitlist and rejection. As such, even though NS has some relation, it has gone off on such a great tangent. If you want to discuss such things, please do it on a different board, or under a different topic. Negativity only creates more negativity.

Highman congrats on the acceptance ! See you in school.

Agreed. The pettiness displayed by some applicants is truly amazing. If you folks are so bitter about international applicants, don't even apply to Duke NUS then. Otherwise, you'll see us for at least 4 years, and considering how small the class size is for each year and the fact that the courses are in TeamLead format, you'll probably have to talk to us whether you like it or not.

 

[DrBroker]

Agreed. The pettiness displayed by some applicants is truly amazing. If you folks are so bitter about international applicants, don't even apply to Duke NUS then. Otherwise, you'll see us for at least 4 years, and considering how small the class size is for each year and the fact that the courses are in TeamLead format, you'll probably have to talk to us whether you like it or not.

LOL I find it quite amusing how you agreed to 'refrain from finger pointing and "forum"-abusing people' yet proceed to commit those acts immediately after, without contributing positively to the thread by discussing the application process, acceptance, waitlist and rejection, etc. No offence there, just trying to highlight the irony...

Anyway...

Hey to all the waitlisters,

I will tell you that the waitlist has moved by 14 spots. Hang in there! On the google group you can sort member by join date. There are 5 that joined after May 15. Don't lose hope.

Hey fj90! how do you know that the wait list has moved by 14 spots? I can tell how you figured out 5 joined after May 15 based on the join date, but I don't think it is a very good method as some people may choose to join the group long after accepting the offer.

To the waitlisters out there, what I can tell you now is that there are currently 67 members in the group, 7 of which are Duke-NUS administrators and about 6 are current students there to answer queries. Therefore, there are about 54 incoming students there. Given the class size of 56 students, we are looking at about 2-3 spots remaining at this stage... All the best!! Good luck!

 

[sweetsecrets]

oops wrong person! :X

 

[sweetsecrets]

Hey guys,

Long time lurker, just got in.

To those on the waitlist, deep down inside I know that no matter what anyone says, the pain won't go away until you actually get in. Good luck.

@Sourcat
Please please PLEASE have your personal statement/essay checked by someone qualified before you hand it in on your next medical school application. Just like myself, you seem like someone prone to having the red mist descend on you, and it's dangerous when that filters down on to your essays. Though I did get into Duke-NUS as a first time applicant, I didn't get into my first choice US schools straight out of my undergrad, so I took a year off and re-applied.

Still didn't get into any of them, but looking back, I think I've said some pretty angry things in them. It seems a miracle now that I got into Duke-NUS with those essays, but the bottom line is this: don't let the anger you've demonstrated here on this board filter through. Hell, absolutely lie through your essays about how this experience has made you a stronger/better person, but don't you dare give off the impression that they've somehow made a mistake by not choosing a strong-willed individual like you the first time around.

I only say all of this because I was just as bitter last year with all the rejection letters coming in. I can somehow feel you're in the same place right now.

hey congrats i hope that by taking one year off myself i'd get in next year when i reapply too. :X i only applied to duke-NUS though, it's my first choice and still is. I'm glad you can empathize with sourcat too and share good advices instead of being defensive just because he's (understandably) bitter. all the best for med school.

 

[keepontrying]

LOL I find it quite amusing how you agreed to 'refrain from finger pointing and "forum"-abusing people' yet proceed to commit those acts immediately after, without contributing positively to the thread by discussing the application process, acceptance, waitlist and rejection, etc. No offence there, just trying to highlight the irony...

Anyway...



Hey fj90! how do you know that the wait list has moved by 14 spots? I can tell how you figured out 5 joined after May 15 based on the join date, but I don't think it is a very good method as some people may choose to join the group long after accepting the offer.

To the waitlisters out there, what I can tell you now is that there are currently 67 members in the group, 7 of which are Duke-NUS administrators and about 6 are current students there to answer queries. Therefore, there are about 54 incoming students there. Given the class size of 56 students, we are looking at about 2-3 spots remaining at this stage... All the best!! Good luck!

Whatever dude, if you feel like you need to win an argument online to make yourself happy, be my guest.

