Duke-NUS GMS Acceptance c/o 2017, Chilling & Questions Thread

[ih371990]

Hey, Congrats to everyone who has received an acceptance!
And to those who are matriculating in July/August, looking forward to meeting you all in person!

As the title suggests, the purpose of this thread is for those who are accepted c/o 2017 to come together and share the rest of the med school application journey prior to the beginning of school in July/August. (Also to give me something to read as I wait for gels at work )

Feel free to post anything that's helpful, from questions (cuz I sure have a ton of them) to facts/useful info.

Also, maybe introduce yourself a little. Please keep in mind that this is a public forum, and if you don't want the public to know, we probably don't want to know either!

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[ih371990]

So, I'll begin.

Name's Ian, US citizen, applied MD/PhD, current status: longing to take a month break but excited for the start of school. Thinking about visiting HK for the month.

Kinda lost regarding housing. Duke-NUS mentioned that there were dorms, but checking on google and google maps, it seems pretty far. Doesn't look like there are a lot of options around Duke-NUS GMS building. Maybe locals can provide some insight.

NUS dorm: http://nus.edu.sg/osa/has

Map of Duke-NUS and surrounding facilities: http://map.nus.edu.sg/#page=map&long=103.8341288000000000&lat=1.2810674020000000

 

[ih371990]

Mobile Carriers & Internet Providers
----------------------------------------------------------
Been looking into mobile carriers and internet providers in Singapore. Three of the biggest names seem to be Singtel, M1, and Starhub.

M1: http://www.m1.com.sg/M1/site/M1Corp/
Singtel: http://info.singtel.com/personal/
Starhub: http://www.starhub.com/default.html

Initial impressions have me leaning towards Singtel or Starhub. M1 seems to have a pretty unfriendly/confusing website (or maybe it's just me). Looking through expat forums, people have pros/cons on all three, and difficult it's to tell whether there's a majority decision on what's the best provider.

Assuming quality of each provider is not drastically different, I think I might end up just picking up the deals that best suit my needs (decent internet speed and data plan). Singtel is really promoting how during peak hours their speeds don't drop as much as other providers. If there's any credibility to that claim, I'll likely pick Singtel for internet. Probably pick Starhub for data plan since it's the only carrier that does not require a voice plan.

Banking
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Major Local Banks: DBS (Development Bank of Singapore), OCBC (Oversea Chinese Banking Corporation), and UOB (United Overseas Bank).
Major Foreign Banks: HSBC, Standard Chartered, ABN-AMRO Singapore, Maybank, BNP Paribas, and Citibank.

First Impression (from surfing through forums/bank websites): All of these banks seem to be pretty good options. No clear winner. Some people mentioned that most people use DBS so transfers, bill-paying, etc seem to be relatively painless. Downside appears to be that ATM queues can be ridiculously long. Foreign banks have a drastic disadvantage regarding the number of island-wide ATMs and branches. Local banks are pretty much tied in that aspect.

I guess it really depends on what your personal needs are.The main things I'm looking for are ibanking, monthly bill payment, easy ATM access, and no fees or very little fees for transfers (really not asking for much). Most banks have these services. I guess I might end up blindly picking one of the three local banks or go with multiple banks. :/
---------------------------------
Please correct if anything is wrong.

 

[hhhhhkai]

ian - get starhub - bills by seconds. personally am on starhub. singtel is sneaky.

dbs is the biggest local bank, atms everywhere and i think the ibanking is easy to use.

cheers

 

[ih371990]

ian - get starhub - bills by seconds. personally am on starhub. singtel is sneaky.

dbs is the biggest local bank, atms everywhere and i think the ibanking is easy to use.

cheers

Hey! Thanks

Is that starhub for your cell phone plan? Any recommendations for an internet provider?

