TriMedSoc Alliance Renews Collaboration, Strengthening Ties among Singapore Medical Students

On 17 August 2024, NTU Singapore’s LKCMedicine Students’ Medical Society (LKCMedSoc), the National University of Singapore (NUS) Medical Society, and Duke-NUS Student Council  signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to renew the TriMedSoc Alliance, a collaboration established in 2021 between the student bodies of Singapore’s three medical schools.

The Alliance was initiated to represent the voice of the local medical student community through regular dialogue, engagement and collaboration with external stakeholders, including the Singapore Medical Association and Ministry of Health. Comprising the elected Student Council and Medical Societies of the three medical schools, the student leaders carry clear mandates from their respective student bodies to advocate for and act in their best interests; making the TriMedSoc Alliance the sole legitimate student representative body of medical students studying in Singapore to unify local medical students, and advance and synergise student advocacy and community engagement efforts

The MOU Renewal Ceremony was held during the Opening Ceremony of the National Medical Students’ Convention (NMSC) 2024, which took place at the School’s Clinical Sciences Building. The signing was witnessed by Distinguished University Professor Joseph Sung, NTU Singapore’s Senior Vice President (Health and Life Sciences) and Dean of LKCMedicine; Professor Benjamin Ong, Chairman at the Health Sciences Authority; and Associate Professor Shiva Sarraf-Yazdi, Vice-Dean of Education, Duke-NUS Medical School. 

The renewal solidifies the close ties between the three medical student representative bodies and creates an official platform, with the goal of developing programmes and activities that support the holistic development of the medical student community in Singapore. They also serve to reinforce the student-led efforts in the medical student fraternity and the wider community.

 “The TriMedSoc Alliance has provided the student representative bodies of the three medical schools with a platform for closer collaboration and partnership. Over the past year, we have worked closely to represent the interests of medical students in Singapore to external stakeholders, and support events that foster learning and collaboration across the three medical schools,” described Year 5 LKCMedicine student Lim Rong, who is currently the Chairperson of the 3rd TriMedSoc Alliance and 11th President of LKCMedSoc.

Over the last three years, the TriMedSoc Alliance has made great strides in achieving its objectives. They have organised dialogues with the Designated Institutional Officials of the three healthcare clusters and the Ministry of Health on issues related to the learning facilities in schools and healthcare institutions, financing medical education, and the learning experience during clinical rotations, to name a few. Throughout the academic year, the TriMedSoc Alliance hosts various activities, such as the NMSC which is its flagship event, to foster a closer-knit community of local medical students.

“We are witnessing a growing trend of close collaboration between the student bodies of the three medical schools, not only in academic student interest groups (SIGs) but also through joint community service initiatives and advocacy efforts. We hope that the renewal of the TriMedSoc MOU will catalyse further opportunities for interaction and the building of camaraderie among future colleagues,” said John Joson Ng, President of the 16th Duke-NUS Student Council and Chairperson of the 2nd TriMedSoc Alliance.

Echoing John’s sentiments, Aravind Madabhushi, President of the 75th NUS Medical Society, noted the significance of events such as the NMSC.

“The NMSC is an annual event held by the TriMedSoc Alliance and its constituent Medical Societies. It offers a platform for our student members to experience the broader landscapes of Medicine, beyond what we see in our lessons and clinical postings. We hope our participants will get a better idea of what awaits them after graduation, and in so doing, allow them to work towards developing their extracurricular interests and experiences,” he explained.   

Building on the success of the Alliance, the renewal provides the three medical student representative bodies with the opportunity to introduce new initiatives, such as establishing an advisory board comprising senior doctors and administrators, including faculty from the three schools.

The members have been selected in view of their deep understanding of the nuances of the local medical education and healthcare sector, their vast experience in organisational management, and their commitment to student development. The advisory board is set up with the intention of longitudinally consolidating the organisational knowledge of the Alliance and providing stewardship and guidance to the future TriMedSoc committees, which change after every annual election cycle.

The MOU renewal of the TriMedSoc Alliance reinforces its commitment to medical students in Singapore as well as its role as a cornerstone in uniting and empowering the country’s future healthcare leaders.