To reapplicants, I am more than happy to share with you what I have included in my application and how I prepared for the interview. If interested, fire a PM and I'll answer your questions! To those who are still waitlisted, I know the wait sucks since I've been there, but think about it, not many people can get in on the first try, and medicine is such a long career so please don't think you are TOO old to become a medical student. Also, don't compare yourself with others. I have friends who just graduated from medical school this year, some are in their early 20s only. I am happy for them, but should I also be bitter about that? When I was younger, maybe, but now I won't because I learn that I am not competing with them. People always say life is too short to do so and so, but really, life is also too long to give up after some initial struggles. Those who got rejected outright, maybe you just didn't sell yourself enough. Those who are waitlisted, maybe you just need a minor tweak here and there in your application, and maybe it's luck too! Lastly, don't think about the past, which many premeds do. Don't think about the what if's. It's meaningless since you can't change the past. Think about the what will, what can, and what should you do as your next steps. My mentor once told me that if you can't get something, it's not because you can't, it's because you didn't want it enough.

 

[sourcat]

Agreed. The pettiness displayed by some applicants is truly amazing. If you folks are so bitter about international applicants, don't even apply to Duke NUS then. Otherwise, you'll see us for at least 4 years, and considering how small the class size is for each year and the fact that the courses are in TeamLead format, you'll probably have to talk to us whether you like it or not.

Here's another clueless one who has no idea what he's getting himself into. Only harping and harping about his own dreams. If you think all this comes from pettiness, you'd better educate yourself to see what you're getting yourself into. Here's a good place to start: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...ti-foreigner-anger-before-singapore-poll.html And you're damn right I'm not going to bother applying to Duke NUS. I'll be heading down to Aussie to get my medicine education. Hopefully I can settle there and get out of this nationality-forsaken place. If you can't beat them join them. I guess I can be happy joining Aussie making them unhappy with them complaining more about having an influx of foreigners. You guys don't seem to care.

 

[keepontrying]

Here's another clueless one who has no idea what he's getting himself into. Only harping and harping about his own dreams. If you think all this comes from pettiness, you'd better educate yourself to see what you're getting yourself into. Here's a good place to start: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...ti-foreigner-anger-before-singapore-poll.html And you're damn right I'm not going to bother applying to Duke NUS. I'll be heading down to Aussie to get my medicine education. Hopefully I can settle there and get out of this nationality-forsaken place. If you can't beat them join them. I guess I can be happy joining Aussie making them unhappy with them complaining more about having an influx of foreigners. You guys don't seem to care.

I saw the news and yes I am aware of what's happening in Singapore at the moment regarding this issue. However, xenophobia exists EVERYWHERE to some degree, especially in Westernized countries. Australia will give you a great medical education for sure, but it'll be really hard for international medical graduates to settle there. I'm sure you are aware of the internship problem, correct? Even if you manage to obtain an internship spot, it won't be a great one (i.e. most likely not in one of the major hospitals) and that would affect your chance of getting into good specialties afterward. Not to mention the rural bond that you have to serve before you can have your own provider number for private practice. Thanks for the warning - I really do appreciate that because it's good to see things from different perspectives (minus the previous personal attacks). You might be right that I'm getting myself into a trap, but one thing for certain is that Duke NUS can provide me with world class medical education - world class faculty plus small class size. Aussie schools' class size can be enormous like Queensland and Sydney, and they are out there to make money off international students so the support that you get as an international student may not be as good as a local one. I got these info from friends who have been and also those who are studying med in Australia right now. I'm not deterring you from going there - just want to give you some info that I know. Consensus is that Flinders is the best school if you want to settle, but all and all, an international student is never the same as a local one, and even if you get PR, it's not the same as a true Aussie citizen. If you think Westernized countries are not racist and xenophobic, you are kidding yourself. The picture is not as pretty as you think, but hopefully you can live your dream and settle there and work in a specialty that you want.

 

[sweetsecrets]

Whatever dude, if you feel like you need to win an argument online to make yourself happy, be my guest.

To reapplicants, I am more than happy to share with you what I have included in my application and how I prepared for the interview. If interested, fire a PM and I'll answer your questions! To those who are still waitlisted, I know the wait sucks since I've been there, but think about it, not many people can get in on the first try, and medicine is such a long career so please don't think you are TOO old to become a medical student. Also, don't compare yourself with others. I have friends who just graduated from medical school this year, some are in their early 20s only. I am happy for them, but should I also be bitter about that? When I was younger, maybe, but now I won't because I learn that I am not competing with them. People always say life is too short to do so and so, but really, life is also too long to give up after some initial struggles. Those who got rejected outright, maybe you just didn't sell yourself enough. Those who are waitlisted, maybe you just need a minor tweak here and there in your application, and maybe it's luck too! Lastly, don't think about the past, which many premeds do. Don't think about the what if's. It's meaningless since you can't change the past. Think about the what will, what can, and what should you do as your next steps. My mentor once told me that if you can't get something, it's not because you can't, it's because you didn't want it enough.

still very, very, very happy for you that you made it in. 5 tries. I hope to see you next year.

