For third-year MD student Teo Kai Qin (Class of 2027), a Duke-NUS Dean’s Scholarship recipient, giving back is more than an act of gratitude. It is also a sense of duty.

The former Air Force engineer made the bold decision to pursue medicine after realising that his deepest fulfilment came from serving others.

“I express my sense of duty through acts of service,” he said. “Medicine lets me do that, by caring for people at their most vulnerable.”

Kai Qin credits his family’s support and the opportunities afforded by growing up in a safe and stable country like Singapore as pivotal to his growth. That gratitude, he says, naturally evolved into a duty to give back.

Kai Qin during his time as an engineer in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)

At Duke-NUS, this conviction led him to join Project DOVE, a student-led initiative providing sustainable healthcare to underserved communities overseas.

In his first year, he initiated the project’s inaugural fundraising walkathon in February 2024. Buoyed by the overwhelming response and the relationships forged, he returned the following year as the fundraising lead. Over four months, his team organised six events and raised approximately S$27,000 — the highest in Project DOVE’s history.

“That experience showed me what passion and teamwork can achieve. It wasn’t just fundraising. It was a journey of community-building, creative problem-solving, and shared purpose.”

In February 2025, the team travelled to Sri Lanka, to conduct health screenings and train teachers to support children with special needs. The trip left a lasting impression on Kai Qin.

The Project DOVE Sri Lanka team with partners from the University of Jaffna Faculty of Medicine and local community healthcare workers.

“It reshaped how I see overseas community service projects. It’s not only about what we bring there, but what we learn in return. Witnessing the resilience and resourcefulness of the Sri Lankans renewed my commitment to becoming a compassionate doctor.”

The Project DOVE Sri Lanka team conducted health screenings for the rural community in Puthukkudiyiruppu, a village in northern Sri Lanka.

It is this sense of duty that will continue to be his beacon of light as he serves and impacts lives along his medical journey.

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Championing students like Kai Qin and uplifting community initiatives such as Project DOVE go beyond supporting Duke-NUS students. It is an investment in the future of compassionate healthcare professionals who value empathy, service, and global responsibility.

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