Why LKCMedicine? 10 Reasons to Choose NTU Medicine

The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) was established in 2013 as a partnership between Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Imperial College London. LKCMedicine is Singapore’s third medical school, and the only one offering an undergraduate MBBS degree apart from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

So why might LKCMedicine be the best choice for you? Before we begin, a quick disclaimer that the title is somewhat misleading. There are a ton of reasons why you might choose LKCMedicine, and not all of them will be listed here. This article is more of what makes NTU Medicine unique, and some of the things I love most about our school.

For a comprehensive comparison between NUS and NTU Medicine, check out this other article here.

1. You learn by body systems

In LKCMedicine, we learn by “blocks”, and each block is essentially a body system, for instance, Cardiorespiratory System, Endocrine System, Musculoskeletal System, etc. In each block, we go through the whole gamut from anatomy, embryology, physiology, pathology, to pharmacology and clinical aspects. Even the Clinical Methods sessions are coordinated (so we learn how to perform a cardiovascular exam during the Cardiorespiratory block, for example).

This is extremely helpful and intuitive. Whatever is the normal structure and function will be closely related to how disease develops and the consequent management. By integrating all these components under the same block, you’re not studying in “silos”. It reinforces your knowledge of the entire system.

2. You never go to school just to sit through lectures

There are no mandatory hour-long lectures to sit through. This is one of the things I appreciate most about LKCMedicine. While didactic lectures are still the norm in some universities, there are much more effective ways to learn.

Flashback to H2 Biology lectures in JC. I’d be trying to scribble down some annotations in my thick lecture book (not because I thought this was particularly useful, but because that’s what you did during lectures). Then I’d walk out of the auditorium feeling like I’d absorbed less than 10% of what was just said (less than 1% of which reached my long-term memory). Ultimately, I’d still have to synthesise the content on my own.

In LKCMedicine, we have pre-recorded lecture videos and slides. You can watch at 1.5x or even 2x speed, pause, rewind, and revisit any part anytime you wish.

3. You learn via TBL (Team-Based Learning)

Ever since the start of Year 1, I was telling my friends, “TBLs are the highlight of my week.” And while some may look at me like I’m slightly crazy, it’s completely true. I really like the way we learn and how the system is designed.

It’s difficult to explain in brief, and you won’t know how it’s like till you experience for yourself. You can watch this video for a quick glimpse. But note that some things have changed since that video was filmed. For one, we now fully integrate technology, with a digital platform that allows us to work seamlessly with our teammates, the facilitators, and the professors at each stage.

Team-based learning is a widely used pedagogy, and it can be very different depending on how it’s applied. So if you’ve had experiences with it in the past, don’t let any pre-conceived notions determine your views towards it!

At LKCMedicine, I love how TBL incorporates active recall (very important in med!) and stimulates our thinking. The Application Exercise (AE) is often based on real clinical cases, which is really good exposure and ties in perfectly with whatever we’re learning.

Learning in a team is also an amazing thing in itself. Whenever I have a question, my teammates are always there to explain the concept or discuss together. Moreover, you go through all types of lessons with your team, not just TBLs, so you’ll likely grow close over the year. They’ll form a strong part of your support system in LKC (more on that below) 😊

4. …and many other ways of learning

Your days won’t be filled with TBLs and TBLs only. In fact, we have diverse lesson formats to equip us with the essential skills in medicine, including: Anatomy Practicals, Science Practicals, Foundations of Clinical Practice, Medical Humanities, Early Patient Contact and Long-Term Patient Project. There are further subdivisions to FCP, as well as other lessons (TBL-format) that cover professionalism and ethics, digital health, and much more.

I won’t list all of them here, but you get the idea. Many of these are very hands-on, and you’ll be able to hone your skills (while having fun at the same time!).

You might be wondering how we learn anatomy. It’s highly effective and we have a (universally acknowledged) stellar Anatomy Department. In Anatomy Practicals, we use real-life plastinated specimens, plastic models, 3D-printed specimens, and a life-size digital Anatomage Table. For a more detailed look into how we learn anatomy, check out this article here (coming soon).

(Side note: LKCMedicine organises the Anatomy Challenge every year. It’s an exciting affair, open to all pre-university and polytechnic students.)

5. You have no graded exams throughout the year

There is only one final exam at the end of the Academic Year (AY) which counts towards your grade. There’s an additional exam in the middle of the AY (written for Year 1 and OSCE for Year 2), but that’s not graded.

We do have some written reports and assignments throughout the year. But again, these are not graded. The huge benefit of this is that you’re not constantly strung up studying for the next exam.

Some may be worried, how am I going to stay “consistent”? Firstly, the TBL system (and your own study methods) help tremendously in staying on track. Furthermore, without any exams looming, you’re better able to focus on your learning. It’s a good, even pace, minus the unnecessary stress.

