Introduction
Entering medicine and becoming a doctor in Singapore is extremely competitive, as the total number of available positions for medical education in three medical schools of Singapore is limited to several hundred: NUS, NTU, Duke-NUS Medical School. Nonetheless, if there is a plan, dedication, sound academic performance, leadership, and love for healthcare, any student can sécuritively pursue medical school in Singapore. In fact, much like any other projects, this piece features a detailed description of the steps involved together with the time required to complete each of the processes.
Step 1: Teaching and learning plans at secondary school and junior college level (ages 15-18)
The process toward achieving a place in medical school should begin in secondary school or junior college at the earliest. At this stage, students should:
- Take chemistry, biology, mathematics and physics, receiving As for these disciplines
- ESAH Overall/Bronze Median Perform well academically by providing satisfactory results and or higher on a consistent basis
- Get involved in co-curricular activities that show executive position, volunteerism and interest in health area
- Intern at a hospital, volunteer or follow doctors around as part of the medical field
- Search for the medical schools in Singapore and their admission criteria
Establishing this strong academic, leadership and health care background from young make you a good candidate when pursuing a university education and the subsequent medical school.
Step 2: How to Select the Correct University Course (Ages 18-20)
While any first degree can qualify you for medical school later on, some degrees will better prepare you for the medical school application:
- Bachelors like Biomedical Science, Pharmacy, Life Sciences etc directly lead to medicine content
- Achieving a Research-based Honors degree means you will be able to show that you have scientific enquiring mind
- Courses that have a lot of concentration on biology and chemistry are appreciated in the degrees.
- Having a broad variety of healthcare and leadership experiences, along with excellent university grades will give strength to your portfolio.
Step 3: Preparing for Medical School Admissions Tests – Age 20 to 23 Years
Currently all the medical schools in Singapore administer admission examinations to test the scientific ability of the candidates. These include:
- Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
- Graduate Australian Medical School Admission Test
- Strategies such as the past year papers, mock tests and preparation courses can help you score high for these tests making your application more desirable.
In addition to admissions test preparation for the final university years, further involvement in extra curricula activities and in health care needs a place.
Step 4: Applying for admission to Medical Schools therefore ought to be done by any one with at least twenty three years of age.
In the final year of your university degree, prepare to apply to medical schools:
- It is important to contact potential referees during early stages of the selection to ensure to receive good letters of reference
- Now is the right time to start writing personal statement and experiences you’ve chosen to showcase your passion for medicine.
- Complete and submit applications as detailed by each medical school within the right time and specifications provided.
It’s always a struggle in its arduous admission process but with the right insistence you can have a chance to be accepted in one the best medical schools in Singapore.
The technique discussed in this context is called Advance Preparation or briefly stated as Advance Key.
To become a medical school student in Singapore, one needs to start plotting way ahead. If you have been performing well academically since childhood, have considered some university degree programs, prepared for your admission tests, and highlighted your passion towards healthcare through experiences, the dream of becoming a medical doctor can still be realized. Yes, there may be strong competition from qualified aspirants, research-oriented, and strategically planned candidates can become members of the elite healthcare professionals passing out from reputed medical schools of Singapore.