Imperial Connection: Making the most of the Imperial experience

By Roxy Hughes, Collaborative Partnerships Officer, London Office

As students of a joint medical school by Imperial and NTU, LKCMedicine students have opportunities throughout their study to be part of Imperial and interact with Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM).

The Professor Jenny Higham Collaboration Grant
The Grant enables medical students from LKCMedicine and Imperial to collaborate on projects in medical
education, medical humanities or a self-directed project. Groups of two or more students can apply for the grant provided at least one student is enrolled in the undergraduate programme in London, and one is enrolled in the programme in Singapore. An amount of up to S$5,000 may be awarded per project to successful recipients. The grant is advertised annually to all students at LKCMedicine and ICSM. The successful grant applicants will be announced in June.


Imperial Immersion Week
The one-week Imperial Immersion programme is designed to provide Year 2 LKCMedicine students with the
chance to experience life as an early medical student at Imperial. Every March, selected students compare and contrast the different aspects of medical school life with their experience in Singapore, including teaching, clinical training, healthcare systems and social life. During the week, the students are hosted by Imperial students, some of whom will visit Singapore later in the year to complete Clinical Research and
Innovation Projects.

LKCMedicine Elective Programme at Imperial
At the beginning of Year 5, LKCMedicine students have the opportunity to apply to complete their overseas electives at Imperial. Students on the programme complete a bespoke schedule of placements across Imperial’s partner hospitals. During their time at Imperial, they have access to the library, can sign up for gym membership at Imperial’s Ethos gym and will be able to access other facilities on campus, such as the Chaplaincy, Students’ Union and campus bars. The London Office of LKCMedicine supports LKCMedicine elective students before and during their time in London.

Transform MedEd Conference
Students can also experience the Imperial-LKCMedicine connection, in the jointly organised Transform MedEd Conference, the first of which was held in November last year. Students from Imperial and LKCMedicine presented at the inaugural conference.

Imperial Alumni
Upon graduation from LKCMedicine, students will become a member of a lifelong community of 200,000 Imperial alumni across the globe. As Imperial alumni, they will be able to access Imperial’s alumni networks in Singapore. Every year, we look forward to welcoming new groups of LKCMedicine students and continuing to grow the partnership and student relationships between our two schools.

LKCMedicine students participate in Imperial Immersion Week 2019
On March 4-8, 22 selected LKCMedicine students travelled to London to experience life as an early medical
student at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM). They were warmly greeted on Day 1 at the London Office of LKCMedicine and enjoyed the London skyline view from the office.


They were then off to meet their hosts, second-year Imperial students, including those that took part in the 2018 student exchange trip to Singapore and students that will be visiting LKCMedicine later this year to undertake Clinical Research and Innovation (CRI) projects. During the week, the students joined Imperial students for a variety of early-year teaching sessions including respiratory practicals, psychology lectures and anatomy teaching. The LKCMedicine students had the opportunity to experience different styles of teaching, such as face-to-face lectures, but also had the opportunity to draw parallels between practical
sessions at Imperial and LKCMedicine. 


Clinical teaching sessions were also arranged at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, providing students with early experience of UK healthcare provided by the National Health Service (NHS). Throughout the week, students were invited to ask questions and learn about the differences and similarities between the UK and Singapore healthcare systems. 

Another highlight was a tour of Imperial’s main campus at South Kensington hosted by Dr Mike Barrett, Head of Learning Resources in the Faculty of Medicine. The students enjoyed campus views from high above with a tour up the iconic 132-year-old Queen’s Tower.


LKCMedicine students on a campus tour with Dr Mike Barrett

In the evenings, ICSM Students’ Union arranged for a variety of social activities so that LKCMedicine students could explore London with their fellow Imperial students. This included a boat trip along the River Thames in central London, followed by a trip to Wetherspoons, a quintessential English pub. Following the Farewell Reception on the final day, students attended Imperial’s Musical Theatre Society Production of Legally Blonde.

We look forward to hosting more LKCMedicine students for the Imperial Immersion Week in 2020!