Duke-NUS Medical School
Graduation
Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2020!

Congratulations

Graduating Class of 2020!

Duke-NUS Medical School is delighted to celebrate our School’s Graduation and Hooding Ceremony on 17 April 2021. The Class of 2020 comprises the School’s 10^th cohort of MD and 6^th cohort of MD-PhD and PhD students.

MD

Bhavya Kanti ALLENA
CHAN Huan Hao, Mervyn
CHEN Yoong Wend
CHIA Ming Hao, Dominic
CHIA Xintian
CHOOI Jing Yew
CHUA Ing Loon, Sean
G Shankari
David James GILL
GOH Zhaohan
Nang San HTI LAR SENG
KOH Tracy
Punn KUHATAPARUKS
LAZATIN Patrisha Campos
LEE Jun Jie
LEE Li Wen
LEW Xin Yi, Nicola
LI Yanhui
LIM En Ning
LIM Gim Hui
LIM Kai Wei, Joseph
LIM Wen Lin Mark
LIM Ying Jun
LIM Ying Yan
LIM Muhammad Haikel Asyraf
LO Kin Yui
LUM Xian Jun, Nathaniel
NG Chang Zhi
NG Choon Wee, Shawn
NG Guan Yee
NG Ho Man
NGUYEN Hai Nam
Jeremy PONG Zhenwen
QUEK You Xing, Jonathan Caleb
Muthukumar RAMANATHAN
Sabina SAYEED
Sneha SHARMA
SIM Xue Li, Samantha
SIM Cheng Teck, Clement
Karina Ruth SOENJOYO
Aditya SUBRAMANIAM
Jimin SUH
Natalia SUTIMAN
TAN Chin Chuen (CHEN Jinquan)
Meredith TAN Wei-Yuan
TAY Jia Min, Pamela
Evelyn Gabriela UTAMA
VOON Siew Lian
WANG Yingqi
WU Yilong
Xue, Bai
YAO Wen Jie, Dominic
YIP Lijing, Samantha
YIP Yuen Ting Michelle
YONG Jun Jie Arthur
YU Zijun
ZHANG Fuquan
ZHANG Xiaoxuan

MD/PhD

Justin Tzung Shian HSIEH
KWAN Yu Heng
KWEK Swee Sen
Mohamad Fadhli Bin MASRI

PhD

Justin OOI Seng Geap
LIM Ka Keat
Muhammad Idris Bin KACHI MYDIN
Uma Sangumathi KAMARAJ

The Event

17th April 2021 (Saturday)

9:30AM

Graduation and Hooding Ceremony

Event Highlights

The physical Graduation and Hooding ceremony was held to celebrate the graduates from the Class of 2020. Ten months ago, the Class marked the official end of their time at Duke-NUS with a Hippocratic Oath ceremony, which was held virtually in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.

The event commenced with a speech by Professor Thomas Coffman, Dean of Duke-NUS, during which he congratulated the Class of 2020 for overcoming the challenges of graduating during a global pandemic:

“To the Class of 2020: you were always going to be a memorable class because you’re our tenth graduation cohort. And your graduation coincided with another very important event in Duke-NUS history: our 15th anniversary. But COVID came along, so now you will also be remembered as the class who graduated at the peak of a global pandemic. Unlike any previous cohort, you were faced with uncertainty and everchanging circumstances, which you overcame, demonstrating your grit and resilience.”
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Guest-of-Honour Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information and Ministry of Health and a former Associate Professor at Duke-NUS himself, also shared words of encouragement with the graduates:

“That trust that is reposed in you allows you to transform societies as well as the lives of individual patients. Your compassion for humanity, your integrity in your personal conduct and by demonstrating the professionalism of holding up yourselves to the highest ethical standards, I am sure you will do all of this.”
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Leadership representatives from Duke University, the National University of Singapore, SingHealth and the School’s Governing Board

Among the distinguished guests attending the ceremony, in person and via Zoom, were leadership representatives from Duke University, the National University of Singapore, SingHealth and the School’s Governing Board.

This was followed by speeches by MD-PhD graduate Dr Justin Hsieh and MD graduate Dr Aditya Subramaniam.

Dr Hsieh reminded the cohort of their strong bonds forged over the years:

“We have picked each other up when we felt we may never get enough data for publication and have shared in the joy when that paper was published. We have cheered each other on when we felt that we may never be competent enough to treat patients and celebrated together when we passed the final year exam. We have become friends, and I want to remind all of us to never forget these bonds forged, and to always support each other no matter where we end up.”
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Dr Subramaniam emphasised the need for all of them to continue learning from their experiences, even the tough moments:

“Take pride in the fact that every time you chose to get back up, you chose to care. As long as we all keep getting back up, as long as we all keep caring for our patients, we continue to care. The day we stop caring – that will be the day we have truly failed.”
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Graduates were then presented with awards and their graduation hoods and scrolls.

