What are Electives?
The Electives program allow students to take a step out of the classroom and into real day-to-day rounds and clinical experience where they will be exposed to many different opportunities and valuable information not found in textbooks. It’s a time of exploration and exposure, a time for students to soak up as much experience as possible through this opportunity to learn from the doctors on ground.
Objectives
We seek to encourage self-fulfilment in a special area of study/scholarship under the guidance of a designated supervisor either in a local or overseas centre.
Expected Outcomes:
- Students will further cultural awareness and broaden their horizons.
- Students will further develop ability to participate in planning and implementation of their learning activities and making rational decisions
- Students will take increased responsibility for self-determination in their education.
- Students will be able to identify and fulfil learning objectives that have resulted in personal growth.
- Students will develop contacts with other trainees from outside of Singapore.
- Student will achieve the specific learning outcomes as set forth by their supervisor.
Structure & Requirements
Students are required to complete a total of 16 weeks of electives as part of their curriculum and have the free reign in planning their electives schedule.
These 16 weeks of electives are undertaken over a period of 2 years. Students will complete 4 weeks of electives at the end of their Year 3 (Electives – I) and 12 weeks of electives at the end of their Year 4 (Electives – II).
Period of Electives – I: May to July
Period of Electives – II: March to June
Students are able to do these postings as part of their electives program:
- Clinical Postings: Students will be allowed to apply for electives with overseas and/or local medical institutions. (e.g. Rural medicine, Clinical skill training program based on unembalmed bodies)
- Scholarly Projects: It can be done in the form of a research attachment (Laboratory-based, epidemiologic or clinical research activity) or academic review (article critique, literature review, case reports, reviewing of teaching resource or reflective piece published in journals).
- Pathway Programs (applicable to Electives-I only): The Pathway program are electives opportunities running through various phases of the undergraduate medical course to broaden students’ skillsets relevant to clinical practice and healthcare in the 21st century. Each Pathway comes with a pathway core curriculum that aims to inculcate relevant foundational knowledge to the entire cohort, selective Pathway summer and/or winter programs or Pathway project work, which culminates to a scholarly paper or presentation by the time of graduation.
- Non-Clinical Posting (applicable to Electives-I only): Learning objectives should address attributes required from students relating to the course such as the ACGME core competencies required (e.g. professionalism, interpersonal and communications skills, etc.)
Some examples:
- Participating in a school’s teaching or volunteering at a family service centre.
- Learn a new language
- Learn an IT program (JavaScript, HTML, Python).
- Farming
- Volunteer at the old folks home, hospice care.
Global Partners
NUS Medicine students are able to benefit from our partnership with these universities through personal communication level with the Dean’s office as well as confirmed vacancies in their respective elective programs. Do take note that the list here is not exhaustive, students are able to arrange for a posting with their own university of choice on their own. The NUS Medicine Dean’s Office is constantly looking into more partnerships with overseas universities and is working to developing relationships further.
