hey guys, this is my first post here. i'm a singaporean studying in usa. just received an acceptance offer via email today (feb 17)! i interviewed in durham in january. good luck to all of you! this forum has indeed been helpful with the process of application (and waiting :/).
2010-2011 Duke-NUS GMS Application Thread
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Hi all,
I received my offer of admission this week as well! I interviewed on January 5th in San Francisco. They did mention that most ppl will not hear back till March/April at my interview (see my earlier posts), so not sure if they're processing files faster than anticipated or if this is an "early" offer of sorts to some candidates.
Congrats to the rest of you guys who've been accepted thus far as well. Best of luck to those still waiting (and interviewing in March)!
Cheers.
PS. To those who have gotten offers, have you received financial aid/scholarship offers as well?
I received my offer of admission this week as well! I interviewed on January 5th in San Francisco. They did mention that most ppl will not hear back till March/April at my interview (see my earlier posts), so not sure if they're processing files faster than anticipated or if this is an "early" offer of sorts to some candidates.
Congrats to the rest of you guys who've been accepted thus far as well. Best of luck to those still waiting (and interviewing in March)!
Cheers.
PS. To those who have gotten offers, have you received financial aid/scholarship offers as well?
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Just got the offer yesterday, was interviewed on Dec 16th at Singapore. Good luck everyone!
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grats to stoked123 and anxious!
I am also from the Jan interview batch but I haven't heard anything yet. Probably didn't make it,haha.
Thanks Icelego!
Hang in there, I'm sure you'll hear soon enough. It looks like they might be working off a rank-list/wait-list to send out offers as they only give us 2 weeks to firmly accept or decline the offer (which I find rather difficult since I'm still waiting to hear from other schools). So if someone declines, then they quickly send an offer to the next candidate it seems.
It's also likely that most offers are still pending (the March/April timeline as initially stated). So I wouldn't be worried if you haven't heard back yet (don't forget, they're still interviewing ppl in March, so they'll definitely still be making offers well into late March/April).
Best of luck!
Congrats, mccabethiele! I also interviewed on 16 Dec at sg, and haven't heard anything yet.
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I'm still waiting too. I was hoping to hear some positive news before the interviews for other medical schools =)
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How much do you have to pay to firmly accept the offer?
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The acceptance agreements to be signed do not need an upfront deposit or any other financial commitment of sorts. At least not from what I've read in the package I've been sent. Someone else who got an offer can confirm this?
Anxious101, thanks for the info!
I am just going to put it in God's hands now
Going to prepare for another interview now. Hopefully Duke-NUS will be my final destination.
Good luck to everyone else who are also waiting
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That's rather strange. I suppose if you signed the agreement, then you can still decline afterwards without any penalty? For other schools, you would lose your deposit if you reject the offer after accepting it.
Anxious101, thanks for the info!
I am just going to put it in God's hands now
Going to prepare for another interview now. Hopefully Duke-NUS will be my final destination.
Good luck to everyone else who are also waiting
Good luck, Icelego!
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My fellow premeds,
This is my first post on SDN. I've followed the many wonderful ppl and their advice on here during my MCAT preparation and filling out applications.
I just got accepted to Duke-NUS. I am soooo excited and thrilled! My best wishes to those of you still waiting.
I am finishing up my PhD in Canada (Toronto). I interviewed in January in California. I think Duke-NUS is fantastic and they're very generous with their financial aid. I have 100% of my tuition covered at Duke-NUS with 50% scholarship and 50% bursary. I think for someone who wants to be a clinician-scientist, Duke-NUS is a wonderful choice!
I hope all of you posting on this thread will be accepted to the Class of 2015! I will see you then.
This is my first post on SDN. I've followed the many wonderful ppl and their advice on here during my MCAT preparation and filling out applications.
I just got accepted to Duke-NUS. I am soooo excited and thrilled! My best wishes to those of you still waiting.
I am finishing up my PhD in Canada (Toronto). I interviewed in January in California. I think Duke-NUS is fantastic and they're very generous with their financial aid. I have 100% of my tuition covered at Duke-NUS with 50% scholarship and 50% bursary. I think for someone who wants to be a clinician-scientist, Duke-NUS is a wonderful choice!
I hope all of you posting on this thread will be accepted to the Class of 2015! I will see you then.
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Wow, a full ride financial package, Duke-NUS is generous indeed! Congratulations Class of 2015!!
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Hey Fizban, they finalize the class by the end of March.
The applicant day at Durham was a pretty relaxed affair. Interviewees can stay at the Thomas Center in Durham (where the interviews are), and I highly recommend it. Very good free breakfast.Transportation is either by Shuttle or ,- some people took the bus to the airport, which is the cheapest option but has hassles like transfers etc.
My general feeling was that the faculty are trying to judge your motivation, on why you want to be a physician, so the actual content of the questions are not important. The mornings were devoted to lectures and TeamLead while the afternoons were for interviews.The interviewers were mostly Duke faculty.The interviewee pool was remarkably diverse and super smart, though many had Asian roots and ties.
It looks like seats are fast filling up, and we are at the wee end of the class of 2015 wannabes. All results should be out by the end of March.
