NUS vs NTU Medicine: A Comprehensive Comparison

There are just two medical schools in Singapore offering an undergraduate degree in Medicine: the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS YLL), and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (NTU LKC).

What are the similarities and differences between these two schools? Which one should you choose? This article gives the most comprehensive comparison between the two medical schools you’ll ever find—from the big picture (e.g. global rankings) down to the minute details (e.g. methods of teaching and learning).

Note: All information presented herein are factual, with hyperlinks included for all relevant sources. This in-depth comparison seeks to guide potential applicants in selecting the best medical school for you (or anyone interested/bored enough to give it a read). We are not out to determine which is the “better” medical school.

As such, no subjective opinions are expressed. To read about my personal experiences at NTU LKCMedicine, you may visit the Medical School page.

Summary of NUS vs NTU Medicine

The Key Differences: Infographic

A Detailed Comparison: Table

School & Career Prospects

Curriculum & Course Structure

Student Life

Admissions

Financial Matters

NUS YLL vs NTU LKC: School & Career Prospects

Established in 1905,NUS YLL has a much longer history, while NTU LKC, established in 2013, prides itself on being a young and innovative medical school.

On international rankings of medical schools, NUS YLL consistently comes out high, attaining 16^th on the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2024. On the same ranking, NTU LKC ranks 100^th worldwide (highly impressive as an initial ranking for a young medical school).

For both NUS YLL and NTU LKC, the length of the MBBS course is the same at 5 years. Upon graduation, all students will also have to serve a bond in a local public healthcare sector, for a period of 5 years for Singapore Citizens and 6 years for Non-Singapore Citizens.

According to the Graduate Employment Survey (GES), all graduates from the two medical schools obtain employment (100%).

NUS YLL vs NTU LKC: Curriculum & Course Structure

In the pre-clinical curriculum, NUS Medicine has transitioned to learning by body systems, similar to NTU Medicine. (Before this change, NUS YLL would cover normal structure and function in Year 1 and abnormal structure and function in Year 2.) The order of the topics/systems covered differs slightly between the two schools, which you can see in the respective curriculum outlines below.

For assessments, NUS YLL has 4 exams spread out over the year. NTU LKC, on the other hand, has just 2 exams—1 mid-year and 1 final—with only the final one counting towards the overall grade. Both schools go by a Pass/Fail system, in lieu of GPA (grade point average) used by most other university courses.

The teaching pedagogy is another key difference between NUS YLL and NTU LKC. NUS YLL goes by the traditional Lecture-Tutorial method. Physical lectures are conducted (on Microsoft Teams in the time of Covid-19), after which students attend in-person tutorials in groups of about 20. NTU LKC, on the other hand, employs an innovative Team-Based Learning (TBL) approach. Lectures are viewed as pre-recorded videos. During a TBL session, students attempt a quiz first individually then in teams, raise burning questions, and discuss the application exercise. (More information on TBL is available on the school’s website, this TBL Booklet, as well as this TBL Instructional Video.)

In learning anatomy, NUS YLL has Anatomy Hall with real cadavers for dissection. In contrast, NTU LKC uses plastinated specimens (well-preserved, pre-dissected cadavers), the Anatomage Table (life-size virtual dissection platform), as well as 3D-printed specimens. (For more details, this article gives a good summary of anatomy learning at NUS Medicine and NTU Medicine.)

Both schools use standardised or simulated patients (SPs) in pre-clinical education. Early patient contact has always been a hallmark feature of NTU LKC, with their pioneering Long-Term Patient Project (LTPP). NUS YLL has also since introduced their Pre-clinical Apprenticeship and Clinical Experience (PACE) longitudinal track. The main teaching hospital of NUS YLL is National University Hospital (NUH), while that for NTU LKC is Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). However, during clinical postings, students from either school can be posted to any of the public hospitals in Singapore.

In the Clinical Years (Years 3 to 5), students from both schools have the opportunity to undertake electives, albeit at different time periods. In summary, NUS YLL students get 4 weeks at the end of Year 3 (Electives I), and another 12 weeks at the end of Year 4 (Electives II). NTU LKC students have 6 weeks at the start of Year 4 (Scholarly Project), and another 6 weeks at the start of Year 5 (overseas Elective or home-based Selective).

NUS YLL vs NTU LKC: Student Life

The size of each cohort is larger for NUS YLL (280 students) than NTU LKC (160 students).

Both schools have a House System, but NUS YLL has more houses (10) than NTU LKC (5). Both schools also divide students into groups of around 6 to facilitate teaching and learning. In NUS YLL, these CGs (Clinical Groups) are formed with students from different houses. In NTU LKC, each TBL team constitutes a diverse mix of students from different houses. Division of students into House Fams within each House, with 5-7 people from each year, provides an additional support structure in NTU LKC.

In terms of leadership opportunities, both NUS YLL and NTU LKC have an active student-led Medical Society. (Note: The Medical Society is sort of like the “Student Council” of medical school. There are various positions and committees, with the highest-ranked few forming the Exco.)

Both schools also offer a similar range of extracurricular activities, which include: local and overseas community involvement projects (CIPs), overseas exchanges, and research opportunities. Sports, performing arts and cultural events are held throughout the year. You can also join hall and/or university-wide CCAs. Of course, the specific programmes will differ between the two schools.

Whichever school you choose, you’ll have the opportunity to experience a vibrant campus life. Housing options are the same as for all other undergraduates at NUS and NTU respectively. NTU has 23 Halls of Residence. NUS offers a range of Halls of Residence, Residential Colleges, and Student Residences.

NUS YLL vs NTU LKC: Admissions

The academic prerequisites for applying are the exact same for both NUS YLL and NTU LKC, reflecting the rigour of the course. Generally, a good pass in Higher Level Chemistry and either Higher Level Biology or Physics is the minimum requirement.

For those less confident of their academic performance, the Aptitude-Based Admissions Scheme is available for both schools. NUS YLL has an earlier deadline for ABAS applicants (of about 10 days). For NTU LKC, it is the same deadline for all applicants.

The application is an online form for both NUS YLL and NTU LKC. For NUS YLL, an additional NUS Medicine Portfolio is to be submitted. The main additional section required here is a List of Achievements, in which you can include a maximum of 10 CCAs with a 100-word description for each.

One thing NTU LKC requires that NUS YLL does not is the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). This is due to their origins with Imperial College London, which, like other UK medical schools, uses the UCAT in selecting medical school candidates.

The rest is more or less the same: both schools require a personal statement and 2 referee reports. The only difference is the personal statement word limit: 500 words for NUS YLL and 300 words for NTU LKC.

After being shortlisted based on this application, you will face the admissions assessment. For NUS YLL, it will be the Focused Skills Assessment (FSA) and Situational Judgement Test (SJT) on two separate days. For NTU LKC, you will attend the Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) on one day. In a way, FSA is the equivalent of MMI, in that both are structured as a series of stations and can be seen as the “interview” component of the selection process. (Neither schools use traditional panel-style interviews.) The SJT is a 60-minute multiple-choice paper which asks you to rank the suitability of each course of action in response to a given scenario.

NUS YLL vs NTU LKC: Financial Matters

NTU LKC has higher tuition fees (S$35,000 per annum) than NUS YLL (S$30,200 per annum). Both schools offer scholarships and financial aid. The details of the schemes are available on the respective school’s websites (NUS YLL and NTU LKC).

Please contact me if there are any inaccuracies, or if you would like to suggest any new additions. Feel free to ask any questions or leave your comments too!