September 28, 2009 saw Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School’s official opening by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was the Guest of Honor at the ceremony. Over 400 guests were present to celebrate this historic milestone, including staff, faculty, students, visitors from Duke University and stakeholders such as SingHealth, A*STAR, and the Ministries of Education, Health and Trade and Industry.

It was also a time to celebrate the achievements which Duke-NUS has reached ahead of schedule, such as the launch of the innovative TeamLEAD (Learn, Engage And Develop) approach to medical education and the recruitment of renowned faculty members from Duke Durham, local hospitals and national institutes. Distinguished researchers and outstanding students from Singapore and beyond have also been drawn to the school to contribute to its development and success. With the establishment of five signature research programs, Duke-NUS has proven to be a magnet for outstanding scientists, attracting respected international scientists such as Patrick Casey, John Rush, Duane Gubler, Shirish Shenolikar, Dale Purves, David Virshup and David Matchar to head key positions within the faculty.

The location of the new Duke-NUS campus allows collaboration between researchers at Duke-NUS and clinicians and scientists at the nearby SingHealth campus, who form the core of the clinical faculty at the medical school. This synergy has, in turn, catalyzed clinical and translational medical research, and optimized the use of resources in pathology, bench research and medical education.

The Duke-NUS campus comprises research laboratories, teaching and education facilities, a library and a research centre for genomic study and computational biology. The campus is named after the late philanthropist Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat, whose estate in January 2007 donated S$80 million in his memory to further biomedical research at Duke-NUS.

With the recent intake of the third batch of students, Duke-NUS now has a total of 130 students from 17 countries. All hail from different academic backgrounds, ranging from engineering to anthropology. The school’s inaugural class is due to graduate in 2011 with a joint MD degree from Duke University and NUS – the first such degree in the history of both universities. Students receive intensive training in both medicine and research, covering basic science in 1 year instead of the usual 2 years, and have an entire year devoted to independent research.

“To best serve patients, doctors need good communications skills,” said Prime Minister Lee, in his speech at the opening ceremony. “This is all the more critical as patients today are more knowledgeable and have higher expectations. Doctors must be able to establish rapport with patients and their families, explain clearly different treatment options and risks, and help them to make informed decisions for themselves.”
  The unique approach to medical education training at Duke-NUS sees students taught in small teams, which promotes the development of inter-personal and communication skills. Being exposed to clinical training a year earlier also helps the students adjust to the wards more smoothly as they take on the responsibility of caring for patients.

With full confidence from the Singapore government and leaders in medicine, education and science, Duke-NUS is set to leave a large footprint on Singapore’s biomedical landscape. It will also continue to build partnerships with NUS, Duke and A*STAR’s research institutes – organizations which are among the world’s best and which will help to ensure a bright future for Duke-NUS medical School.