Duke-NUS Medical School
Graduation
Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2022!

Congratulations to the Graduating Classes of 2022!

Duke-NUS Medical School is delighted to celebrate our School’s Graduation and Hooding Ceremony on 28 May 2022. Graduating this year are our 12^th cohort of MD and 8^th cohort of MD-PhD and PhD students.

The Event:

Saturday, 28 May 2022

4.30pm – 6pm

Class of 2022

MD

Jeselin Putri ANDONO

Arthur Edmond Cheng Nan BOO

CHAN Hui Bin, Yvonne

CHEUNG Chun Chau Lawrence

CHIAM Paula

CHU Jun Ming, Axel

Timothy Twonlee CHUANG

ENG Zhiqing

HAN Tianzhuo

HU, Zhongxun

LEE Wen Li

LEE Yun See

LEOW Su Li

LI, Zhenyue

Johannes Nathaniel LIEW Min Hui

Gerard Nicholas LIM Yue

LIM Chu Hsien

LIM Mei Qiu

Victoria Jane En LONG

LY Seav Huong

MA Jingyi

Tomasz Jakub MERTA

NEO Yu Pei

NEO Zheng Wei, Kenneth

Favian NG Ding Jie

NG Yuen Fann

Zi Hang PAN

PEH Kai Qi, Elizabeth

Dylon PENG

Daren POH Kiat How

POH Li Wen

Vanitha D/O PORHCISALIYAN

Nurul Ain Binte REJAP

SEE Jia Wen, Faith

SIA Ming Wei

SOH Wee Siang Bryan

TAN Hong Kuang

TAN Kuo Ren

TAN Yen Kheng

Charmaine TAY Jieying

Timothy TAY Kai Cheng

TEO Jing Min

TOH Ting, Samantha

Priscilla WEE Jia Ling

Louis WONG Choon Kit

WU Zhiyi

XIA Junyan

XIAO Xiao

YEO Ching Yee, Ivory

ZHANG Junyi

MD-PhD

Matae AHN

JIANG Yuheng

Kathleen WUNG Bi-Lin

PhD

Jozef BALLA

Jon BARRENETXEA Carrasco

Amanda BIFANI

Priyanka GUPTA

LEE Lin Ming

Younghwan LEE

LI Yao-Tsun

XIE Feng

YAN Xiaoxi

YAU Clement Ho Tin

YEO Sing Chen

YU, Mengge

ZHOU Qunfei

Hear from our Graduands

"The varying backgrounds, educational or life otherwise, of the students can bring in unexpected learning opportunities. The differing perspectives often create unique angles of approach to solve an issue both in the pre-clinical year and in the clinical attachment. "

Xiao Xiao

MD Graduate, Class of 2022

"I am grateful for the opportunities to receive training in both medicine and research in Duke-NUS. It is a great privilege to help the sick, more directly as a doctor or more indirectly as a researcher. Stay curious and humble!"

Matae Ahn

MD-PhD Graduate, Class of 2022

"Work life balance is important. Don’t neglect your family, your friends, your life outside of work – for they will sustain you in this journey."

Axel Chu

MD Graduate, Class of 2022

"The road ahead might seem daunting and uncertain - but remember why you chose this path and how so very far you’ve come since. So do not be afraid. The night is always darkest before dawn."

Priscilla Wee

MD Graduate, Class of 2022

"Duke NUS has a very close-knitted study body that spans beyond our own classes. Every step of the way, I felt that we had somebody to turn to if we needed help. From helping each other go through Year One basics to senior-junior sessions during our clinicals and student led mock exams to help us prepare for our exams (that even graduated seniors come back to help us!). This is something that I hope will continue from generation to generation of medical students."

Bryan Soh

MD Graduate, Class of 2022

"The support from faculty and staff was invaluable, especially when pandemic hit in the middle of my candidature. The unique combination of different fields in the student cohort has afforded the opportunity to acquire knowledge outside my discipline. My training in data mining and cognitive neuroscience during my PhD provided me with the skills and experience needed to take on the new challenging role as a data scientist at a healthtech company. As part of my work, I will lead digital product development for devices and products that will have a positive impact on patients’ health and quality of life."

Yeo Sing Chen

PhD Graduate, Class of 2022

Event Highlights

From the youngest to the oldest, the families and friends of Duke-NUS’ Class of 2022 turned out to mark the graduation of the School’s latest cohort in person for the first time in two years. This year’s class was also special because it included the largest cohort of PhD graduates since the inception of the School.

Guest-of-Honour Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education, Chief Health Scientist Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, and senior leadership from Duke University, NUS, Duke-NUS and SingHealth

Held at the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium on Saturday 28 May 2022, the graduands were joined by Guest-of-Honour Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education keynote speaker Chief Health Scientist Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, who is also the executive director of the Ministry of Health’s Office of Healthcare Transformation, senior leadership from Duke University, the National University of Singapore as well as Duke-NUS and SingHealth.

After the student marshal led the students, faculty and distinguished guests into the auditorium and the audience observed the National Anthem, Master of Ceremonies Professor Ian Curran, Vice-Dean for Education, opened the ceremony by welcoming the distinguished guests, graduands, their families and friends.

