Undergraduate Education

3.1       Degrees Offered

The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine offers two full-time undergraduate programmes, leading to:

• •     Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.,B.S.)
• •     Bachelor of Science (Nursing) / Bachelor of Science (Nursing)(Honours)

Overview of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.,B.S.)

The undergraduate medical programme is a five-year course leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.,B.S.). The curriculum map is as follows:

Note: The curriculum map set out in the above table is only applicable to students admitted in AY2008/09 and subsequent academic years, or students graduating in 2013 and onwards. This revised curriculum map is not applicable to students admitted before AY2008/09 or students graduated in 2012 and before. Students should note that there is a distinction in the degree requirements for students graduated in 2012 and before and the degree requirements for students graduating in 2013 and onwards. Where applicable, the distinctions in the requirements are set out in this Bulletin and students should take note of the requirements that are applicable to them. The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine will endeavour to give students notice of any requirements which have yet to be finalised as soon as reasonably practicable after these have been finalised, and such requirements shall apply to students as if they had been incorporated in this Bulletin.

Some of the key highlights of the undergraduate medical curriculum are:

• •      Early meaningful clinical exposure;
• •      Developing caring and ethical medical professionals;
• •      Devoting significant curriculum time to case-based learning and small group teaching;
• •      Interprofessional education;
• •      Aligning teaching and assessment to outcomes.

Overview of Bachelor of Science (Nursing)

The B.Sc. (Nursing) curriculum reflects current healthcare trends and the role of registered nurses in facing the challenges of nursing practice in the 21^st century. Students will learn basic skills in a simulated clinical laboratory on campus and be exposed to practise in a range of clinical settings as they progress. The programme is modular in nature and includes the following subjects:

• •      Nursing Sciences
• •      Anatomy and Physiology
• •      Pathophysiology
• •      Pharmacology
• •      Immunology
• •      Microbiology
• •      Psychology
• •      Sociology
• •      Critical Thinking and Analysis
• •      Healthcare Law and Ethics
• •      Healthcare Management and Education
• •      Research and Statistics
• •      Evidence-based Practice
• •      Clinical Skills
• •      Clinical attachments at local hospitals/institutions, etc.

Fourth-year Honours students will be expected to complete a research project and modules such as Applied Research Methods and Evidence-based Health Care Practice.

3.2       Degree Requirements

3.2.1   Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.,B.S.)

Admission to the undergraduate medical programme

Apart from the minimum requirements specified by the NUS Office of Admissions, to be eligible for Medicine, candidates presenting the Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘A’ Levels / International Baccalaureate / NUS High School Diploma must meet the applicable prerequisites set out below:  

GCE ‘A’ Levels

H2 pass in Chemistry and H2 pass in either Biology or Physics

International Baccalaureate

Pass in HL Chemistry and either HL Biology or HL Physics

NUS High School Diploma

Major CAP of at least 2.0 in Chemistry and either Biology or Physics and

CAP of at least 1.0 in one other major and in English Programme and Research Project

Admission will be computed based on a University Score and a Faculty Score. The University Score will be computed by the NUS Office of Admissions whereas the Faculty Score will be computed by means of interviews, tests, and portfolio review. It is for this reason that shortlisted candidates must submit a portfolio, sit for interviews, and may have to undergo requisite tests. Candidates may also be shortlisted by means of a discretionary application process, known as the Exceptional Individual Scheme.

Health Requirements - Virus Screening and Immunisation

Besides the conditions indicated in the offer letter, admission to Medicine is also subject to the following health requirements.

All candidates must undergo screening for each of the following viruses in the year of enrolment (i.e. after 1 February 2012) regardless of previous screening and/or immunisation.

(1) Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)

In accordance with the Ministry of Health requirements, all prospective medical students must be HBsAg negative.

All candidates must undergo screening for Hepatitis B Virus (“HBV”). This must be done in the year of enrolment (i.e. after 1 February 2011) regardless of previous screening and/or immunisation. Those who are HBsAg positive (regardless of HBeAg status) will not be admitted to the Medicine undergraduate programme.

Prospective medical students who are tested negative for HBsAg but who are not immune (anti-HBs Ab negative or < 10 mIU/mL) are required to obtain immunisation, regardless of previous immunisation for HBV. Immunisation must begin within one month from the date of screening. Post vaccination Hepatitis B antibody blood test will then be done one month after immunisation is complete.

