Duke & Duke-NUS Special Pathway

Students who have successfully gained admission to Duke University, and who are Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents (PR) will be invited to apply. The following will be considered in the selection process:

• Academic excellence and motivation to study in the field of medicine
• Records of leadership experience and community service
• Performance at interviews

Note: Admissions process for Duke University undergraduate programme and Duke and Duke-NUS Special Pathway are independent of each other. Duke University will be responsible for the entire period that students are in their course of study at Duke University, while Duke-NUS will engage with students prior to their graduation from Duke University, and for subsequent admissions into the MD programme.

Singaporeans and Singapore PRs who have been offered a place at Duke University will receive an email invitation to apply for the Duke and Duke-NUS Special Pathway. A complete application will consist of information from the Duke application, including letters of recommendation and a personal statement about why they are interested in medicine.

1. Singaporeans and Singapore PRs who have been offered a place at Duke University will receive an email invitation to apply for the Duke and Duke-NUS Special Pathway. A complete application will consist of information from the Duke application, including letters of recommendation and a personal statement about why they are interested in medicine.
2. Completed applications will be reviewed and selected applicants will be invited for interviews.
3. Finally, the Admissions Committee will review all interviewees and make a final decision. Successful applicants will receive a conditional admissions offer for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme at Duke-NUS.

Students are expected to maintain a stipulated academic performance and fulfil conditions stated in the conditional offer for successful admission into the Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme upon their graduation. A general overview of the final acceptance criteria is illustrated below.

Final Acceptance Criteria:

• Strong Grade Point Average (GPA) – as an indication of academic performance
• Complete the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) by September of the year prior to entry to Duke-NUS
• Evidence of meaningful clinical/medical experiences
• Successfully graduate from Duke University

To be eligible for consideration, a student must:
• Be a Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR)
• Have applied to Duke University for early and regular decision (and eventually earn admission)

Please review the following thoroughly:
1. Apply for and be admitted to the undergraduate programme at Duke University. Please visit the Duke Office of Undergraduate Admissions website for more information.

2. Singaporeans and Singapore PRs who have been offered a place at Duke University will receive an email invitation to apply for the Duke and Duke-NUS Special Pathway. A complete application will consist of information from the Duke application, including letters of recommendation and a personal statement about why they are interested in medicine.

3. Completed applications will be reviewed and selected applicants will be invited for interviews.

4. Finally, the Duke-NUS MD Admissions Committee will review all interviewees and make a final decision. Successful applicants will receive a conditional admissions offer for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme at Duke-NUS.

Note: Students who apply and are considered to the Duke & Duke-NUS Pathway must accept an offer of admission to Duke University. Admissions process for Duke University undergraduate programme and Duke & Duke-NUS Special Pathway are independent of each other.

• Applications are evaluated in early-April.
• Interviews are conducted in mid-April.
• Offers of admissions will be extended from late April through May.

We will interview applicants for admission in April each year. If invited for an interview, you will receive an email notification directly from the Duke-NUS Admissions Department. The interviews will be held at the Duke-NUS campus (Singapore). Applicants may also request to be interviewed via Skype if they are out of the country. Requests for Skype interviews will be reviewed and approved by the Duke-NUS Associate Dean for Admissions.

The number of students accepted into the pathway will vary from year to year. Depending on the strength and the number of applicants, the cohort maximum is 10.

Turn-around time is generally eight to ten weeks and may vary at different stages in the application cycle. Please be assured that every application is individually reviewed prior to committee decision.

Duke-NUS utilizes a holistic admissions review process that is individualized to each applicant. Broadly speaking, the admission process takes into account a combination of academic accomplishments, and personal attributes and experiences. The final admissions decision will be based on the following criteria:

1. Cumulative Grade Point Average – as an indication of academic performance.

2. Evidence of sufficient science background to do well in the first year curriculum. This can be met either by doing well on: (1) The MCAT the year prior to entry or (2) Typical pre-med courses.

3. Complete meaningful clinical/medical and service experiences throughout their undergraduate years (in consultation with an advisor at Duke University).

4. Expected to conduct themselves professionally. If concerns should arise at any time regarding a student’s academic performance or personal/professional development, the student may be reviewed by the Duke-NUS MD Admissions Committee resulting in action up to and including withdrawal from the offer.

5. Successfully graduation from Duke University.

Students accepted into the pathway are also required to participate in engagement activities at Duke-NUS during the summer between their junior and senior years of college. The list of the activities are stated above.

A student will lose conditional admission if any of the following occur during the completion of their Duke undergraduate degree programme:

• Withdrawal from Duke.
• Failure to achieve the academic readiness for medical school.
• Violate a standard of academic or ethical conduct policy or any other applicable policy of Duke where the potential outcome could result in a disciplinary action (including but not limited to probation, suspension, expulsion or removal from the university).

Although you are not required to make a binding commitment to Duke-NUS at the time of admission, you should inform Duke and Duke-NUS of your withdrawal from the track at least the year preceding medical school matriculation.

Candidates who decide (for whatever reason) not to continue with the pathway but rather to apply via the regular admissions process to multiple schools are welcomed and encouraged to apply to Duke-NUS as well. While the assurances of the conditional admissions would no longer apply, the Duke-NUS MD Admissions Committee would be happy to consider regular-process applications from candidates in this situation.