Starting the medical journey
The NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) warmly welcomed their newest intake of trainee doctors at a dinner on 28 July. Freshmen were inculcated into the School’s values and introduced to the teachers and mentors who will be guiding them on their medical journey.
In his speech at the event, Dean of NUS Medicine Professor Chong Yap Seng spoke about the School’s long history and rich heritage, from its beginnings in the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School in 1905 to its establishment as the first school in NUS on 8 August 1980.
We want you to become the kind of doctor you yourself would choose to care for your loved ones. Doctors who ‘cure sometimes, relieve often, and comfort always’.
— Prof Chong Yap Seng, Dean of NUS Medicine
“The vision of our School is to ‘Inspire Health for All’. This means that we do not think that a doctor’s role is only to treat patients and cure diseases. We believe that doctors should play a critical role in promoting the health of their community, and have the duty to teach the next generation of healthcare professionals. As clinical researchers and innovators, we also need to find solutions for better health to improve the lives of all,” he exhorted.
Prof Chong also shared with them his hopes for the type of doctors they will become. “We want you to become the kind of doctor you yourself would choose to care for your loved ones. Doctors who ‘cure sometimes, relieve often, and comfort always’. We want you to be doctors with the right motivation, rooted deeply in the values of the School – Humility, Compassion, Integrity, and Respect – for whom Empathy and Excellence are second nature, and for whom the needs of the patient and the community come first,” he said.
An initiation ceremony at the event formally inducted the newcomers into the School. House mentors passed candles to each student, signifying the passing of knowledge and wisdom to the new students. The students also had the opportunity to reflect on their upcoming medical journey and on their aspirations.