Candidates who fail or decline to undergo HBV screening, furnish evidence of HBV immunisation, and/or refuse to be immunised if required, will have their admission offer rescinded. The University reserves the right to require any or all of its new medical students to undergo further tests for any or all markers of the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and exclude from admission any candidate who test positive for HBV. Students interested in Medicine are encouraged to ascertain their HBV status early.

(2) Varicella Zoster Virus (Chickenpox)

All candidates must undergo screening for immunity to the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV). This must be done in the year of enrolment (i.e. after 1 February 2012) regardless of previous screening or immunisation. Candidates who are tested negative for VZV immunity will be required to be immunised within one month from the date of screening. Certification of past infection/previous immunisation of chickenpox is not acceptable.

Students may begin classes without immunisation for VZV if:

(i) The student concerned has a letter from a registered medical practitioner stating that there is a reason why he/she cannot receive the vaccine; or

(ii) The student concerned has documented evidence of two administrations of the varicella vaccine (non-responders).

(3) Rubella Virus

All candidates must undergo screening for immunity to the Rubella Virus. This must be done in the year of enrolment (i.e. after 1 February 2012) regardless of previous screening or immunisation. Candidates who are tested negative for Rubella immunity will be required to be immunised within one month from the date of screening.

All candidates are encouraged to have their screenings and immunisations done at the University Health Centre (UHC) Level 1, 20 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119080. The costs for screening and immunisation, as well as the deadlines by which the screening and immunisation must be completed, are set out in the table below.

If you choose to be screened by a registered medical practitioner of your choice, please note the following:

(i)                You must submit to the UHC satisfactory proof of such screening and immunisation (where necessary) by 13 July 2012.

(ii)               For subsequent immunisation(s), you must submit to the Dean’s Office at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, satisfactory proof of such immunisation(s) by the stipulated deadline(s).

The above Health Requirements and costs are subject to change.  All updates will be available on our Corporate Website at http://www.med.nus.edu.sg/corporate/. If you need clarification on any of these issues, please contact our staff at UHC at Tel: 6776 1631.

Bonds for Medical Students

Candidates admitted to the Medical course at the NUS and who are not in receipt of Public Service Commission (PSC)/Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) scholarships/ bursaries, are required to serve the Government of Singapore upon successful completion of the course for a number of years as stated in the foll owing table:

Those awarded PSC/MINDEF scholarships/bursaries will be bonded according to the terms of their respective awards.

Students are required to sign agreements with the Government to serve the bond periods as specified.  Your acceptance of the offer of admission to the Medical course is conditional upon you signing the agreements with the relevant authority in the year of entry to the University.

Students who fail to fulfil the bond obligations will be required to pay liquidated damages, amounting to the actual amount of tuition grants given, pro-rated by the number of completed months of service.  Failure to obtain the M.B.,B.S. or to complete the M.B.,B.S. course within the time stipulated by NUS will also be considered a breach of the provisions of the Agreement.

Please note that candidates are required to sign the agreement only in the year that they are matriculating in NUS.

For signing of the bond, two persons are required to stand as your sureties.  Your sureties should:

a)                 Be above 21 years of age and preferably under 65 years of age;

b)                 Not be in bankruptcy;

c)                Either be:

• i)     Able to provide proof of financial means to pay the scholarship liabilities should it become due, viz. banker’s guarantee or proof of ownership of assets*;

or  is

• i)     Gainfully employed and drawing an income of at least S$1,000 per month;
• ii)   Not party to an existing bond, scholarship or bursary; and
• iii)  Not bonded for an existing scholarship, bursary or study loan agreement.

Note: * The asset(s) must be owned by the surety (not mortgaged) and the purchase value of the asset(s) must not be less than the quantum of liquidated damages.

For students who are Singaporeans/Singapore Permanent Residents, the first surety should be a Singapore Citizen. The second surety can be a Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident.  For international students, sureties can be non-citizens if they are parents of the non-citizen students.  Otherwise, each surety must either be a Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident.

If you need further information, please visit the Ministry of Health website at http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/healthprofessionalsportal/allhealthcareprofessionals /career_practice/medical_dental_undergraduate_agreement.html or contact Mrs Chew Meow Kheng of the Ministry of Health at Tel: 6325 9104.

Educational Aims

The aim of the medical curriculum is to produce graduates who are excellent Residents or House Officers and servant leaders, with the foundation to undergo further training to become excellent clinicians and specialists, clinician researchers, clinician scholars, or health administrators.

