MEDICAL DEGREE PROGRAMME AT NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam asked the Minister for Education (a) what are the criteria used by the National University of Singapore to admit top student applicants into the medical faculty; (b) what is the composition (by profession and gender) of members of the interviewing board; (c) what criteria are used to match top students with the various disciplines under the initiative to spread Singapore's top talents among various disciplines; and (d) what is the extent an individual student's preference for a discipline is taken into account in this matching process.

RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Students who wish to apply for the medical degree programme at NUS must meet its basic admission criteria for university studies. From AY2003 onwards, the university admission criteria for students will comprise both their SAT I scores and their GCE `A' level results. In addition, these students have to attend an interview to assess their aptitude and suitability to be a doctor.

The interview team comprises a representative each from the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry and the Ministry of Health. The members of the interview teams are either medical doctors or dentists by profession. These members are appointed on the basis of their professional experience and expertise, and not by gender.

As for the spreading of top talents among various disciplines, there is a cap on the number of top students admitted into Medicine. The basis for this policy is that Singapore also needs good minds to be trained in other disciplines. Top students who could not get a place in Medicine will be given a place in another faculty in their list of preference stated in their application. They will be admitted based on merit if they meet all the additional requirements of the faculty, if any, over and above the basic university admission criteria. Chart - Proportion opted out within each monthly income group (as at 30 Sep 02) (Cols. 1661-1662) Chart - Proportion opted out within each age band (Cols. 1663-1664)