Professor Thomas Coffman, Dean of Duke-NUS, gave the welcome address, in which he acknowledged the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the Class of 2022— the third Duke-NUS class to graduate in the COVID era and the second to have an in-person ceremony:

“Throughout the disruptions of the pandemic, you’ve really remained focused on academic excellence with commitment and resilience and you’ve looked after one another. So on behalf of the entire Duke-NUS faculty, I want to let you know how very proud of you we are for the way you’ve comported yourself during this really difficult time. We’ve admired the pragmatic and professional manner with which you’ve handled this adversity and, while it hasn’t been easy, I’m sure you’ve learned life lessons during this time that will help you as you go forward.”

Professor Coffman also noted the marriage proposal that was made during the previous evening’s Graduation Dinner and Dance—a first in the School’s history—before segueing to the “strong and durable partnership between our parent institutions”, Duke and NUS.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof Tan Chorh Chuan commended the graduands for completing their rigorous Duke-NUS education. He said:

“With your training and experience in Duke-NUS, you are well poised to make strong, fulfilling contributions in so many different ways. So all of us look forward to the fresh thinking, passion and energy that you will bring as the newest additions to our health and research communities. I’m confident that, over time, you will fill out the seats that are today occupied by the master clinicians, renowned researchers, educators, administrators and leaders present in the audience today.”

Duke University Chancellor for Health Affairs Professor Eugene Washington and NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye spoke next, offering their hearty congratulations and words of encouragement to the graduands on behalf of Duke-NUS’ parent institutions.

Prof Washington said:

“As you prepare to leave Duke-NUS, please know that you are exceptionally trained and exceedingly ready to serve… Be confident that you are poised to make a meaningful contribution that will improve lives and create healthier communities.”

Prof Tan added:

“The skills, knowledge and learning experiences you’ve acquired over the course of your degree programme will put you in good stead as you embark on your career. ”

Class of 2022 reciting the Hippocratic Oath

Next, Duke-NUS alumnus Dr Low Zhen Luan presented the graduating class for the commencement of the hooding ceremony, a special recognition for graduate students.

As the students made their way across the stage, they first had their hood placed over their heads by two faculty to signify their success in completing the graduate programme before receiving their scrolls and certificate holders from Minister Chan and Dean Coffman, respectively.

After the presentation of the Class of 2022, the MD and MD-PhD graduates, along with the senior clinicians in the audience, stood to recite the Hippocratic Oath, led by Prof Curran.

This was followed by speeches by two graduates, PhD graduate Dr Clement Yau and MD graduate Dr Axel Chu, who had been chosen by their class to speak on their behalf.

Dr Yau spoke about the transferable skills gained by the cohort during their PhD years:

“Our PhDs have armed us with an exceptional level of knowledge as well as the skill set necessary to be at the forefront of scientific discovery… It has taught us resilience, it has honed our problem-solving skills and it has made us all experts in communicating our ideas as well as solutions. The PhD skill set is a tool box that will stay with us for life and it's not something restricted for use just within the life sciences.”

Dr Chu reminded his peers of how their journey as medical students began, while urging them to treasure the friendships forged.

“Do not lose sight of the why you chose medicine in the first place. Each one of you has a unique and pure motivation to be here,” said Dr Chu, who urged his classmates to remember their motivation, especially when faced with challenges, to help them get “through these tough moments”.

Closing the ceremony, Prof Curran shared some parting words of advice and well wishes for the graduating class:

“Make the care of your patient your first concern. Treat every patient as you would wish your own family to be treated. And always do the right thing, even if it is difficult or challenging for you to do so. As you go forward, I wish you every success in your future endeavors.”

Graduation Class of 2022 friends and families

Graduation Awards

NEO Yu Pei

SingHealth Top Student Gold Medal

LEE Yun See

SingHealth Seah Cheng Siang Gold Medal in Medicine

NEO Yu Pei

College of Physicians Prize in Internal Medicine

SOH Wee Siang Bryan

SingHealth David Sabiston Gold Medal in Surgery

LEE Yun See

SingHealth Prize in Paediatrics

Charmaine TAY Jieying

SingHealth Prize in Obstetrics & Gynaecology

LEE Wen Li

SingHealth Prize in Neurology

Vanitha D/O PORHCISALIYAN

Institute of Mental Health Prize in Psychiatry

Priscilla WEE Jia Ling

SingHealth Prize in Family Medicine

Vanitha D/O PORHCISALIYAN

College of Family Physicians Singapore Prize in Family Medicine

Louis WONG Choon Kit

Duke-NUS Achievement Prize: Step 1

LEE Yun See

Duke-NUS Achievement Prize: Step 2CK

LEE Wen Li

Duke-NUS Achievement Prize: CPX-2

Nurul Ain Binte REJAP

Duke-NUS Achievement Prize: Clinical Science Research

Favian NG Ding Jie

Duke-NUS Achievement Prize: Basic Science Research

NEO Yu Pei

Singapore Medical Association - Lee Foundation Achievement Prize (Exit Exam)