 

[ih371990]

Some more info
------------------------------------
Duke Medical School Book list: http://www.dukestores.duke.edu/medicalcenterstore/books/pdf/medcoursebooks_spring_medical.pdf

Figured since Duke-NUS curriculum is based on Duke Medical School, the book list might be similar. I have a strange feeling it's gonna be like college, and I'll probably end up not reading much of these books. Probably hold off on buying these books, given that there are bookstores in Singapore that sell these books, just in case I'll need them.

Bookstores: http://www.geraldtan.com/school/bookstores.html

Employment & Salary Outlook
----------------------------------------------------
http://www2-1.kellyglobal.net/res/content/sg/smartmanager/en/docs/salary_guide_2012_13.pdf

Page 18 for healthcare related. Terminology is a little foreign to me (since I'm more familiar with the US system). I'm guessing registrar are similar to GPs in this context(?). Consultant = US equivalent of attending. Specialist = MD in specialty training(?).

Residency
----------------------------------
http://www.healthprofessionals.gov.sg/content/hprof/sab/en/topnav/specialist_training.html
http://www.healthprofessionals.gov.sg/content/hprof/sab/en/topnav/specialist_training/residency.html

Residency Guidebook: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=residency+guidebook+singapore&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Website and guidebook pretty much explains everything.

Housing Market
------------------------------
Frankly, too lazy to do any intensive research in this area. But I've been thinking about renting vs. dorms vs. investing. Just know that there's a pretty high stamp duty on foreigners :/ but might be cheaper than a long term rent or if housing market prices continue to increase. Would be great if anyone with info/experience can provide some thoughts.

Bus Routes
----------------------
http://www.nus.edu.sg/oed/forms/PDFS/csd/transport/Duke-NUS GMS.pdf

Academic Calendars
--------------------------------
Duke Med: http://medschool.duke.edu/education/office-registrar/academic-calendars

Maybe Duke-NUS will have a similar one? At least in terms of breaks (cuz that's what's important).

 

[chennyhui]

Hey! I'm Singaporean, applied MD/PhD, still deciding about the PhD part (7 years...)

About housing: the main NUS campus (where the dorms are) is a couple train stops from the Duke-NUS building, but I don't think it's a super long commute (half hour at most?). You wouldn't be able to roll out of bed and walk to class though. One thing good about dorm housing is that internet is provided.

About banking: I agree with ^^, go with DBS, probably has the most ATM locations in Singapore. You wouldn't have trouble with any of the other local banks though

About cell phone service: I use Singtel but I haven't been home in a few years and I hear that 3G service is slow these days. Not so many complaints with Starhub...

 

[ih371990]

Hey! I'm Singaporean, applied MD/PhD, still deciding about the PhD part (7 years...)

About housing: the main NUS campus (where the dorms are) is a couple train stops from the Duke-NUS building, but I don't think it's a super long commute (half hour at most?). You wouldn't be able to roll out of bed and walk to class though. One thing good about dorm housing is that internet is provided.

About banking: I agree with ^^, go with DBS, probably has the most ATM locations in Singapore. You wouldn't have trouble with any of the other local banks though

About cell phone service: I use Singtel but I haven't been home in a few years and I hear that 3G service is slow these days. Not so many complaints with Starhub...

Ya, the MD/PhD is a big decision. That 3 extra years for a PhD is not super long, but definitely delays one's earning potential and career (if you are planning to specialize). And that makes 3 yrs kinda long lol. That's like 7 yrs + 6-8 yrs of training. I'll be like 36-38 when I'm all done o.o but I believe the advantages outweighs the disadvantages in the long run. Good luck with your decision! Either way it will be an awesome path for you!

