I don’t pretend to know the ins and outs of other university courses. And “other courses” is such a broad term—there are definitely courses out there that are quite unique or niche. I am very well aware, too, that some courses may share similarities with Medicine in certain aspects (e.g. Nursing, Dentistry). Different institutions also have vastly different teaching methodologies.
Nevertheless, it can be informative to highlight the distinct differences between Medicine and other courses—some of which may be less well-known. Coming from a current student’s perspective, many of the points here look into the “practical” aspects, in other words, the experience you get.
1. We spend a longer time in school
Our course, MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery), spans 5 years, in contrast to the usual 3 (or 4). The first two years are Pre-Clinical (studying the content), followed by three Clinical years (hospital rotations but with more studying). After graduation, we continue “training” in residency programmes, which adds another 4 to 6 years minimum. If you’re doing the math, 11 years in total, at least. That’s probably when we look around and realise that all our secondary school classmates have post-graduate degrees under their belt, are flying high in their careers, have gotten married, and so on. (To me, this doesn’t matter in the slightest, for I know this is what I want to do, and this is the amount of training and experience it takes to get there.)
2. We do not have (to bid for) mods
We have a core syllabus, and everyone has to study everything (kind of like secondary school and JC). As such, I have never experienced the stress that comes with bidding or registering for mods (modules) each semester. I have no concept of AUs (academic units). In a way, this feels like a blessing—one less thing to worry about.
3. We do not have GPA
Both NUS and NTU Medicine implement a Pass/Fail system (though you’ll still be able to see your actual score on the exams). I’m not sure whether this is a good thing, or if it even makes much of a difference. Perhaps some will see it as less stressful than the GPA (Grade Point Average) system, but ultimately, you have to really know your stuff to be a good doctor. So GPA or not, you’ve got to work hard and be self-motivated.
4. We have practical sessions
Medicine is, by nature, very hands-on, so our curriculum includes lab sessions as well as clinical methods and procedures. This may not be the case for some other courses, which are more academic.
5. We do not have project work or presentations
Again, this may not be applicable to all courses, but many tertiary institutions do put heavy focus on project work, with presentations being a cornerstone. We don’t have any of that. Learning is more focused. Even in the Pre-Clinical years (Years 1 and 2), the priority is to master the content—because there’s just so much content to learn.
6. We may have a heavier workload
This is a controversial statement, hence please note the keyword “may”. For one, I see my roommate stressing out much more over academics than I, studying till 10pm in the library before returning to continue the grind at her desk. (Okay, but to be fair, she takes a double degree, and she’s insanely hardworking.) However it compares to other courses, medicine is, no doubt, a rigorous and content-heavy course. Choosing Medicine means devoting yourself to some intense studying in the years to come. Less time, if any, is left over for leisure or other pursuits. That is to be expected.
7. We are stuck with the same people for five years (and beyond)
I’ve heard my friends from other courses saying that they stay with a team as long as the duration of a project, after which they “disband”. Moreover, since everyone takes new mods every semester, you are guaranteed to stay with the same classmates only for that semester. That makes it harder to form lasting bonds with the people in your course, particularly for courses with hundreds of students in one cohort (e.g. Business).
For Medicine, since everyone studies the same thing (no mods), we’re with the same batch for five years. We do have teams, but even teams last for the whole AY (academic year) and not just one sem. My closest friends in uni are all from my course, and I think I have zero close friends outside of med.
8. We form a tight-knit community
As a result of us being “stuck” with one another, we form tight bonds. A caveat, though, is that the batch is rather big (around 280 for NUS Medicine and 160 for NTU Medicine), and the numbers increase every year. So it’s almost impossible to really get to know everyone. It’s more like you’ll have a small group of friends who will always have your back. Even when we enter the workforce, we’ll be stepping into the same public healthcare system (at least initially), and it’s likely that you’ll see familiar faces around. So it’s nice, in a way.
All that being said, there will be no shortage of avenues—other than transient project teams—for you to forge lasting bonds in uni. These could include hall (staying on campus), CCAs, non-academic projects, external commitments, and many, many more. You’ll definitely find amazing and like-minded friends no matter what course you settle on.
9. We do not have to worry (as much) when it comes to employment
We wouldn’t have to send hundreds of resumes or start scouting for opportunities before we even graduate. According to the Graduate Employment Survey, 100% of both NUS Medicine and NTU Medicine graduates find employment.
10. We have to serve a 5-year bond
The 100% employment rate is perhaps unsurprising, given that upon graduation, we all start off by serving our mandatory 5-year bond in a public healthcare institution (6 years for non-Singapore citizens). That is, you might note, as long as the length of our course itself. While some may think of this as one of the less appealing aspects of the course, I personally wish to give back and serve my nation, and would be doing the same, with or without the bond. Scholarship holders in other courses would usually have to serve a bond as well, just that it may or may not be a government bond, depending on the nature of their scholarship.
Feel free to disagree with me on any of the above points! Or share what you feel are the most salient differences that may not have been raised here. Leave a comment below or drop me a message anytime.