Mdm Rahayu Mahzam, Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information & the Ministry of Health,with graduates from the Class of 2026 and leaders from Duke-NUS, Duke University, NUS and SingHealth.
Years of hard work culminated in a joyous celebration as 135 new Duke-NUS graduates closed one chapter and stepped into the next at the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium on 30 May.
Once on widely different paths, including accountancy, engineering and linguistics, the Class of 2026, Duke-NUS’ largest graduating cohort to date, emerged from their Graduation and Hooding Ceremony with a shared commitment to advancing healthcare. Among them were 78 graduates from the MD programme, 38 PhD graduates from Duke-NUS’ Integrated Biology and Medicine, Quantitative Biology and Medicine, and Clinical and Translational Sciences programmes, and 19 graduates from the Master’s in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality programme.
Cheered on by loved ones, the graduates took to the stage one by one to receive their hard-earned degree scrolls. Among those witnessing this milestone event were Guest-of-Honour Madam Rahayu Mahzam, Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information & the Ministry of Health; Professor Mary Klotman, Executive Vice-President for Health Affairs at Duke University and Dean of Duke University School of Medicine; Duke-NUS Governing Board Chairman Mr Goh Yew Lin; and SingHealth Group CEO Professor Ng Wai Hoe.
Prof Patrick Tan shares his vision for the graduating class in his opening address.
Addressing the Class at his first Graduation and Hooding Ceremony as Dean of Duke-NUS, Professor Patrick Tan said that his hope that, whatever path they chose after Duke-NUS, they would carry forward the same instinct to improve lives and strengthen health systems:
“Be excellent, but stay humble. Be evidence-based, but stay human. Be ambitious, but remain grounded in purpose. And when you see something that can be improved, do not walk past it,” he said, congratulating the Class on their achievements in Duke-NUS and expressing his pride in them.
Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information & the Ministry of Health, Mdm Rahayu Mahzam addresses the Class of 2026.
Noting that some of them had changed careers to pursue medicine while others had balanced studies with family responsibilities, Mdm Rahayu commended the Class for their dedication and urged them to hold on to the reasons they chose this path:
“Maybe it was a family member who was ill. Maybe you saw a gap that needed filling. Maybe you simply wanted to help people. Whatever brought you here, hold onto that calling. It will guide you through difficult moments and be your greatest source of strength. Because healthcare is ultimately about people—and the best doctors never lose sight of that.”
Keynote speaker Prof Robert Califf encourages the Class of 2026 to use their talents for the greater good.
Echoing Mdm Rahayu’s message, keynote speaker Professor Robert Califf of Duke University School of Medicine, and former Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, urged the Class to embody the human values at the heart of medicine:
“As you go through your daily lives and your chosen career, you have a special position as an expert. And with that position comes a responsibility to use your talents to the benefit of others.”
He also urged the Class to help lead patients, teams and systems towards a better future with courage, integrity, compassion and a spirit of collaboration, amid a healthcare landscape being reshaped by AI and wider global upheaval.
It was during his clinical rotations that MD speaker Dr Jiang Qianfeng came to understand the responsibility that Prof Califf spoke of. Addressing his cohort, he reminded them of the invaluable lesson they had learnt:
“Earlier in February, while the rest of Singapore was busy visiting homes and celebrating Chinese New Year, we were in the wards—as always—visiting beds, going from patient to patient, who were also spending the new year away from their families. We were not just preparing for our final exams, but learning that being present for someone is the real exam.”
MD speaker Dr Jiang Qianfeng encourages his peers to be doctors rooted in compassion.
Dr Kunal Mishra, the nominated speaker for the PhD cohort, reflected that pursuing a PhD was not only an academic and professional journey, but also a deeply personal one. He called on his peers to remember the community they found in Duke-NUS as well as loved ones who supported and kept them curious while walking alongside them.
“A PhD, they say, is a journey. And that's true. But a journey taken alone is just a journey; together, it's an adventure,” he said.
PhD speaker Dr Kunal Mishra reflects on the personal side of his PhD journey.
Inspired by the words of the afternoon’s speakers, the Class and everyone else in the auditorium, rose to recite the Hippocratic Oath. Led by Professor Soo Khee Chee, they made a commitment to pursue medical excellence and uphold the highest standards of patient care.
Graduates from the Class of 2026 recite the Hippocratic Oath.
While the ceremony celebrated individual achievement, the moments afterwards belonged as much to the people who helped make it possible. Amid photographs, laughter and reunions with proud loved ones, friends and mentors, the Class of 2026 took time to savour the occasion before turning to the next chapter of their journeys.