ndergraduate medical students at NUS Medicine now have the opportunity to study for a Master’s degree in addition to their medical qualification, the MBBS.

They will be able to take one academic year off their MBBS programme to pursue another area of study, before returning to complete their medical studies. The MBBS Intercalated Year Programme (IYP) will give these medical students opportunities to learn beyond their curriculum, giving them the opportunity to pursue other disciplines and subjects. This widens students’ learning experience and provides them with additional knowledge and skills that they will need as future doctors working in complex environments where multidisciplinary collaboration and interactions are common.

The IYP is a unique offering that differentiates NUS Medicine MBBS students and provides new opportunities for NUS medical graduates to expand their roles in the healthcare sector beyond clinical practice.

Besides the inaugural Master’s of Science by Research programme on offer (see box), more courses are expected to be available as the programme matures. NUS Medicine is exploring a Master’s in Public Health with the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health for the IYP. More details will be made available in due time.

With the objective of training more doctors who are trans-disciplinary in their outlook, there are plans for additional courses in data analytics, design thinking, implementation science, health economics, innovation and entrepreneurship to be set up in the coming years.

“We are excited to offer this new programme to enhance our students’ learning experience with us. Hopefully as the programme grows, we will be able to offer more of such growth opportunities to a greater number of students,” said Associate Professor Lau Tang Ching, Vice-Dean for Undergraduate Education at NUS Medicine.

NUS Medicine Dean, Professor Chong Yap Seng said that the demands within the practice of medicine are constantly evolving, but are more pronounced in this generation. “We want to provide our students not only with the technical knowledge they need as doctors, but also with soft skills and the analytical minds needed to solve problems of the future.”

What is the MBBS Intercalated Year Programme?

Undergraduate students at NUS Medicine can now take one academic year off to pursue another area of study under the MBBS IYP. The first course available is a Master’s of Science by Research offered by the NUS Medicine Division of Graduate Studies. This research-oriented programme will equip up to five selected Medicine students with the competencies to spearhead and drive medical biotechnology efforts.

Students will undertake supervised research with staff members from any of the School’s departments for their period of candidature.

Requirements:

take and pass coursework, which comprises two core modules and elective modules totaling 16 modular credits

submit a thesis to the Board of Examiners at the end of the year of study.

The course fees for the Master of Science (Research) will be fully sponsored by the School, with an additional stipend awarded to eligible students.

Interested applicants must possess a good academic record, in addition to the requirements of the respective programmes.