Undergraduate Programme

Medical undergraduates from NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine undergo a six-week clinical posting in psychiatry in their fourth year.  The main teaching goal is to help medical students to master basic knowledge and clinical assessment techniques. The students will be competent to manage common psychiatric disorders at the level of general practitioners.

Weekly centralised teaching is held at the National University Health System (NUHS) to ensure standardization. The clinical attachments are conducted at the National University Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Changi General Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, and Institute of Mental Health to provide broad clinical exposure.

Opportunities are provided to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes for the management of patients with psychiatric disorders through didactic lectures, information-technology based lecture-cum-discussion, seminars, workshops, problem-based learning conferences, clinical tutorials and videotape demonstrations. Clinical clerkship consists of postings in the wards and outpatient clinics at the National University Hospital (NUH) and other affiliated hospitals. Medical students may also apply for electives at the department during their fourth year.

Teaching Objectives:

  1. To conduct a systematic psychiatric evaluation using appropriate interviewing and communication skills to elicit signs and symptoms of common psychiatric disorders.
  2. The students will develop a working knowledge in the following areas:
    • General adult psychiatry
    • Risk assessment
    • Geriatric psychiatry
    • Child and adolescent psychiatry
    • Consultation-Liaison psychiatry
    • Addiction psychiatry
    • Psychopharmacology
    • Psychotherapy
    • Local mental health legislation and forensic psychiatry
  1. To manage a psychiatric patient from a bio-psycho-social perspective.

End-of-Posting Assessments

The assessment consists of a case write-up, multiple-choice questions (MCQs), extended matching items (EMIs), short answer questions (SAQs) and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE).

NUS Department of Psychological Medicine has consistently achieved good student feedback scores for both curriculum and quality of clinical teaching. The department was awarded the Clinical Training Excellence Award for six consecutive years, from AY2014 – AY2019.

Undergraduate Student Awards

Name of Award Criteria Award Type & Quantum Remarks
Psychiatry and Neuroscience Medal & Prize Most outstanding student in Year 4 Psychiatry Clerkship and the fourth professional exam in Psychiatry and Neuroscience. A gold medal and a cash prize of $1000 University Level award
Keppel Telecommunications and Transportation Prize in Geriatrics and
General Psychiatry		 An undergraduate medical student with the most outstanding research proposal and publication in Geriatrics and General Psychiatry. A cash prize of $1000 University Level award
Jackie Ng Prize in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Maternal Wellness An undergraduate medical student with the best research proposal and publication in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Maternal Wellness. A cash prize of $1000 University Level award

Psychiatry and Neuroscience Medal & Prize

Donated in 2014 by an anonymous donor, a gold medal and a cash prize will be awarded from an expendable sum of S$30,000. The award is governed by the following conditions:

  1. Subject to rule 3 below, a gold medal and cash prize of S$1,000 will be awarded to the most outstanding undergraduate medical student in Year 4 Psychiatry Clerkship and Fourth Professional Exam in Psychiatry and Neuroscience.
  2. The medal and prize will be awarded by the Board of Undergraduate Studies on the recommendations of the relevant Board of Examiners and adjudicating panel comprising:
    • Head, Department of Psychological Medicine
    • Clinical Director, Department of Psychological Medicine
    • Education Director, Department of Psychological Medicine
    • A Senior Consultant, Department of Psychological Medicine
  3. No award will be made unless there is a candidate of sufficient merit.
  4. If no award is made in any year, the unutilized amount will be added to the fund.

This gift shall be governed by the University Statutes and Regulations, specifically Statute 7 on Gifts to the University and the corresponding Regulation.

 

Keppel Telecommunications and Transportation Prize in Geriatrics and General Psychiatry

Donated in 2014 by Keppel Telecommunications and Transportation, a cash prize of S$1,000 will be awarded from an expendable sum of S$22,000. The award is governed by the following conditions:

  1. Subject to rule 4 below, a cash prize of S$1,000 will be awarded to the undergraduate medical student with the most outstanding research proposal and publication in Geriatrics and General Psychiatry.
  2. Reports must be submitted through the Dean’s Office of the NUS Medicine for adjudication on or before a date to be fixed by the Office.
  3. The prize will be awarded by the Board of Undergraduate Studies on the recommendations of the relevant Board of Examiners and adjudicating panel comprising:
    • Head, Department of Psychological Medicine
    • Clinical Director, Department of Psychological Medicine
    • Research or Education Director, Department of Psychological Medicine
    • Academic staff who is an expert in Geriatrics and General Psychiatry Research
  4. No award will be made unless there is a candidate of sufficient merit.
  5. If no award is made in any year, the unutilized amount will be added to the fund.
  6. This gift shall be governed by the University Statutes and Regulations, specifically Statute 7 on Gifts to the University and the corresponding Regulation.

 

Jackie Ng Prize in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Maternal Wellness

Donated in 2014 by Mrs Catherine Ng, a cash prize will be awarded from an expendable sum of S$22,000. The award is governed by the following conditions:

  1. Subject to rule 4 below, a cash prize of S$1,000 will be awarded to the undergraduate medical student with the best research proposal and publication in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Maternal Wellness.
  2. Nomination reports must be submitted through the Dean’s Office of the NUS Medicine for adjudication on or before a date to be fixed by the Office.
  3. The prize will be awarded by the Board of Undergraduate Studies on the recommendations of the relevant Board of Examiners and adjudicating panel comprising:
    • Head, Department of Psychological Medicine
    • Clinical Director, Department of Psychological Medicine
    • Research or Education Director, Department of Psychological Medicine
  4. No award will be made unless there is a candidate of sufficient merit.
  5. If no award is made in any year, the unutilized amount will be added to the fund.
  6. This gift shall be governed by the University Statutes and Regulations, specifically Statute 7 on Gifts to the University and the corresponding Regulation.

 

Criteria of Award

With effect from Academic Year 2011/2012 the annual award in Psychiatry will be presented to the fourth-year medical student who attains the highest score in the Psychological Medicine posting assessment composite score:

  1. Clinical case write-up
  2. Written Assessment – MCQs, EMIs and SAQs
  3. OSCE

The four medical students with the highest scores will be invited for a viva voce by a panel of examiners from the Department of Psychological Medicine. The award will be presented during the NUS Convocation day in their graduating year. The decision of the panel will be final. No award will be made unless there is a candidate of sufficient merit. If no awards are made in any year, the funds available will be added to the capital sum.