The curriculum aims to support Singapore’s goal of becoming a regional centre of excellence in healthcare, by meeting the needs of the ageing population, and by fostering translational research as an engine of growth for the economy.

Education Outcomes

Our graduates will:

•           be equipped with sound medical knowledge;

• •           be able to provide quality patient care;
• •           demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• •           uphold high standards of professionalism;
• •          engage in continual practice-based learning and improvement; and
• •           engage in systems-based practice.

• •          Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the basic medical sciences and their relationship to the practice of medicine.
• •          Understand and apply the scientific basis of medicine as well as principles of the social-behavioural sciences to the diagnosis, management and prevention of disease, and to the maintenance of health.

Patient Care

• •           Achieve a sufficient level of medical knowledge and clinical skill to be a highly competent medical practitioner who will be an effective house officer on graduation and have the capacity for further training to be a proficient general practitioner or specialist.
• •          Demonstrate the ability for effective and efficient data collection, synthesis and critical analysis in the prevention, diagnosis and management of disease.
• •          Provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• •          Develop skills in effective communication with patients and their relatives, with colleagues and for scholarly communication.
• •          Develop leadership skills and team skills to be an effective member of the healthcare delivery team.

Professionalism

• •          Display the attributes of compassion, honesty and integrity in relating to patients, families and the medical community.
• •          Adhere to the highest standards of professionalism, ethical behaviour and practice.
• •          Appreciate the limits of his/her clinical ability and seek assistance from more experienced colleagues where appropriate.

Practice-based Learning and Improvement

• •          Demonstrate intellectual curiosity and the habit and skills for life-long learning and professional development.
• •          Develop the skills necessary to investigate and evaluate patient care based on scientific evidence, and proactively contribute to improve patient care.

Systems-based Practice

• •          Develop a sound knowledge of the system of healthcare, and be able to garner resources for optimal treatment and quality delivery of healthcare to patients.

Longitudinal Tracks

There are several broad-based curricular components that are integrated with biomedical sciences and clinical teaching, running through various Phases of the revised undergraduate medical course:

•           Health Ethics, Law and Professionalism

The Health Ethics, Law and Professionalism (HELP) longitudinal track aims to develop ethical sensitivity, theoretical understanding, reflective and critical skills, and professional attitudes in medical undergraduates through all five years of the curriculum. It is student- and patient-centred; case-related, multidisciplinary and inter-professional; fully integrated into all phases of the curriculum; and regularly assessed, both formatively and summatively.

•           Information Literacy

This longitudinal track aims to enable all students to gather and critically evaluate research information, effectively incorporate the selected information into their knowledge base and apply the knowledge in patient care, and also to lay the foundation for future training in carrying out high quality research.

•           Medicine and Society

This longitudinal track aims to expose students to the concepts of preventive healthcare at the population and individual level, with emphasis on the epidemiology of common communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as on vulnerable groups. It also aims for students to gain an understanding of the influence and relevance of behavioural, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors that will assist in their promotion of health and management of illness as future doctors.

•           Patient-based Programme and Clinical Skills Foundation Programme

The Patient-based Programme aims to give medical students an introduction to the Singapore healthcare system, the practice of medicine and the importance of the preclinical sciences. Students will be trained to become practitioners with skills in listening and questioning, and who understand and reflect on patient-centred care. Examples of skills that the students are expected to achieve are the ability to conduct and manage an open interview; introduction to the physical examination; the ability to evaluate and reflect on their interviewing skills; and to understand another person from that person’s point of view. These longitudinal tracks begins in Year One and will run through to Year Two of the curriculum.

Course of Study

Satisfactory completion of all components of the curriculum is required for graduation. The course of study for students admitted from AY2008/09 onwards is as follows:

Examinations

At the end of each year of study, examinations leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.,B.S.) are held as set out below. A candidate must pass each examination before proceeding to the next stage of study leading to the degrees.

The examinations for students admitted from AY2008/09 onwards are as follows:

Policies and Rules on Examinations

(Contact for queries: Gillian Low 6772-3746 email: medlscg@nus.edu.sg )

Policies on Examination

1.        The course of study for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery lasts five years and consists of modules and tracks prescribed by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

2.        The Examination Policies and Rules described below apply to students entering the respective year of study for academic year 2012/2013.