Plus, it's pretty awesome that Duke-NUS will pay for the tuition in the those years, and on top of that provide monthly stipend of at least 3,100 SGD. Grab a few scholarships in the three years of med school and tuition costs are reduced by quite a lot
EDIT: "Students admitted to the program will be provided with a stipend and scholarship to cover the full cost of tuition and fees for the PhD component as well as a scholarship to cover the remaining tuition required to complete their MD training."
So, you're looking at $50,000/yr tuition for 3 MD years (excluding the scholarship for the last year of MD training, which I'm assuming won't cover the full cost of the tuition for the last year), with free tuition + stipend (total amount of $144,000 @ $3,000/month for 48 months) for PhD years. Brings net balance to $6,000 coming out of your pocket. A scholarship can bring that balance to your favor. But there's the delayed earning potential. Of course, just a rough calculation. You might accrue some interest from loans but it's not a bad deal at all with the amount of education/training you'll be getting. Big PLUS for those who want to pursue medicine+research.

Thanks for you input regarding housing, banking, and mobile services!

Ideally, I really wanna be able to bike to school (even if it goes to as long as 15-20 min of biking). I just really hate commuting/public transportation (I mean it's awesome and convenient, but just don't like it). I think I've too many negative experiences in Boston with public transportation (standing in the snow for 20+min, things breaking down, trains not stopping, missing the train, etc). On top of that, I can bike to school in 5 min while public transport takes 15+min.

 

[ih371990]

Residency Part II
---------------------------------
Sponsoring Institutions: NHG, NUHS, and SingHealth.
http://www.physician.mohh.com.sg/singapore_healthcare_institutes.html

NHG: TTSH, IMH, NHGP, NSC
http://www.nhgresidencyprogram.com.sg/Default.aspx

NUHS: NUH
http://www.nuhs.edu.sg/nuhsresidency/programs.html

SingHealth: SGH, NCCS, NDC, NNI, NHC, SNEC, KKH, SHPC
http://www.singhealthresidency.com.sg/Pages/ResidencyPrograms.aspx

Selecting Residency: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/abo...sidency/selecting-your-residency-program.page

Sample 2012 positions: http://physician.mohh.com.sg/residency/downloads/Letter-on-Phase-3.pdf

Couldn't find match statistics, was kinda expecting it since it's all so new still.

Tax (Foreigners/US-specific):
---------------------------------------------
http://greenbacktaxservices.com/blog/expat-tax-guide-singapore/

Pretty nicely explained there. Not much i could add.

More Info
---------------
http://www.guidemesingapore.com/relocation/introduction/singapore-cost-of-living

 

[hhhhhkai]

registar = someone in a residency program, i.e. training to be a consultant
specialist and consultant probably could be use interchangeably?

internet - loads of new guys sprouting up, check out starhub or myrepublic for fibre optic internet

accomodation - singapore doesnt have cheap areas, go look at maps.google.com.sg, find the green line (east west line for our metro which is known as the MRT), and you'll see that duke nus is on "Outram" stop. Which is a interchange for green line or purple line (North East Line). So staying along the MRT lines will be awesome (MRTs dont generally break down. Generally.) Otherwise look at Bukit Merah, Chinatown or specifically Duxton Heights (tallest flats in Singapore) for rentals. Will be pricier though?

regarding md/phd.. read an article somewhere that states that there are too many md/phds in the market and too little jobs. yes no doubt it unlocks you to that mega special tier of jobs, but the fear is that there are too many md/phds out there with too little jobs. read up some?

 

[ih371990]

registar = someone in a residency program, i.e. training to be a consultant
specialist and consultant probably could be use interchangeably?

internet - loads of new guys sprouting up, check out starhub or myrepublic for fibre optic internet

accomodation - singapore doesnt have cheap areas, go look at maps.google.com.sg, find the green line (east west line for our metro which is known as the MRT), and you'll see that duke nus is on "Outram" stop. Which is a interchange for green line or purple line (North East Line). So staying along the MRT lines will be awesome (MRTs dont generally break down. Generally.) Otherwise look at Bukit Merah, Chinatown or specifically Duxton Heights (tallest flats in Singapore) for rentals. Will be pricier though?

regarding md/phd.. read an article somewhere that states that there are too many md/phds in the market and too little jobs. yes no doubt it unlocks you to that mega special tier of jobs, but the fear is that there are too many md/phds out there with too little jobs. read up some?

