At present, Duke-NUS does not have a deferment policy for admitted students. As such, male Singapore Citizen and Singapore Permanent Resident applicants are expected to have fulfilled their National Service (NS) obligations before matriculation. For international applicants required to serve in their home country’s military, a few points should be kept in mind. While “Leave of Absence” (LOA) is in place for a number of academic, research, and personal reasons, this is contingent on approval by the Student Promotions Committee. Generally, LOA is not granted for fulfillment of National/Military Service obligations. Additionally, to be eligible for medical registration, the Singapore Medical Council requires a doctor to begin year-one of residency training within 1 year of graduating from medical school. This makes the immediate post-graduation period an unsuitable time for serving the typical 2-year military commitment. Given these specifications, it is strongly recommended that full-time National/Military Service is completed, or is in the process of being completed, before applying to Duke-NUS.