3.    There are five examinations leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, namely:

The First Professional, Second Professional, Third Professional, Fourth Professional and Final Professional Examination.  A candidate must pass all requirements as set out in the Rules on Examination before proceeding to the next stage of study leading to the degree.

4.           A candidate who fails the main examination or any part thereof may be permitted to take a supplementary examination for the part(s) that was failed.

5.           A candidate may be granted up to a maximum of two calendar years of medical leave or leave of absence during the whole course of study. This may be extended only under extenuating circumstances, with the approval of the Dean.

6.           Candidates shall not be permitted to take more than six (6) years, excluding approved leaves of absence, from the time of his/her admission to the course of study, to complete the prescribed examinations for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.

7.            A distinction in any module of the course may be awarded by the Board of Examiners to a candidate who at his/her first sitting at the main examination obtains not less than 85% of the aggregate marks assigned to the module [nus4]   and not less than 50% in any other required moduleof that Phase.

8.            Students may submit an application for Special Consideration, if they have circumstances that may adversely affect their examination performance. The application will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, according to principles set by NUS Special Consideration Guidelines (https://inetapps.nus.edu.sg/registrar/exam/Guidelines-on-Special-Consideration.pdf) .

Rules on Examinations

First Professional Examination

1.     A candidate for the First Professional Examination must have followed and completed, to the satisfaction of the Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, for not less than two semesters, the courses of study prescribed by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine for Phase I of the undergraduate medical programme.

2.     A candidate may be eligible to enter Phase II when he/she has:

• •     Obtained 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to each required module;
• •     Obtained 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to the end of the academic year examination; and
• •     Obtained 50% of the marks assigned to each paper of the end of academic year examination.

3.     Subject to Policies 1 to 8 above, a candidate who fails the First Professional Examination shall be re-examined at a supplementary examination in that Phase as follows:

• •     where the candidate failed to obtain  50% of the aggregate marks assigned to the required module’s end of academic year examination and continual assessments – to retake all the papers of the required module’s end of academic year examination.
• •     where the candidate failed any paper of the required module’s end of academic year examination – to be re-examined in that paper only.

4.     A candidate who fails a supplementary examination must repeat the whole course of study for that Phase.

5.     No candidate shall be permitted to take more than two (2) years from the time of his/her admission to the course of study for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery to complete the First Professional Examination.

Second Professional Examination

1.     A candidate for the Second Professional Examination must have followed and completed, to the satisfaction of the Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, for not less than two semesters, the courses of study prescribed by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine for Phase II of the undergraduate medical programme.

2.     A candidate may be eligible to enter Phase III, when he/she has:

• •     Obtained 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to each required module (theory and clinical);
• •     Obtained 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to each required module’s end of academic year examination (theory and clinical);

and

• Passed a prescribed number of assessment points of the clinical module at the end of academic year examination.

3.     Subject to Policies 1 to 8 above, a candidate who fails the Second Professional Examination shall be re-examined at a supplementary examination in that Phase as follows:

• •     where the candidate failed to obtain 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to the required module’s end of academic year examination and continual assessments – to retake the required module’s end of academic year examination.
• •     where the candidate failed any of the required module’s end of academic year examination – to retake the required module’s end of academic year examination.

4.     A candidate who fails a supplementary examination must repeat the whole course of study for that Phase.

Third Professional Examination

1.         A candidate for the Third Professional Examination must have followed and completed, to the satisfaction of the Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, for not less than two semesters, the courses of study prescribed by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine for Phase III of the undergraduate medical programme.

2.         A candidate who fails any one (1) continual assessment prescribed for Phase III shall be permitted to take the Third Professional Examination but will need to remediate and pass the failed continual assessment before embarking on Phase V postings. A candidate who fails any two (2) continual assessments prescribed for Phase III shall not be eligible to take the Third Professional Examination and shall only be eligible to take the supplementary examination as his/her first and final attempt and will need to remediate and pass the failed continual assessments before embarking on Phase V clinical postings.  A candidate who fails any three (3) continual assessments prescribed for Phase III shall have to repeat the whole course of study for that Phase.

3.     A candidate may be eligible to enter Phase IV, when he/she has:-

• •     Obtained 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to each required module;
• •     Obtained 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to each component (theory and clinical) of the end of academic year examination; and
• •     Passed a prescribed number of assessment points of the clinical component of the end of academic year examination.