We met some students who were doing their 3rd year projects in Duke Durham.
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Wow, a full ride financial package, Duke-NUS is generous indeed! Congratulations Class of 2015!!
Thanks!
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From the welcome package I just received, it looks like they might be making offers into May. This was also the timeline I recall reading from past admissions threads for Duke-NUS on SDN.
Classes start July 27th this year and registration material have to be completed by June. Some North American applicants likely will await to hear from North American schools before accepting Duke-NUS, which might open up spots into May. In the end, I think their selection process is very dynamic and not bound to any specific dates, so anything is fair game until final registrations in June.
Stay positive guys! Best wishes.
Hi everyone. This is my first post here, been reading the thread for awhile. Hopefully it comes out well as the website seems to have alot of broken links. I was interviewed in Sept last year and received my offer last month, so about 5 super long months of wait.
I just want to clarify with class of 2015, where did you get the information about registration materials to be completed by June? The timeline that I'm given shows the given registration dates to be 22 and 25 July. Or are you referring to the online pre-reg system?
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Hi Dctrue.. good to see you too...patience hmm..
Well, Class of 2015, this is what Dr Kamei told us. All acceptances and rejections will be sent out by the end of this month. Then, they will have a waiting list. That list will remain active until school starts in July or whenever. So as you say, when some "already accepted" students get in other schools and drop out, perhaps in May, the kids from the waiting list get in
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Hi,
Congrats on the offer gaudere!
I was referring to the following date listed on my welcome package: "before 23rd June 2011 - Submit electronic application form through SOLAR." Thus, all non-Singaporeans admitted have to do this by June. I was also told that sometime in June, all students will have to have their bond commitment forms signed and notarized. You are correct in that the actual registration dates are listed for the end of July, but all acceptances should be completed by May/June.
Perhaps most offers of acceptance will be completed by March, but the waitlist will move into April/May as kimphilby stated. If you read older threads on SDN, you'll see Duke-NUS offers into May.
Cheers Guys!
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I've been trying to look up life in Singapore and working conditions for physicians (relative to the US). I would appreciate any input from you guys.
It seems that housing and cars are insanely unaffordable in SG. The salaries for physicians are also much lower. Resident salaries start at S$2690 per month for PGY1 under the new ACGME-I residency programs, whereas the US counterparts are paid much higher. Coupled with the higher cost of living in SG due to higher housing or rental costs, I wonder how tight the budgetary constraints will be for 4 years school + 1 year PGY1 + 5 years bond commitment, the latter of which will be on a resident salary with loans to pay back.
From the many forums I have been reading up on lately, it seems life as a early physician in SG is also much more hectic relative to the US. This may be changing with the implementation of the new ACGME-I residency standards and protocols, but I think the workload expectations will still be heavier than those in the US.
Any comments from current Singaporean students? I have not yet accepted my offer of admission as I try to figure out the pros and cons of SG. I am sure other non-SG resident applicants out there must be thinking about these issues as well. What are your thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
It seems that housing and cars are insanely unaffordable in SG. The salaries for physicians are also much lower. Resident salaries start at S$2690 per month for PGY1 under the new ACGME-I residency programs, whereas the US counterparts are paid much higher. Coupled with the higher cost of living in SG due to higher housing or rental costs, I wonder how tight the budgetary constraints will be for 4 years school + 1 year PGY1 + 5 years bond commitment, the latter of which will be on a resident salary with loans to pay back.
From the many forums I have been reading up on lately, it seems life as a early physician in SG is also much more hectic relative to the US. This may be changing with the implementation of the new ACGME-I residency standards and protocols, but I think the workload expectations will still be heavier than those in the US.
Any comments from current Singaporean students? I have not yet accepted my offer of admission as I try to figure out the pros and cons of SG. I am sure other non-SG resident applicants out there must be thinking about these issues as well. What are your thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
I do believe you are right in many points that you've raised.
A physician's life is indeed more enviable in US than in SG.
However, for many applicants, such considerations are secondary to a precious opportunity to live their dreams to be a physician.
And it is my hope that those who get in really treasure the opportunty afforded them, and be the best caring, loving and competent physician they can be.
Don't waste your, and the chances of others who did not get to fulfil their dreams.
A physician's life is indeed more enviable in US than in SG.
However, for many applicants, such considerations are secondary to a precious opportunity to live their dreams to be a physician.
And it is my hope that those who get in really treasure the opportunty afforded them, and be the best caring, loving and competent physician they can be.
Don't waste your, and the chances of others who did not get to fulfil their dreams.
Hi anxious101,
I'm a Singaporean, so I guess I'll try to answer your questions. (I wont be trying to chase you off too, since I've a place in Duke-NUS, so what I'll say is my honest opinion.)
Yes, Sg housing and cars are expensive, this is due to the limited landspace and the rapid increase in population (and also market inflation and stuff). A typical Singaporean would use a large majority of their income to pay off housing and car loans.
That said, everything else is relatively much cheaper. Food is good and cheap (unless you are constantly eating high-end restaurants), public transport is also good and cheap too, especially since you would have the student pass. (although I still hate travelling during peak hours)
Cars are also considered more of a luxury than a necessity in Singapore, especially so for students. Not everyone owns one.