Hey! Thanks for your input!

Ya, looking into housing has become some sort of a wild goose chase. lol. Not much info online, and from what I can gather a lot of it is outdated info. Will probably end up going to Singapore and get an agent to check things out.

The niche that MD/PhDs belong to is kind of an elusive one in my opinion. MDs can easily pursue clinically focused research whereas PhDs can focus on that basic science. MD/PhDs can really do either or focus on the in-between. MD/PhD can unlock a variety of job options, but better or worse than MD? Probably really up to personal preference, interests, and lifestyle considerations. I hear it can be difficult to find a place that is specific to your career interests (ie to dictate how much clinical practice vs. research and what type of research). But who always gets what he/she wants?

Kinda curious what you mean by that mega special tier of jobs you mentioned. Sounds interesting

 

[ih371990]

Housing Info/Investment Info (Foreigners)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Foreigners can buy re-sale HBD, non-landed property, landed property in Sentosa Cove, and landed property w/ approval from gov't.

There's Buyers Stamp Duty at 1% on first $180,000 , 2% on next $180,000, and 3% on remainder (on higher of total purchase price or market valuation). There's an addition buyers stamp duty at 15% for foreigners. Citizens/PR of a few nations with free trade agreements are exempted from the addition buyers stamp duty. US is among these listed nations.

https://www.iras.gov.sg/irasHome/up...of_Residential_Properties_Revised_Edition.pdf

Annual Property Tax = annual value X tax rate
*Annual Value = market-valued monthly rent X 12 months (ie if your rent is valued @ 1,000/month then annual value is 12,000)
Gov't IRAS reviews these annually, but there may or may not be a revision every year.
http://iras.gov.sg/irasHome/page04.aspx?id=2110

Tax Rate = progressive tax under categories of residential property or owner-occupied property.
http://iras.gov.sg/irasHome/page04_ektid2094.aspx
*Sample calculations can be found in the website. Partial-let homes are categorized as owner-occupied property.

 

[ih371990]

Step 1
----------------
There's a plethora of info about the Step 1, so just gonna keep it short and simple. Probably just gonna be a summary of books, review books, and qbanks that ppl on the internet recommended/mentioned most often.

Books: First Aid, BRS/RR Pathology, BRS Physiology, Robbins Path, HY Neuro, Robbins Path Review, Microbio Made Ridiculously Simple.

Sites for those who are curious:
http://www.medicalschoolsuccess.com...ou-will-ever-need-for-medical-school-success/
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medicine_Textbook_Recommendations
http://********************/category/boards/
http://www.ryanjc.net/gunning-med-school-books-for-first-year/1067/
http://rumorsweretrue.wordpress.com/2007/01/04/how-to-prepare-for-the-usmle-review-books/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/R16GT5K6ALURA#list

Qbanks: USMLE World, USMLE Rx, Kaplan

 

[mioa]

First and foremost, thank you Ian for creating this forum and generously sharing all stuff about med school. To continue on the introduction part, here's a bit about myself...

I am Stella, a recent graduate from UBC in vancouver, canada majoring in microbiology and immunology. Am an indonesian and singaporean PR because i spent secondary schools and junior college in singapore. I am currently working as a research assistant in a stem cell lab in indonesia and have been doing some clinical application of stem cells for therapy of patients suffering from myocardial infarction and bone fractures.

Now into my hobbies, i like shopping lol ( duh which girls dont ), spending quality time with my family and friends, and traveling. I also enjoy meeting new people and learning new things.

I have been wondering about more or less the same things that Ian posted although probably to a much less intensity.

So yeah thats all from me and i hope others who have been accepted could start introducing themselves too

 

[ih371990]

On a lighter note! Came across this:
http://travel.cnn.com/singapore/none/40-singapore-foods-we-cant-live-without-810208

Looks delicious!