News: LKCMedicine’s Largest Cohort Initiates Medical Journey

 


By Thung Pei Ying, Senior Executive

 

LKCMedicine’s 12th cohort was warmly welcomed on 14 August at its annual White Coat Ceremony. The ceremony was made all the more special as this cohort is not only the School’s largest cohort to date, but also the pioneer class of the NTU-awarded MBBS programme.

Witnessed by Guest-of-Honour LKCMedicine Chairman Mr Lim Chuan Poh, and several distinguished guests from the healthcare family as well as proud parents of the students, the Class of 2029 was officially initiated into the School and the field of healthcare and medicine.

Making the ceremony even more memorable, Dean of LKCMedicine Professor Joseph Sung announced the release of a very special LKCMedicine publication titled “History Taking, History Making: Walking into Singapore’s Medical Story”. The book is the pride and joy of LKCMedicine students, who, led by Student Medical Society (MedSoc) President Mr Lim Rong, poured in much effort and dedication into making this publication possible.

Then came the time for the much-anticipated donning of the white coats according to the eight student Houses – up from five Houses last year, due to the increased student intake. 

Following the conferment, LKCMedicine Assistant Dean, Curriculum Lead Associate Professor Faith Chia led the students in reciting the Declaration of a New Medical Student, a promise to commit to their patients and to practice with integrity and honour.

This year’s White Coat Ceremony featured the chosen poem “In Sickness and in Health”, written by Year 3 student Phang Poh Hui, which was recited by Year 2 students Emily Ho and Koh Kai Yi. Written in a “twin cinema form”, the poem talks of two perspectives (in two columns), that of a patient, and a medical student, and lessons learnt. When read together, the lines paint the picture of a doctor’s experience and reflections on interacting with patients.

The future looks bright as the Class of 2029 takes their first of many steps into the medical field. As they continue to write a new chapter with LKCMedicine, we wish them all the best in their journey to become doctors that you and I would like caring for us!

Khayr Eddin Bin Ahmad @ Khayr Eddin Ahmad Jamal, a Nanyang Polytechnic alumnus who worked a clinical assistant prior to joining LKCMedicine, expressed his eagerness to start his journey in the NTU-awarded MBBS programme and rejoin the healthcare field.

“I’m definitely looking forward to our patient journey experience that will be happening this December. So it’s been quite a while since my medical technologist and clinical assistant days, so I am a bit worried but even more excited to be back in the healthcare setting and even more so in a clinical environment. It is a great privilege to be able to do this very early on in our medical school journey, so I am eager to learn as much as possible together with my peers from the healthcare professionals that I will be meeting during my time there.”

For Syed Anees Khalid, a Victoria Junior College alumnus, the people that he met during his volunteering experience at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF) and Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS), inspired him to pursue medicine.

“This inspired me to be part of the team, to be part of the people who care for patients like this, the people who can make a difference in these patients’ lives. How I hope to help as a doctor and make a difference is to help patients feel like they are cared for, help patients feel like they are being treated and not just their disease, and that we really see what’s behind their disease and see that we want to get them back to living their fullest life.”

National swimmer and SEA Games multi-medallist Ashley Lim Yi-Xuan looks forward to how her swim coaches and LKCMedicine can help her to balance training and studies.

“Next year there will be [the] upcoming SEA Games in December, as well as the World Aquatic Championships that’s being held in Singapore in August. Those are two competitions that I’m looking out for. With the preparations for those competitions, training will be very intense. So, I’m looking forward to being able to work with my coaches as well as LKCMedicine to work out how to balance both.”

Edsel Lim Hwan Yong acknowledged the academic rigour of medicine while expressing his keenness to engage in NTU’s vibrant student life. The Anderson Serangoon Junior College alumnus shared more about how he plans to balance his studies and hobbies.

“I think it really comes down to time management. I think the school has made it very easy for us to manage our time because of the materials that they have prepped for us because of the study resources that they afford us, and I think that makes for very easy organisation. It allows us to really have the time on the side to pursue our own interests all at the same time.”