News Story: NTU Open House 2026

By Retna Devi D/O Shanmuga Retnam

Just before 2026 started, LKCMedicine celebrated its 15th anniversary. Often regarded as a coming-of-age milestone for the School, it is, instead, a celebration of exponential growth and over a decade of clinical education excellence.

This underpinned LKCMedicine’s showcase during the NTU Open House on 27 February 2026. Held at the Experimental Medicine Building (EMB), our faculty, staff, student ambassadors and alumni began their day as early as 9am to host some 1,500 pre-university students and parents over the course of the full-day event.

As visitors filled the corridors of EMB, they became acquainted with the School’s many milestones and accomplishments: graduating over 800 doctors; making it to the top 100 in QS World University Rankings for Medicine and the Times Higher Education University Ranking; welcoming its largest intake of 190 students in 2025; pushing the boundaries of transformational research; and embarking on its refreshed identity as an NTU medical school.

LKCMedicine’s Open House also outlined the School’s next stage of growth, which include greater thrusts in AI, digital health and medical humanities in line with Singapore’s healthcare priorities.

LKCMedicine Assistant Dean (MBBS Lead) Assistant Professor Daniel Quek detailed the School’s approach on medical education during the “Introduction to LKCMedicine: Curriculum, Pedagogy & Student Life” talk in the morning, along with student presenters, Year 5 student James Wang and Year 1 student Nasya Savitri Sudharma.

Speaking to a fully packed Learning Studio and a spill-over audience at the Collaboration Space, Asst Prof Quek addressed AI’s burgeoning role in medicine. “We are all envisioning a new world where we don’t just use AI as tools but more as companions. How do we now discern the use of AI? Is it always correct? Is AI going to take away the humanistic parts of medicine? Clearly, not. These are the important parts of that we have worked into the curriculum to make sure that we do not lose focus on the important parts of healthcare delivery.”

The student presenters spoke on the House System, strongly rooted peer-teaching culture within the tight-knit student body, and the vibrant student life that can take the form of Overseas and Local Community Involvement Projects.

Reflecting on his experience as an LKCMedicine student so far, James acknowledged the calibre of the School’s faculty. “We have a world-class faculty and senior clinicians. They are one of the best things about LKCMedicine because they are very close to us. As students, we can approach them easily if we have any ideas or concerns. They are very approachable and naturally understand our struggles as medical students.”

During a special appearance with LKCMedicine Vice-Dean (Education) Associate Professor Faith Chia, Dean Professor Joseph Sung announced the School’s plan to expand the physical footprint of its Novena campus. The expansion involves converting a neighbouring building, which formerly housed Dover Park Hospice, into a new Annex Block.

With development commencing in April 2026, the Annex Block is designed to ensure that LKCMedicine continues delivering high-quality medical education and impactful research, while providing the space and environment needed for students and staff to thrive.

The afternoon session of this highly subscribed introductory talk was led by Assistant Dean (Admissions and Overseas Electives) Associate Professor See Jee Jian. He was joined by Year 5 student Lee Xin Tien and Year 1 student Sudharshan Balaji.

Similar to the morning session, prospective students and their parents actively engaged the speakers with questions about intake size, scholarships and financial aid, the School’s admissions process, and assessing the suitability of medicine as a profession.

“Hearing from the Assistant Dean and students helped me to understand the School better. I really liked how LKCMedicine is staying up to pace with everything and using AI not only for students but also to help faculty conduct the lessons better,” noted Raffles Institution student Dennis.

To offer a fuller picture of the journey from medical student to practicing clinician, LKCMedicine students and faculty members held a Research Sharing session to spotlight the exciting research opportunities made available by the School, allowing students to explore different career pathways.

To round off the perspective, four LKCMedicine alumni participated in “From Classrooms to Clinics: Stories by our alumni”, a panel discussion moderated by Assistant Dean (Year 5) Dr Ng Wee Khoon.

Drs Angeline Aw (Class of 2023), Cheing Nian Kai (Class of 2022), Surya Varma Selvakumar (Class of 2025) and Luke Low Kai En (Class of 2023) piqued attendees’ interest with their recollections of navigating medical school and transitioning from medical student to a doctor. While their lived experiences varied, the alumni agreed wholeheartedly that LKCMedicine’s patient-centred ethos continues to influence them as doctors.

“LKCMedicine has definitely prepared me for working life. All the regular sessions starting from Year 1 to teach us how to communicate with patients, take medical history and even break bad news have made my interactions with patients a lot smoother,” elaborated Dr Low.

Beyond the talks, the Open House featured a full slate of hands-on demonstrations, six student-led tours from School of Biological Sciences (SBS) to EMB, and immersive learning experiences that offered visitors fresh perspectives on the School.

Over at the Seminar Room, Team-Based Learning (TBL) facilitators Dr Han Siew Ping and Ms Yang Lishan guided two groups of pre-university students through a typical TBL session, the cornerstone of the School’s award-winning pedagogy. Realising that LKCMedicine has a non-conventional way of teaching impressed many, including Anglo-Chinese Junior College student Manasvini Mendu.

“The TBL demo was awesome. The thing that got me through junior college was forming study groups, which is somewhat like Team-Based Learning. It is really heartening to see the School encourage and implement that style on a more systemic level. I think it is a very good way of learning,” remarked the 19-year-old.

The enthusiasm of the visitors was equally palpable at the Anatomy & Science Practical Station, where they had the opportunity to participate in a microbiology exercise to identify bacteria and observe the development of a live chick embryo.

The Anatomy team also exhibited how technology is seamlessly integrated into learning, be it using plastinated specimens with a 3D anatomy app for the identification of the various human structures or turning to Anatbuddy, an AI-powered in-house chatbot that provides verified content in response to students’ contextual anatomy questions.

At the Digital Learning booth located at the Collaboration Space, aspiring medical students were exposed to additional technology-enhanced learning tools that supplement medical education at LKCMedicine.

One such example is the AI-powered Clinical Communication Chatbot, a real-time conversational simulation tool that enhances students' communication skills and medication knowledge in a safe environment before they are applied in a clinical setting.

An artist showcase by Associate Professor of Human and Microbial Genetics Eric Yap and a display of LKCMedicine’s commitment to advocating and implementing sustainable practices helmed by the School’s Green Committee served as important reminders that the practice of medicine goes beyond scientific knowledge and being on par with technological advancements.

It is also about embracing the art and humanistic aspects of the profession, which are highly valued at LKCMedicine.

Throughout the day, senior leadership, staff, students and alumni remained available at both EMB and the main LKCMedicine booth at the foyer of  SBS to address queries on admissions, scholarships and financial aid, student life, overseas and research opportunities, LKCMedSoc and the School’s dual-campus experience.

For many Student and Alumni Ambassadors, the steady stream of people and their eagerness to learn more about the School and student life made the long hours and endless walking more meaningful.

Year 1 medical student Basu Mihika Saptarshi added, “I was in their shoes last year so to be able to offer them advice this year is really great. It was also amazing to see the LKCMedicine community come together for the Open House, and I am glad that parents and prospective students get to see how bonded we are.”

“While preparing my presentation, it reminded me why I wanted to pursue medicine in the first place, and how LKCMedicine has influenced who I have become today as a doctor. So, it has been very nostalgic. It is also very nice to be in a position to inspire the next generation of doctors,” shared Dr Aw, a Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery Resident.