Prompt
"What advantage do you think an M.D. degree from Duke-NUS will give you?"
Feel free to give any comments or critics. THanks in advance! Really enjoyed interacting with the people here. You are all very warm and helpful!
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I first heard of Duke-NUS in 2006, when I was waiting for the shuttle bus in NUS and browsing through the notice board at the bus stop. An A4-sized poster grabbed my attention - Singapore is going to have a graduate medical school, and it's called Duke-NUS graduate medical school. At that moment I knew nothing about Duke, besides it being a top university in America and in the world, but this glimpse woke up a dream of mine, the dream of becoming a medical doctor. Somehow I was not able to study medicine at undergraduate level. When I almost had to give up this dream, I saw the poster of Duke-NUS, and was telling myself: "Maybe this is a second chance for me."
But Duke-NUS is not merely a second chance.
As I explored its official website, looking through its brochures, attending webinars and going to campus tours, I started to realize that Duke-NUS should be my "first choice".
I was very impressed by the innovative Team-Based Learning model which focuses on problem solving, collaboration and application. As a teacher, I understand how important it is for students to be able to work in teams to solve problems and apply their knowledge into real life situations. In fact I use these strategies in my classroom as well! I think this approach will not only facilitate the learning process but also equip future physicians with the necessary "soft skills" such as good communication and team-working.
Being able to start clinical practice as early as in year 2 is another advantage that Duke-NUS has to offer. Based on the solid curriculum of the world-renowned Duke University School of Medicine, students will cover basic science in one year's time and start clinical rotations in their second year. This means that students can apply what they have learned in year 1 immediately into real clinical situations, which makes more sense and is likely to be more effective. I remember my friend who was studying medicine complaining to me about she had forgotten everything she learned when she started her clinical rotation only in the last year of curriculum. Ultimately the purpose of studying medicine is all about applying our knowledge and skills into clinical practice so it is definitely an advantage to be able to start earlier. Starting earlier also allow us to gain more experience in clinical practice and make us more competent as doctors.
Another advantage of Duke-NUS's program is the focus on research. Being one of the top research universities, one whole year of its curriculum is fully devoted to independent research. As research is an intrinsic part of medicine, having the opportunity to be able to work with world class scientists to conduct research in an area in greater depth will surely benefit every prospective physician in both his clinical practice as well as future research, especially for those without much research experience prior entering Duke-NUS. Since I am interested in the MD/PhD program, I also see this one year research as a great chance to prepare me for the subsequent PhD component which involves more highly intensive research.
Being a collaboration between Duke and NUS, I think Duke-NUS has the strengths of both universities, and on a wider scale, the strengths of both American and Asian education systems. With students coming from many different countries, cultures and backgrounds, it provides a good platform for the students to respect and learn from each other, which in my opinion, is an important attribute of a doctor in today's globalized world. I stayed on campus throughout my four years in NUS, during which I met people from a diverse range of cultures. Besides learning to respect others from different backgrounds, I also developed independence and responsibility. I think Duke-NUS's campus life will strengthen me in this aspect even further.
As a whole, Duke-NUS strikes me as a school that has academic intensity, strong focus on research, diverse student culture, and a commitment to service. I see Duke-NUS not solely as a step towards becoming a doctor, but also as a journey to better myself, feed my intellectual curiosity, be surrounded and inspired by outstanding students and teachers, and hopefully, become someone who can make a positive impact on the medical field. Since the first day I heard of Duke-NUS, it has been a place that I look forward to going to. Although it took me many years to fulfil my other obligations before I can apply for it, I am glad that I am now taking this step further towards my dream. I look forward to the day when I can walk into the school building and whisper to myself: "I finally come here, to this place I want to feel proud of, to this place I want to call home."
As a whole, Duke-NUS strikes me as a school that has academic intensity, strong focus on research, diverse student culture, and a commitment to service. I see Duke-NUS not solely as a step towards becoming a doctor, but also as a journey to better myself, feed my intellectual curiosity, be surrounded and inspired by outstanding students and teachers, and hopefully, become someone who can make a positive impact on the medical field. ----This is so great!
Although it took me many years to fulfill my other obligations before I could apply for it, I am glad that I am now taking this step further towards my dream.
This is another great essay!
Dear Susan:
It's so nice and kind of you to read through my essays so carefully and point out all these errors! I wish I have better things to say but all I have is a mere "Thank you" :)
I wil definitely keep you updated of my application outcome. Hopefully it's going to be good news that I can share with you~
Best regards,
