Duke-NUS Medical School Marks Over 15 Years of Medical Education in Singapore
Established in 2005 through a partnership between Duke University and the National University of Singapore, Duke-NUS Medical School aims to train research-intensive physicians. The school's origins trace back to a 2001 recommendation to bolster Singapore's biomedical sector.
Duke-NUS Medical School, established in 2005, has been a key component of Singapore's strategy to become a leading biomedical hub in Asia. The institution focuses on providing graduate-entry medical education with a strong emphasis on research.
The school's inception followed a 2001 recommendation by a government-commissioned panel to create a graduate medical school on the Singapore General Hospital campus. The aim was to cultivate clinicians skilled in research to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare and biomedical industries.
Duke University was selected as the partner institution, signing a memorandum of understanding with the National University of Singapore in 2003, which was formalized two years later. The school officially opened its doors as Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and welcomed its first cohort of 26 students in August 2007.
Significant investment from the Singapore government supported the school's establishment, with a substantial gift of S$80 million from the Estate of Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat announced in 2007 for research. The collaboration between Duke and NUS has been extended multiple times through subsequent five-year agreements, with the latest renewal signed in 2020.
Duke-NUS has since evolved, transforming the Outram campus into an Academic Medical Centre in partnership with SingHealth. The school continues its mission to advance medical research and education, aiming to drive innovation in patient care relevant to Singapore and the broader Asian region.