NTU will set up a new medical school, jointly managed by London's Imperial College, which is ranked among the top three medical schools in Britain and among the world's top five in a disused conservation building adjacent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Singapore’s new medical school, which will admit its first 50 students in 2013, will produce a different breed of doctors from the two other schools here.

NTU President Su Guaning said its graduates will be trained to tap cutting-edge technology such as robotics to treat patients. The school will not only train the best clinicians, but will also be at the forefront of innovating medical devices and improving health care, he added. NTU Provost Bertil Andersson said the school plans to also recruit 'top-notch' teachers from here and around the world, and that the curriculum will include classes on business, so students will know the nuts and bolts of managing health-care costs.

Straight A's alone will not be enough to get into Singapore's third medical school to be set up by the NTU and Imperial College London. It will also require its students to be team players, relate well to people and have solid communication skills. Imperial College officials want to produce doctors who will not only have sound medical knowledge, but also the 'humanity' to give patient-centred care. Students will be exposed to patients from their first year and deal with them in various health - care settings, including hospitals, polyclinics and nursing homes. Student doctors will also be trained to lead teams and be comfortable with technology.

Tan Tock Seng Hospital