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Source:
www.nus.edu.sg |
Singapore’s Second Medical
School – A Collaboration Between The National University Of
Singapore And Duke University |
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The National University of Singapore (NUS) has
signed an agreement with Duke University to establish the NUS Graduate Medical
School (GMS). |
The establishment of the GMS will be a major boost
to Singapore’s vision to become a centre of excellence in medical education,
clinical research and healthcare delivery. |
The GMS will attract top faculty and students from
Singapore and abroad, and produce a new stream of medical doctors and
clinician-scientists to augment our outstanding pool of doctors and research
capabilities. |
The GMS will offer a graduate-entry medical
programme in collaboration with Duke University. The 4-year programme leading
to a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree will provide medical training based
largely on the Duke curriculum. |
Duke University, which is consistently ranked
among the top American medical schools by U.S. News and World Report, is
renowned for its rigorous and innovative medical education programme with a
distinctive focus on research. |
Students of the GMS will devote the third year of
their 4-year course on research projects either of the basic sciences or
clinical nature, and have the opportunity to work side-by-side with
clinician-scientists in both the GMS and Duke University. |
The collaboration between NUS and Duke will also
see the secondment of top Duke faculty to the GMS. The faculty will be
involved in teaching and research that is relevant to Singapore’s Biomedical
Sciences initiative. |
“I am tremendously impressed by Singapore’s vision
of leadership in science and medicine,” said Victor J. Dzau, M.D., Chancellor
for Health Affairs at Duke University and President & CEO of the Duke
University Health System. “Singapore’s education system is one of the best in
the world, and the government has embarked on an aggressive strategy to become
Asia’s powerhouse in the biomedical sciences. I have no doubt they will
succeed. Joining together as partners represents a valuable strategic
opportunity for Duke to have a global presence in science, and to apply the
very best science to the challenges of global health.” |
NUS looks forward to the infusion of Duke’s ethos
and culture into the GMS that will help it achieve world-class standing in the
field of medical education and research. NUS President Prof Shih Choon Fong
said, "This is a milestone for NUS in its drive to be a global university. The
collaboration will add diversity to the medical community and complement the
existing medical school at Kent Ridge. The synergies from the distinctive twin
peaks of excellence will help establish Singapore as the premier centre for
academic medicine in the region and beyond." |
The Ministry of Health welcomes the establishment
of the GMS which will help to inject diversity into our local medical training
and in the longer term, the local medical profession. The GMS will tap on the
training resources, facilities, talent and patient base of both the SingHealth
and National Healthcare Group hospitals. |
SingHealth’s Group CEO Prof Tan Ser Kiat said,
“This historic move is significant in transforming Outram Campus into an
Academic Medical Hub and building a world-class medical education system. The
location is also significant as medical education in Singapore has its roots
on this Campus. SingHealth looks forward to contributing to the GMS with
resources such as professional talent from our institutions both on and off
the Campus, infrastructure and patient base. The GMS will provide an
intellectual milieu where our talent can maximise their potential. It will
also foster the growth of translational and patient-oriented research and the
life sciences for the benefit of patients. SingHealth looks forward to working
with Duke, NUS and the medical, research and biomedical communities to achieve
this vision.” |
The GMS will be headed on an interim basis by Dr
R. Sanders Williams, who is concurrently the Dean, Duke University School of
Medicine. Dr Williams will also chair a working committee to work out the GMS
implementation blueprint (which includes faculty recruitment, student
admissions, and the GMS permanent facilities) with a view to admit the
inaugural intake of 25 students in 2007. |
“Singapore has made a vast commitment to becoming
a leader in biomedical research, and they also fund an enviable level of
social support and health services for their population,” said Dr Williams.
“The leadership of Duke and the Singapore government share many values, and we
believe our partnership will lay the foundation for health advances that will
have global impact.” |
*The GMS will be located at the Outram Campus
where SingHealth’s institutions are situated. |
Source:
National University of Singapore Press
Release 14 Apr 2005 |