6. You have less stress and more time to pursue your passions

Minimising stress is so important for (1) enjoying uni life, (2) making sure you don’t burn out, and (3) ensuring health and wellbeing in general. It’s not just that we don’t have exams during the school year. I think it’s also the supportive environment and the way the curriculum is structured.

On top of having less stress, you also have more time to delve into other pursuits. Those passionate about dance are able to do it regularly and take the stage at NTU’s most-anticipated HOCC (the annual dance competition between all NTU Halls). You can learn a new sport (I have many friends who are into climbing!). You can join LKC’s very own dance group and acapella group. You can join Hall and NTU CCAs, or take up whatever you want outside of school. (All while studying med at the same time.)

7. You have very supportive batchmates

I’ve definitely mentioned somewhere before that I was shook—and grateful—at how there’s ZERO competitive culture. Everyone is so unbelievably supportive.

My batchmates are phenomenal. People share resources selflessly (like so selflessly you’d wonder if gold is dropping from the sky). (<- Edit: This is a terribly clumsy expression, but I don’t know how else to put it.) It’s infused in the culture, I think. We’re a very tight-knit community and you know these are people who will always have your back.

8. You stay in the same hall as your med school friends

If you choose to stay in hall, you’ll be guaranteed allocation to either of two halls: Crescent Hall or Pioneer Hall at NTU, as will all your batchmates from medicine. The two halls are so close together they can be considered one hall, and are collectively referred to as “CresPion”.

This is amazing as you’ll have the chance to grow closer to your batchmates, whom you’ll be stuck with for five years (and beyond!—you’ll enter the same healthcare system and probably be colleagues too). Your closest uni friends will likely be from med school, and it’s great that you aren’t scattered all over the place; you can continue to deepen those bonds while in hall.

At the same time, if you wish to meet other people, you’ll have ample opportunity to do so. First of all, CresPion doesn’t just house med students. You’ll meet students from various courses just next door. Additionally, it’s easy to join any activity in hall or NTU (CCAs, sports, events, workshops…). Instantly, you’ll connect with different people from diverse backgrounds.

9. You have an amazing second home called CSB

We have the Experimental Medicine Building (EMB) at NTU and the Clinical Sciences Building (CSB) at Novena. Despite this dual campus system, many of us consider CSB our true home.

The building is amazing. Besides the various study spots and facilities, we have House Rooms, a Student Lounge, and a Gym with generous opening hours. Of course not forgetting a Library on the 20^th floor with the most insane views. (Video tour here!)

10. The school listens to you

It’s mind-blowing how much the school and the faculty value our feedback. Besides surveys on the curriculum, anyone can raise any matter anonymously via “Student Voice”. The school responds to every input (no matter how trivial) and publishes these for all students.

Having never submitted a “Student Voice” myself, I was surprised to see pages upon pages of feedback from students. And how the school replies to every single one. It’s simply unreal how much attention they give to students’ feedback. It reflects the care and thought dedicated to improving the curriculum and bettering our student life and overall experience.

Bonus: Connection with Imperial College London

LKCMedicine was set up jointly with Imperial College London, and therefore you will obtain a double degree from both NTU and Imperial College London (till 2029). It also means that our innovative pedagogy and curriculum was co-designed with Imperial (consistently ranked among the top 10 in the world for medicine).

The LKCMedicine-Imperial connection runs deep. Besides the Imperial immersion trip, we have unique opportunities including project grants, overseas electives, and conferences. (You can read more about these on either the LKCMedicine or Imperial website.) There are also extensive research collaborations between the two schools.

Too young? Too new?

LKCMedicine may be seen as the “new” medical school, or the “other” medical school in Singapore. While we’re young, that also makes us exceptionally innovative and well-poised to integrate the best practices in education and healthcare. (Okay, this might sound a bit “advertise-y”. But that’s exactly how I see it!)

Find the reasons why it’s the best choice for you

Hopefully all the personal experiences shared above give you a better idea of what’s unique / great about LKC! (There’s still a lot more to student life I may not have covered.)

This is purely my personal experience, so others may or may not feel differently. I know I’ve found a home here and have had the most fun and fulfilling time.

Everyone will also have their own reasons for choosing or not choosing LKC. So find your own. You alone can make that decision for yourself, and whatever you settle on, that will be the best choice for you. 💜

Wow! But what are the downsides?

This is a bit out of place, but I wanted to add this section to give you a clear view of what are some of the downsides. I might add to this later, but for now I can’t think of any except one: we have shorter holidays. I used to protest jokingly to my friends, but almost invariably the response I got was appreciative. It allows us to have more breathing room during the term, my friends told me, and time to pursue our passions.

After rethinking, I do like this design. Our holidays are reasonable (we still have four vacation periods a year, a 1.5-month-long one at the end of the AY). And holidays or not, there’s so much to enjoy anyway :”)

P.S. If you’ve already received offers (congrats!), you may be interested in:

Disclaimer: The views expressed herein belong solely to the author, and do not represent any other individual, institution, or organisation.

(Header image source: LKCMedicine Facebook)