 

[will123]

Does anyone know how many graduates from the class of 2012 are continuing their residency in Singapore? And how many (if any) are granted permission to delay their bond and pursue residency programs elsewhere?

 

[sourcat]

Does anyone know how many graduates from the class of 2012 are continuing their residency in Singapore? And how many (if any) are granted permission to delay their bond and pursue residency programs elsewhere?

Here's another who just wants to come in, take advantage of Singaporeans doing NS protecting you and taking advantage of taxpayer paid facilities, get his degree and go back to his home country to do his residency. Get real. You are staying here for good. You and your kids are going to enjoy the problems and experience what we are experiencing now.

 

[Myopes]

Does anyone know how many graduates from the class of 2012 are continuing their residency in Singapore? And how many (if any) are granted permission to delay their bond and pursue residency programs elsewhere?

Hi Will! I haven't seen the residency statistics for the class of 2012 yet, but for the class of 2011 there is only 1 graduate who is pursuing his/her residency training at Duke under the specialty of Anesthesiology. Check: http://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/vitalscience/201202/article-story1.html

According to the service commitment that you'll sign. Do note the line that states "The Ministry of Health expects almost all graduates of Duke-NUS to complete their post-graduate medical education (residency training) in Singapore. Exceptions are likely to be rare and granted only when a student's international postgraduate medical training brings significant benefit back to Singapore because of unique learning experiences (clinical and research) offered in a top tier residency which are not yet available in the Singapore residency system.

I hope this helps =)

 

[keepontrying]

Hi Will! I haven't seen the residency statistics for the class of 2012 yet, but for the class of 2011 there is only 1 graduate who is pursuing his/her residency training at Duke under the specialty of Anesthesiology. Check: http://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/vitalscience/201202/article-story1.html

According to the service commitment that you'll sign. Do note the line that states "The Ministry of Health expects almost all graduates of Duke-NUS to complete their post-graduate medical education (residency training) in Singapore. Exceptions are likely to be rare and granted only when a student's international postgraduate medical training brings significant benefit back to Singapore because of unique learning experiences (clinical and research) offered in a top tier residency which are not yet available in the Singapore residency system.

I hope this helps =)

I agree with sourcat that you are most likely going to stay in Singapore for residency. That one graduate probably did the third year research at Duke and had amazing scores in USMLE Steps. It's rare, but it's certainly possible.

 

[fj90]

*Applaud* Most gracious reply. Well done !

I saw the news and yes I am aware of what's happening in Singapore at the moment regarding this issue. However, xenophobia exists EVERYWHERE to some degree, especially in Westernized countries. Australia will give you a great medical education for sure, but it'll be really hard for international medical graduates to settle there. I'm sure you are aware of the internship problem, correct? Even if you manage to obtain an internship spot, it won't be a great one (i.e. most likely not in one of the major hospitals) and that would affect your chance of getting into good specialties afterward. Not to mention the rural bond that you have to serve before you can have your own provider number for private practice. Thanks for the warning - I really do appreciate that because it's good to see things from different perspectives (minus the previous personal attacks). You might be right that I'm getting myself into a trap, but one thing for certain is that Duke NUS can provide me with world class medical education - world class faculty plus small class size. Aussie schools' class size can be enormous like Queensland and Sydney, and they are out there to make money off international students so the support that you get as an international student may not be as good as a local one. I got these info from friends who have been and also those who are studying med in Australia right now. I'm not deterring you from going there - just want to give you some info that I know. Consensus is that Flinders is the best school if you want to settle, but all and all, an international student is never the same as a local one, and even if you get PR, it's not the same as a true Aussie citizen. If you think Westernized countries are not racist and xenophobic, you are kidding yourself. The picture is not as pretty as you think, but hopefully you can live your dream and settle there and work in a specialty that you want.

 

[will123]

o Ok thanks for that helpful reply! Now, I'm also curious about ACGME-International accredited programs. It seems all ACGME-I accredited sites are only in Singapore. What's the history behind this organization? Was it created just for duke-nus or was it established only recently?

