Admissions requirements for new joint Imperial-Nanyang degree programme announced

Imperial College London and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have announced the admissions requirements for the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine. The new school in Singapore will enrol its first 50 students in August 2013.

Students vying for a place at Singapore's newest medical school, a partnership between two world-class universities, will need to demonstrate they have the skills to be an outstanding doctor, as well as hold first class qualifications.

"Every year there is no shortage of students with straight A's enrolling in medical schools, but at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine we are looking beyond that. We are also looking for students who are caring and compassionate, and are committed to pursue medicine as a long-term career in the context of Singapore's ageing population," said Professor Stephen Smith, the founding dean of the school.

The School will identify the students best suited for the new medical course through robust admission requirements which include the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) as well as a series of Multiple Mini Interviews. Prospective students will also need the highest grades in their pre-university qualifications, which may include 'A' Levels, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, the NUS High School Diploma, the Polytechnic Diploma or other equivalent international qualifications.

The BMAT is an aptitude test taken by students all over the world who apply to top medical universities in the UK including Imperial, Cambridge University, Oxford University and University College London. The two-hour pen and paper test assesses skills in problem solving, communications and applying scientific knowledge and is proven to be a good predictor of a student's performance in medical school.

Students wishing to apply for a place at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in 2013 will need to sit the BMAT on Wednesday 7 November 2012.

Prospective students must achieve exceptional results in their pre-university examinations as well as in the BMAT to reach the next stage of the admissions process. Shortlisted students will take part in a series of eight mini interviews in a single day. Conducted by professionals from various healthcare disciplines, these interviews are designed to assess whether students have the skills required to successfully complete the joint Imperial-NTU MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) programme. 

"The BMAT and Multiple Mini Interviews are meant to identify the most capable students who have the best chance of becoming the patient-centred doctors that you and I would want to have caring for us," said Senior Vice Dean, Professor Martyn Partridge.

"Medicine is a demanding programme with copious amounts of information to digest. Students with excellent academic, BMAT and Multiple Mini Interview results will be best equipped for the rigorous demands of the course. Ultimately we are doing all we can to select the best students to enter the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine so that Singaporeans will have the best doctors caring for them in the future."

The School aims to attract talented students who hold a commitment to serve the community. They will graduate with a joint Imperial and NTU MBBS degree, equipped to be the custodians of the health and well-being of Singaporeans in the 21st century.

The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, established in October 2010, will help to meet the demand for doctors in Singapore. Apart from a rapidly ageing population, Singapore, like other developed nations, is seeing a rise in chronic diseases, changing disease profiles and the emergence of new medical complexities. The new medical school, run jointly by Imperial and NTU, is set to augment Singapore's healthcare manpower needs, while providing more opportunities for Singaporeans to pursue a high-quality medical degree locally.