Family and friends of the graduates joined via zoom

Family and friends of the graduates, as well as well-wishers from the faculty and School who joined via Zoom, were asked to turn their cameras on and join in the ceremony by waving to the audience.

Graduation Awards

Xue Bai
SingHealth Top Student Gold Medal
SingHealth Prize in Family Medicine
Singapore Medical Association-Lee Foundation Achievement Prize
Duke-NUS Achievement Prize (Top Score in the Graduating Class on the US Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 Clinical Knowledge)
Duke-NUS Achievement Prize (Top Score in the Graduating Class on the US Medical Licensing Examination Step 1)

Ng Guan Yee
Academy of Medicine, Singapore Medal for Outstanding Leadership
Singapore Medical Association-Lee Foundation Teamsmanship Award

Chen Yoong Wend
SingHealth Seah Cheng Siang Gold Medal in Medicine
Singapore Medical Association-Lee Foundation Teamsmanship Award

Kwan Yu Heng
SingHealth David Sabiston Gold Medal in Surgery

Chia Ming Hao Dominic
Duke-NUS Humanism Award
Singapore Medical Association-Lee Foundation Teamsmanship Award

Voon Siew Lian
SingHealth Prize in Paediatrics
SingHealth Prize in Neurology
NUSS Medal for Outstanding Achievement

David James Gill
SingHealth Prize in Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Jimin Suh
Institute of Mental Health Prize in Psychiatry

Lim Wen Lin Mark
College of Family Physicians Singapore Prize in Family Medicine

Aditya Subramaniam
Singapore Medical Association-Lee Foundation Teamsmanship Award

Zhang Fuquan
Singapore Medical Association-Lee Foundation Teamsmanship Award

Chia Xintian
Duke-NUS Achievement Prize

Ng Chang Zhi
Duke-NUS Achievement Prize

Natalia Sutiman
Duke-NUS Achievement Prize

Michelle Yip Yuen Ting
Duke-NUS Achievement Prize

Lim Ka Keat
Duke-NUS Achievement Prize

Our Graduands' Thoughts

Chia Xintian, Class of 2020

Having the virtual Hippocratic Oath Ceremony, with less- than-perfect-synchronized voices, pixelated screens and variable internet bandwidths is a perfect reminder - that the core of medical ethics and values must remain steadfast despite evolving circumstances.
- Chia Xintian

Justin Hsieh, Class of 2020

Being a doctor most fundamentally means to make the sick feel better. And to me, the best way to achieve that is to become a clinician scientist who can both directly treat the illness of my patients and also to take the observations I see while treating them to arrive at new and better ways to improve clinical care for the future.
- Justin Hsieh

Lee Li Wen, Class of 2020

I joined medical school to “save lives” but I’ve come to realise that medicine is a calling to serve, even at the expense of our comforts or personal schedules. It’s a day in, day out commitment between me and my patients, no matter how the day has been.
- Lee Li Wen

Lim Gim Hui, Class of 2020

Beyond medical training, Duke-NUS gave me many opportunities to volunteer and lead overseas medical trips. I will definitely treasure the mentorship and friendship forged with my peers, college and staff during my time in Duke-NUS.
- Lim Gim Hui

Alice Lo, Class of 2020

I think it’s an exciting and challenging time to become a doctor. I am glad to serve in the battle against Covid-19 but I am fully aware at the same time of the responsibility and the sacrifices involved.
- Alice Lo

Dave Ng, Class of 2020

Studying medicine in Duke-NUS is a very unique experience. A very heterogenous pool of people made up my class, and I had the opportunity to study alongside peers who are so similar (in our passion towards medicine) yet so different (our previous life experiences).
- Dave Ng

Sabina Sayeed, Class of 2020

None of us could have envisioned marking the culmination of our life-long dream in these unsettling times. But now more than ever, I am reminded of the privilege to be of service and an honor to be a part of the medical community.
- Sabina Sayeed

Xue Bai, Class of 2020

The more I see, the more I agree that it is a privilege to learn and practice medicine. I am excited about this transition, and will continue on my journey with years and decades of learning ahead. Stay humble and curious. The best is always yet to come.
- Xue Bai

Michelle Yip, Class of 2020

The opportunity to study at Duke-NUS is one of the blessings I have been lucky to receive. It has given me a strong medical foundation, clinical acumen and life-long friendships that have been and will continue to be a pillar of support.
- Michelle Yip

Catch the Virtual Hippocratic Oath Ceremony 2020

Photos and Videos

All images and recordings of Duke-NUS’ Hippocratic Oath Ceremony and Graduation and Hooding Ceremony as seen on our website and social media pages are the copyright of Duke-NUS Medical School. They may not be used for commercial purposes without our prior permission. Inappropriate use of these images and/or recordings may result in legal action.

Contact Us

For any enquiries, please email us at communications@duke-nus.edu.sg