Hi Will! I haven't seen the residency statistics for the class of 2012 yet, but for the class of 2011 there is only 1 graduate who is pursuing his/her residency training at Duke under the specialty of Anesthesiology. Check: http://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/vitalscience/201202/article-story1.html

According to the service commitment that you'll sign. Do note the line that states "The Ministry of Health expects almost all graduates of Duke-NUS to complete their post-graduate medical education (residency training) in Singapore. Exceptions are likely to be rare and granted only when a student's international postgraduate medical training brings significant benefit back to Singapore because of unique learning experiences (clinical and research) offered in a top tier residency which are not yet available in the Singapore residency system.

I hope this helps =)

 

[Myopes]

o Ok thanks for that helpful reply! Now, I'm also curious about ACGME-International accredited programs. It seems all ACGME-I accredited sites are only in Singapore. What's the history behind this organization? Was it created just for duke-nus or was it established only recently?

Hi Will! Okay so according to SingHealth Residency FAQ website, http://www.singhealth.com.sg/EducationAndTraining/Residency/FAQs/Pages/Home.aspx there was a need to revamp the Singapore graduate medical education system. So when the new residency program was established, the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) invited ACGME to assist in the improvement and further development of Singapore's graduate medical education, this gave rise to the body ACGME-I. (see point number 5 in the faq page)

I wouldn't say it was created JUST for Duke-NUS. But is part of an ongoing initiative to improve the healthcare system in Singapore.

Hope this helps =)

 

[fj90]

I'm glad sourcat was banned - he / she had it coming.

 

[sweetsecrets]

I'm glad sourcat was banned - he / she had it coming.

i didn't quite think he/she really meant to offend any of us though, just venting his frustrations. not that it's justified, but we could have been alot more understanding in that sense.

 

[katcat]

wow.. lots of changes around here after coming back after a couple of weeks.. yea and i agree with you too fj90

 

[owlegrad]

Heated discussions are welcome, but lets remember to keep it civil, please.

 

[golfer91]

hey. i'm sorry for the hiatus but i'm finally back from my mission trip (cut short cause i was down with HFMD and still recovering). But chill okay. >< not everyone thinks the same way.

To those who pm-ed me, i'd get back to you really shortly. Please do give me time cause my blisters are still healing.

And golfer91, I read your posts about getting recommendation letters. I caught a few of them while having intermittent internet access here and there. I would like to share with you (and the rest of the future applicants) that it is not the number of letters, but the quality of letters. I had 7 referees, of which 2 are doctors. But these are not doctors i shadowed for a week or two. They are doctors whom i've been in regular contact with for 4 years. And the school told me how it's important to have referees who really know you (i had problems with my acad referees i think) - and how that is not referring to a professor who taught you for one semester only. I would think the same applies for the other referees, and getting a recommendation letter from a doctor you shadowed with for one week is not to your advantage at all (based on my previous application). If i were you i would make do with 3 strong letters, and not risk having a generic one just because he/she's a doctor. Alot of applicants who made it in did not even have any shadowing experience, so don't worry about losing out in that sense.

HI sweetsecrets,I really appreciate you taking the time to provide me with that valuable advice. I do hope you've recovered by now! i just haven't been on this forum for the longest time due to finals and whatnot... I guess a problem that i have with my LORs is that ive known most of them for between 1-2 years and have not been fortunate enough to have known a professor for a longer time than that. I am actually currently on the fence about asking this doctor i've been shadowing for the past summer and winter breaks. Hopefully he will tell me upfront if he is unable to write a good letter for me instead of writing a mediocre one.

I just started my application online over the past week and I must say that it is not as long as i expected it to be. Having said that, it seems like the application questions are kept the same every year? I was wondering whether you, or anyone else for that matter, had any particular advice on how to approach them.

I really look forward to hearing back from you!

Goodluck to all those on the waitlist! i'm keeping my fingers crossed for you guys!

 

[outsider89]

Hi Everyone,

Am a Canadian Applicant and I know a fellow Canadian has just withdrawn from Duke-NUS in favour of a North American School. I will be doing so soon as well, and I'm hoping my place goes to a local Singaporean applicant. In an effort to ensure that my place goes to a Singaporean applicant, I will be withdrawing later rather than sooner, as the admissions committee will be more obliged to offer my place to a local citizen (harder to get an international student to fulfill requirements easily in a short period of time).

I completely understand the discussion that has been put forward by many Singaporeans who criticize the procedures of the Duke-NUS committee. Nowhere else in the world is there such a high proportion of places given to non-local citizens (although the statistics that have been bandied about are ludicrous to say the least).