4.     Subject to Policies 1 to 8 above, a candidate who fails the Third Professional Examination shall be examined at a supplementary examination in that Phase as follows:

• •     where the candidate failed to obtain 50% of two continual assessments - to take the supplementary examination as his/her first and final attempt.
• •     where the candidate failed to obtain 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to the required module’s end of academic year examination and continual assessments – to retake all the components of the required module’s examination.
• •     where the candidate failed any component of the required module’s end of academic year examination – to be re-examined in that component only.

5.     A candidate who fails a supplementary examination must repeat the whole course of study for that Phase.

Fourth Professional Examination

1.       A candidate for the Fourth Professional Examination must have followed and completed, to the satisfaction of the Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, for not less than two semesters, the courses of study prescribed by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine for Phase IV of the undergraduate medical programme.

     A candidate who fails any one (1) continual assessment prescribed for Phase IV shall be permitted to take the Fourth Professional

2. Examination but will need to remediate and pass the failed continual assessments before embarking on Phase V postings. A candidate who fails any two (2) continual assessments prescribed for Phase IV shall not be eligible to take the Fourth Professional Examination and shall only be eligible to take the supplementary examination as his/her first and final attempt and will need to remediate and pass the failed continual assessments before embarking on Phase V postings.  A candidate who fails any three (3) continual assessments prescribed for Phase IV will have to repeat the whole course of study for that Phase.

3.     A candidate may be eligible to enter Phase V, when he/she has:-

• •     Obtained 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to each required module;
• •     Obtained 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to each component (theory and clinical) of the end of academic year examination; and
• •     Passed a prescribed number of assessment points of the clinical component of the end of academic year examination.

4.     Subject to Policies 1 to 8 above, a candidate who fails the Fourth Professional Examination shall be examined at a supplementary examination in that Phase as follows:

• •     where the candidate failed to obtain 50% of two major continual assessments - to take the supplementary examination as his/her first and final attempt.
• •     where the candidate failed to obtain 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to the required module’s end of academic year examination and continual assessments – to retake all the components of the required module’s end of academic year examination.

where the candidate failed any component of the required module’s end of academic year examination – to be re-examined in that component only.

5.     A candidate who fails a supplementary examination must repeat the whole course of study for that Phase.

Final Professional Examination

1.       A candidate for the Final Professional Examination must have followed and completed, to the satisfaction of the Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, for not less than two semesters, the courses of study prescribed by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine for Phase V of the undergraduate medical programme. There are two modules in Phase V, namely Medicine and Surgery. For the avoidance of doubt and without limitation to the foregoing, a candidate must:

• ·         pass all continual assessments prescribed for the Third and Fourth Year of Study before he/she is eligible to undergo any posting in the Medicine and Surgery modules of Phase V; and
• ·         pass all final year continual assessments in order to be eligible for the Final Professional Examination.

2.       A candidate who fails any one (1) or two (2) continual assessment(s) in any module prescribed for Phase V shall not be eligible to take the Final Professional Examination for that module, and shall only be eligible to take the supplementary examination as his/her first and final attempt. A candidate who fails any three (3) continual assessments in a module prescribed for Phase V shall have to repeat the whole course of study (Phase V) for that module.

3.       A candidate has passed a module when he/she:

·         Obtained 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to each required module;

• ·         Obtained 50% of the required module’s end of academic year examination;
• ·         Obtained 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to the clinical component of the end of academic year examination of the module; and
• ·         Passed a prescribed number of assessment points of the clinical component of the end of academic year examination.

4.       Subject to Policies 1 to 8 above, a candidate who fails any module shall be examined at a supplementary examination in that module as follows:

• ·         Where the candidate failed to obtain 50% in one (1) or two (2) continual assessment(s) in a module - to take the supplementary examination in that module  as his/her first and final attempt.
• ·         Where the candidate failed to obtain 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to the required module’s end of academic year examination and continual assessment – to retake all the components of the required module’s examination.
• ·         Where the candidate failed to obtain 50% of the aggregate marks assigned to the required module’s end of academic year examination – to retake all the components of the required module’s examination.
• ·         Where the candidate failed the clinical component of the end of academic year examination for that module – to retake all the components of the required module’s examination.

5.       A candidate who fails a supplementary examination in any module must repeat the whole course of study for that module.

3.2.2      Bachelor of Science (Nursing) / Bachelor of Science (Nursing) (Honours)

Admissions

Admission of candidates into the B.Sc. (Nursing) programme will be based on the academic merit of and in open competition with all eligible applicants. Candidates must fulfil the minimum university requirements for admission to full-time undergraduate studies.

