Professor Wang Linfa sharing his remarkable journey—from China to California, Australia and Singapore—during his sharing session

A lively buzz filled the LEAD Room on 29 October, as Duke-NUS Medical School's newest MD students gathered with members of the Governing Board and senior leadership for a lunchtime session built around a simple, expansive question: Where can medicine take you?

Titled “Meet, Greet and Eat: Medicine, Leadership and Impact”, the event was less a formal programme than an invitation—a chance for students still deep in the demands of their first year to lift their eyes to the horizon and imagine the many directions a career in medicine might take.

Professor Patrick Tan welcoming the students to the session and speaking on the idea of the “plus”

Dean Professor Patrick Tan set the tone, welcoming the students, whom he had already met in smaller group sessions. Acknowledging exactly where they are in their journey—stepping into new systems and just beginning to learn how to take patient histories—he spoke warmly about the road ahead and was honest about its demands, reminding them that while the curriculum is challenging, they would not have to navigate it alone.

Prof Tan spoke to the idea of the “plus”. The MD, he said, is the essential foundation—but above and beyond it lie things that might spark a student's passion in research, education, innovation or translational science.

Governing Board Chair Mr Goh Yew Lin followed with characteristic good humour, casting himself as the “light entertainment” of the morning. He reflected on what makes Duke-NUS students distinctive. As a graduate-entry school, every student arrives already holding a degree in something else, and that diversity of lived experience is precisely what will make them special as doctors and researchers. 

Duke-NUS Governing Board Chair Mr Goh Yew Lin brought warmth and good humour to the proceedings as he spoke about the future of medicine

He spoke candidly about the dizzying pace of change—particularly in AI—having come straight from the SWITCH technology conference, and told students that theirs is the generation that will truly shape the future of medicine. "All things are possible and I really envy you," he told them.

The heart of the session was a personal sharing by Professor Wang Linfa, whose career has carried him from China to California, Australia and finally Singapore. Known affectionately as “Batman” for his decades of work tracing bat-borne viruses, he told his story vividly—weaving in the twists, the lucky breaks and the setbacks that shaped his path, including a youthful dream of becoming an engineer that was redirected, by a failed maths exam, into biology. His message to students was heartfelt: work hard, stay open to the unexpected and make the most of the opportunities that come your way.

A lively panel followed, bringing Prof Tan and Prof Wang together with Professor Lok Sheemei, Interim Vice-Dean of the Office of Research, and Associate Professor Christopher Laing, Vice-Dean of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. 

The panel in conversation, featuring (from left) Prof Wang Linfa, Prof Lok Sheemei, Assoc Prof Christopher Laing and Dean Patrick Tan

Prof Lok encouraged students to keep their horizons wide—to talk to scientists beyond their own field, carry real clinical problems back to the lab, and pay close attention to the possibilities opening up through AI. 

Speaking on leadership, Assoc Prof Laing noted that clinicians have a real advantage in being able to define a problem from the ground up—and, memorably, that every time a physician sits with a single patient, they are already practising leadership. Prof Lok likened leading a research team to directing a film, needing both a clear vision and the ability to bring others along.

The students joined the conversation readily. When asked about the practical structures that support young doctors who want to keep one foot in research, Prof Tan pointed to the School's partnerships and the many opportunities available to those willing to seek them out.

Conversations continuing off the stage: Prof Wang Linfa (centre) with Ms Karen Chang (left), Senior Vice-Dean and Group Director of the Office of Corporate Services, and Prof Lok Sheemei (right)

Drawing the session toward a close, Prof Tan turned to Professor Kenneth Mak—Director-General of Health at the Ministry of Health and a Duke-NUS Governing Board member—for some closing reflections about careers in medicine.

The discussions gave way to a buffet lunch, where the students and senior leaders continued the exchange over food—exactly the kind of conversation and connection the morning had been designed to spark.