I have lived in Singapore my entire life. I may not have done NS, but I hoped to give back to this country after completing my medical degree. I hope one day to come back after completing my medical degree in North America - that's if they let me in

 

[sweetsecrets]

HI sweetsecrets,I really appreciate you taking the time to provide me with that valuable advice. I do hope you've recovered by now! i just haven't been on this forum for the longest time due to finals and whatnot... I guess a problem that i have with my LORs is that ive known most of them for between 1-2 years and have not been fortunate enough to have known a professor for a longer time than that. I am actually currently on the fence about asking this doctor i've been shadowing for the past summer and winter breaks. Hopefully he will tell me upfront if he is unable to write a good letter for me instead of writing a mediocre one.

I just started my application online over the past week and I must say that it is not as long as i expected it to be. Having said that, it seems like the application questions are kept the same every year? I was wondering whether you, or anyone else for that matter, had any particular advice on how to approach them.

I really look forward to hearing back from you!

Goodluck to all those on the waitlist! i'm keeping my fingers crossed for you guys!

Haha. Good for you that you started early. Yeah the application questions are probably kept the same. I would advice you to be yourself and type like you would as if you're telling a boss-cum-friend (not too impolite of course) kind of person? I don't know if you're lucky enough to have met people like that but my supervisors at GSK made me realize how my superiors can care so much about me and encourage me like a friend would. But yeah, I'm always myself when I'm with them and they would laugh at me for being a blur-block etc, but they know very well what are my capabilities, what I like to do and what I'm like as a person. So I can really tell them about me.. addressing it to imaginary people of such (if you haven't met any) would help to set the tone right, I think.

Unfortunately other than that I can't really help you very much, especially since I'm a rejected applicant. That includes my take on referees - especially when I found the wrong referees myself (not all, but some). So probably I'm not that good a person to ask, and you might want to ask the others for their opinions. This is just my two cents when it comes to applications - that I always believe in being sincere and being myself, cause sincerity I feel, will somehow always pull through 99% of the time. Good luck with your application.

P.S. This year's application cycle has a forum up already. The link's at http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=12408341#post12408341 for those of you who do not know.

 

[sweetsecrets]

Hi Everyone,

Am a Canadian Applicant and I know a fellow Canadian has just withdrawn from Duke-NUS in favour of a North American School. I will be doing so soon as well, and I'm hoping my place goes to a local Singaporean applicant. In an effort to ensure that my place goes to a Singaporean applicant, I will be withdrawing later rather than sooner, as the admissions committee will be more obliged to offer my place to a local citizen (harder to get an international student to fulfill requirements easily in a short period of time).

I completely understand the discussion that has been put forward by many Singaporeans who criticize the procedures of the Duke-NUS committee. Nowhere else in the world is there such a high proportion of places given to non-local citizens (although the statistics that have been bandied about are ludicrous to say the least).

I have lived in Singapore my entire life. I may not have done NS, but I hoped to give back to this country after completing my medical degree. I hope one day to come back after completing my medical degree in North America - that's if they let me in

Hey congratulations! I hope it's a school of your choice. And thanks for considering giving back to our country.

 

[fj90]

Hi Everyone,

Am a Canadian Applicant and I know a fellow Canadian has just withdrawn from Duke-NUS in favour of a North American School. I will be doing so soon as well, and I'm hoping my place goes to a local Singaporean applicant. In an effort to ensure that my place goes to a Singaporean applicant, I will be withdrawing later rather than sooner, as the admissions committee will be more obliged to offer my place to a local citizen (harder to get an international student to fulfill requirements easily in a short period of time).

I completely understand the discussion that has been put forward by many Singaporeans who criticize the procedures of the Duke-NUS committee. Nowhere else in the world is there such a high proportion of places given to non-local citizens (although the statistics that have been bandied about are ludicrous to say the least).

I have lived in Singapore my entire life. I may not have done NS, but I hoped to give back to this country after completing my medical degree. I hope one day to come back after completing my medical degree in North America - that's if they let me in

I was hoping we'd be classmates! Anyway, all the best in medical school.

Hope the right applicant will get the spot (regardless of local or international status).

 

[outsider89]

Thanks I will be attending McMaster University or Dartmouth College - Most probably the DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster since they pioneered problem based learning and the degree is only 2 and a half years (much shorter!). Always happy to talk to potential international and local applicants about the application to Duke-NUS.