To be eligible to apply for admission, applicants need to present:

•      The Singapore - Cambridge GCE ‘A’ Level certificate, or

•      A diploma from a polytechnic in Singapore , or

•      Equivalent international qualifications.

Subject Requirement

Applicants should also satisfy the subject prerequisites which require a H2 or HL pass in any two of the following at GCE ‘A’ Level or International Baccalaureate respectively: Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Physics, and Mathematics.

Advanced Placement / Exemption (APC)

Polytechnic graduates of certain diplomas admitted into the B.Sc. (Nursing) programme with effect from AY2010/11 may be granted advanced placement credits as follows:

Interview of Candidates

All short-listed candidates, local and foreign, will be asked to attend an interview in April. The selection of students for the B.Sc. (Nursing) programme will be determined by traits such as communication skills, emotional maturity and ability to be reflective about one’s work as well as academic achievement.

Health Requirements

Please refer to Health Requirements in Section 3.2.1.

Scholarships and Bursaries

Students may apply for scholarships and bursaries offered by the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, the National University of Singapore, National Healthcare Group (NHG), Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) and Ministry of Health (MOH).

Bond

Candidates who are in receipt of scholarships/bursaries are required to serve the bond as stipulated by the funding agencies.

Educational Objectives

On completion of the B.Sc. (Nursing) / B.Sc. (Nursing) (Honours) programme, a graduate will be a:

•      Competent registered nurse who provides safe and informed care with compassion based on current knowledge, theory and research evidence.

• •      Critical thinker able to question, interpret, apply, analyse and evaluate knowledge to make independent decisions.
• •      Coordinator of primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare resources to meet patients’ needs.
• •      Effective communicator who collects, uses, and disseminates information to optimise care outcomes.
• •      Advocate for the promotion and maintenance of good health, and for the rights of patients in the healthcare system.
• •      Exemplary professional nurse role model committed to the learning of self and others.
• •      Leader and researcher in nursing and related healthcare fields.

Curriculum Structure for B.Sc. (Nursing) (Honours) for students admitted from AY2010/11 onwards

Assessment

A basic tenet in the application of assessment principles is the need to ensure that assessment strategies, both formative and summative, must be consistent with and match the desired learning outcomes identified. A fundamental and commonly known fact in education is that assessment drives student learning, and that well-designed assessment instruments will have a positive steering effect on student learning and learning outcomes. In the selection and design of assessment instruments it is critical, therefore, to adopt best practices which will ensure matching with the desired learning outcomes that will drive students learning in a positive way.

Assessment strategies that will be implemented for the B.Sc. (Nursing) programme will:

•      Be holistic and designed to test the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains of learning.

• •      Test the various levels of learning (knows, knows how, performs, does) as described in the Miller’s pyramid (Miller, 1990).
• •      Ensure the validity and reliability of test instruments used for both formative and summative assessments e.g. integrated, scenario-based multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and extended matching items (EMIs) which test higher-order thinking skills will replace recall, rote-memory-based Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs).
• •      Include testing of clinical skills, log book record of clinical practice and case presentations at clinical conferences in its clinical assessment.
• •      Include multiple test instruments based on their utility with respect to the validity, reliability and practicality.
• •      Base pass/fail judgement on, whenever applicable, pre-determined criteria (i.e. criterion-based assessment).

3.3       Special Programmes

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)

The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine is committed to training outstanding doctors to serve the community and patients with care and integrity. We strive to establish the School as a centre of research excellence. To achieve this, a key approach is to develop and nurture our students to meet the research challenges of the 21^st century. A research programme called the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) is available for our medical undergraduates. Undergraduate research in non-clinical and clinical departments, under the supervision of faculty staff, is usually conducted during the vacation period in Phase I to Phase III of the curriculum. The clinical departments also offer opportunities for research in Phase IV and V. Students who participate and contribute in UROP will have due credits endorsed in their final-year academic transcripts. In addition, research projects of excellence may be submitted for consideration for research prizes awarded by the School.

3.4       Financial Assistance and Awards

The School has several bursaries available to full-time undergraduate M.B.,B.S. students who are in need of financial assistance to help them though their course of study. For more information regarding these bursaries, the conditions of award and application, please visit http://medicine.nus.edu.sg/corporate/financial_assistance.html