There are however, many other pros for staying in Sg. It is a very safe country, clean and neat. Majority of us speaks English, so its not difficult to assimilate. Although we are known to be a 'strict' country since we implement fines for many things, it is perhaps, over-rated. If you are a normal law-abiding person who doesn't go out to break rules, you'll be alright here.
Working as an early doctor is tough, but this is perhaps the same with other Sg new grads in their first jobs. In Singapore, competition is stiff (as I said, growing population), but if you are willing to work hard, I'm sure you'll pull through. No one said becoming a doctor was easy. One of the reasons doctors are well respected here is that the studying and training is tough.
I guess being a doctor would allow you to get a decent house and car in Singapore, but if a high income is your goal, my advice is for you to go into the finance sector? Maybe you could earn more money there.
Oh, and thanks Class of 2015, hope to see you here soon.Hi,
Congrats on the offer gaudere!
I was referring to the following date listed on my welcome package: "before 23rd June 2011 - Submit electronic application form through SOLAR." Thus, all non-Singaporeans admitted have to do this by June. I was also told that sometime in June, all students will have to have their bond commitment forms signed and notarized. You are correct in that the actual registration dates are listed for the end of July, but all acceptances should be completed by May/June.
Perhaps most offers of acceptance will be completed by March, but the waitlist will move into April/May as kimphilby stated. If you read older threads on SDN, you'll see Duke-NUS offers into May.
Cheers Guys!
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Thanks for your response gaudere! I appreciate it. I certainly didn't mean to sound like I was into medicine to make money. My financial concern was simply whether the long 10 year commitment to Sg will actually put a huge debt burden on foreign students due to the high cost of rent and lower wages during the residency years. It looks to me like a decent place to rent will run $2000 per month (based on searching on the internet). Sharing a rental with someone will cut that down to $1K per month, which is still very expensive given you have no income for 4 years and only little income for the next 6 years.
I agree there is no need for a car in a city like Sg (though coming from an American culture, not having a car is a big lifestyle change).
Do you know what one should make monthly to not have to worry about financial debt in Sg? In other words, what are the average monthly costs (rent, food, utilities, commuting, taxes, etc) a single person should incur? Part of my concern is that I already have student debt from my undergrad education in the US and will be taking out loans for the MD as well. So I want to make sure the costs of living in Sg don't keep adding to the debt burden.
Thanks a lot for your thoughts!
Have you applied for the financial aid? Maybe you could speak/email with the Duke-NUS staff and see if they are able to help you in this aspect. Singapore has always been very generous with students in dire financial needs.
This website taken from NUS may help you in terms of financial planning. http://www.nus.edu.sg/iro/intl/students/res/money.html
In terms of transport, I suggest trying to find a place near Duke-NUS campus so you could actually walk to school. There is really no point driving to school as the campus parking is really (I mean, really) limited and you'll have to pay for the surrounding public carparks on per half an hour basis. Owning a car would be a huge financial burden as there are all the taxes, parking, ERP (heard of it?) charges.
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Thanks so much for the advice and the link. Very resourceful! I also found this other site which is helpful and I'm posting it here as it might be resourceful to other foreign students reading this thread: http://www.xpatxperience.com/makinghome/singapore_cost_of_living.shtml
I have received a merit scholarship to Duke-NUS, but it does not cover all of the tuition. I plan on taking out a loan (either from the US or in Sg) to cover the rest + living expenses.
Thanks again for your input and hope to see you in the summer.
Technically, I wouldn't know very well what you mean by 'see you in the summer', since Singapore is summer all year round! haha.
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Hey,
I can tell you that at least 39 ppl have accepted their offers already. I know this because all accepted students were asked to join an online group for incoming students. Assuming everyone accepted thus far has joined the group, this means they still have about 14-16 offers to send out (target class size is mid-50 range).
Hope that information helps.
Yes it does, thanks a lot anxious101 (guess it's time to change your username now, lol)! And would it be possible to think of an estimate as to how many applicants they're still considering at this point? Do you think they're largely looking at the recent applicant days or still considering those from the older dates, e.g. 2010 interviews. I know all of this is just speculation and no one really knows but any kind of info/wild guess that can help pass time while waiting could reduce anxiety. Haha!
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heyy.. been reading thru d posts.
i'm planning to spend d next couple of months preparing for the MCAT in july. anyone esle taking it or planning to apply to 2012 intake?
i'm planning to spend d next couple of months preparing for the MCAT in july. anyone esle taking it or planning to apply to 2012 intake?
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cool. have u booked ur seat? which date r u going for?
im planning to quit and spend d next months preparing for it and give it a shot at applying to d school.. anyone has any good advice or opinions?
just afraid i overestimate myself and hold too lofty hopes on the entire matter..
cool. have u booked ur seat? which date r u going for?
im planning to quit and spend d next months preparing for it and give it a shot at applying to d school.. anyone has any good advice or opinions?
just afraid i overestimate myself and hold too lofty hopes on the entire matter..
All the best! I took the test and had a hard time with the comprehension section. aim to get above 30
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